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KHL All-Star Game: Ivan Demidov scores a goal in the final

This morning, Ivan Demidov shone in Russia as he participated in the KHL skills competition, later scoring two goals in the KHL All-Star Game semi-final.

Demidov helped his division team (the Bobrov division) qualify for the final, which took place today.

Once again, the Montreal Canadiens prospect stood out.

Indeed, Demidov scored a goal in the final, although the Bobrov division unfortunately lost 9 to 8 against the Chernyshev division.

Here is Demidov’s goal.

It’s a beautiful goal, but what stands out the most is Demidov’s smile after scoring.

The hope of the Tricolore really enjoyed himself this weekend with the skills competition and the KHL All-Star Game.

He concluded his first experience at this event with three goals in two games, which is more than respectable.

Now, Demidov can focus on the rest of the season with SKA Saint Petersburg, where he will be one of the key players for SKA’s success at the end of the season and in the playoffs.

His coach Roman Rotenberg is now using Demidov extensively, which is paying off for SKA, who are looking to climb a few spots before the start of the playoffs.

SKA is 6th in its conference but is only two points behind the second place.

(Credit: KHL.ru)

In short, with 15 games left in the regular season, Demidov still has time to impress us further and, importantly, to increase the record for the most points in a season by a player under 20.

In Brief

– Everything is going well for the Rocket, who won again yesterday in Toronto.

– Good point.

– Noteworthy.

– Tarasenko on his departure from Detroit?

– Even with the departure of J.T. Miller, Elias Pettersson has still not found his rhythm.

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The Canadiens are receiving calls about Mike Matheson

The trade deadline is fast approaching in the National Hockey League.

Indeed, we are now less than a month away from March 7, which explains why trade rumors are flying in every corner of the league.

In fact, several rumors have already materialized, as some teams have completed significant transactions without waiting for the deadline.

On the Montreal Canadiens’ side, with the recent significant drop in performance, the team seems to have returned to familiar territory as the deadline approaches, which is that of sellers.

Marc Bergevin is not at the Bell Centre for a courtesy visit.

Vincent Damphousse is convinced that the CH will be sellers on March 7, and thus will trade some of its veterans.

Obviously, I’m primarily referring here to Jake Evans, Joel Armia, and David Savard, but as of the latest news, Kent Hughes is also receiving calls for Mike Matheson.

Indeed, multiple NHL sources reported to Marco D’Amico and Responsible Gambler that the Canadiens were receiving calls for several of their veterans, including Matheson.

This means that even though the CH’s number 8 is still under contract for the next season, several teams are interested in adding his services for beyond the current campaign.

And when you think about it, it is clear that with the salary cap increasing by nearly $8 million, Matheson and his annual salary of $4.85 million will be a great bargain.

Kent Hughes thus has the luxury of listening to the calls he receives for his defender and deciding if an offer suits him.

With the emergence of Lane Hutson, Mike Matheson has become slightly less important for the CH, which could lead Kent Hughes to trade him if the right offer comes along, especially considering the young defenders pushing through the organization.

In short, Matheson seems to be in the same boat as Armia, Evans, and Savard, and could very well leave the ship given that the CH will be sellers, at least partially.

Huh? What do you mean partially sellers?

Well, once again according to information from Marco D’Amico, the CH is currently employing a hybrid approach as the trade deadline approaches.

Indeed, on one hand, Kent Hughes will listen to offers for the veterans mentioned above and will seek to get as much as possible in return, but on the other hand, as we’ve heard in recent days, the CH wants to add NHL players to its team.

A young forward ready for the NHL and a top-4 right-shot defenseman would represent the targets for the Canadiens.

The names that are circulating a lot right now are those you have already heard, such as Dylan Cozens in offense and Noah Dobson on defense.

In short, the CH seems to have two clear goals in mind, which are to trade veterans while adding fresh strength to its team to improve right now.

It is clear that Kent Hughes no longer wants to trade his players only for draft picks and young prospects.

He wants to improve his team, and this could go through a transaction combining his two objectives.

One example that comes to mind is a trade involving Jake Evans and Simon Nemec, the young right-shot defenseman from the New Jersey Devils.

Nemec was not called up from the American League and used for nothing yesterday at the Bell Centre.

The Devils have been interested in Evans for a while, and Nemec is rumored to be on the trading block as well.

In short, all of this remains to be closely monitored until March 7.

In Brief

– It’s clear he is very talented, and it’s no wonder the CH continues to be linked to the matter.

– Noted.

– CF Montreal won 2 to 1, but did not have a great match.

– A new start for the Quebec native.

– Something to keep an eye on.

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Top-5: Tony DeAngelo shoots the puck into his own net

Yesterday was the last big day of hockey before the Four Nations tournament break.

There were 14 games on the schedule, so we got to see a lot of highlights.

Here’s a recap.

1. Tony DeAngelo scores into his own net

A few weeks ago, defenseman Tony DeAngelo left the SKA of Saint Petersburg to return to the NHL by signing with the New York Islanders.

Things have been going well for DeAngelo so far, except that yesterday, he really seemed out of sorts as he very clearly shot the puck into his own net.

Here’s the sequence.

Obviously, DeAngelo felt very bad about it as seen in the sequence, especially since this goal happened in the third period and allowed the Minnesota Wild to take a 5-3 lead and ultimately win 6-3.

In short, a night to forget for DeAngelo.

2. A “Green Man” jumped onto the ice in Vancouver

Do you know the “Green Men”?

They are the classic fans dressed in green costumes in Vancouver, who go wild when the camera is on them.

Well, last night, a “Green Man” somehow managed to get onto the ice, which resulted in the following moment during a commercial break.

He even took the opportunity to hug the referee while being escorted off the ice.

Overall, a funny moment that overshadowed the big 2-1 victory of the Vancouver Canucks against the Toronto Maple Leafs.

The Canucks owe a big thanks to Kevin Lankinen, who made a remarkable save against none other than Auston Matthews at the end of the third period.

3. 10 rounds of shootout between the Blues and the Blackhawks

We witnessed quite a shootout last night between the St. Louis Blues and the Chicago Blackhawks, as both teams went all the way to the tenth round.

Regulation time and overtime were not enough to break the 5-5 tie, and many shootout attempts were needed.

In the end, Radek Faksa scored a stunning goal against Arvid Soderblom to give the St. Louis Blues a 6-5 victory.

4. The Lightning now has four scorers with 25 goals or more

The Tampa Bay Lightning is once again recognized this season for having many very talented players who can score goals at any moment.

In fact, yesterday, by scoring two goals in the 6-3 victory of the Tampa Bay Lightning against the Detroit Red Wings, Brandon Hagel became the fourth player on the team this season to reach the 25-goal mark.

Indeed, Brayden Point (30 goals), Jake Guentzel (27 goals), Brandon Hagel (26 goals), and Nikita Kucherov (25 goals) all have 25 goals or more and are all in the top 15 NHL scorers.

It’s quite an achievement for the Lightning, which once again has several players racking up points in abundance.

In the case of Hagel, it’s important to note that he has 60 points, which is a pace of 91 points at the moment.

5. Jamie Benn celebrates in an unusual way

In an 8-3 victory for the Dallas Stars over the poor San Jose Sharks, the significance of the goals diminishes at a certain point in the game.

And that’s exactly what Jamie Benn wanted to show last night by celebrating his goal, which was the eighth for the Stars.

As soon as he scored, he skated to the players’ bench to sit down without celebrating as if nothing had happened.

A rather amusing moment for the Stars’ captain.

Overtime

– Here are all the results from the previous day.

– Here are the top scorers from yesterday.

(Credit: NHL.com)

– On the schedule today: two games.

(Credit: Google/NHL)
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“The Canadian team will be sellers at the trade deadline.”

For a good month and a half, Canadiens fans dreamed of the playoffs and a trade deadline where Kent Hughes would not sell.

But for the past few weeks, hopes have gone up in smoke, as the CH no longer wins.

I mentioned last week, we need to pull out Tankathon. And at the time of writing these lines, Montreal is just five points away from being in the top-5 teams with the best chances of winning the lottery.

(Credit: Tankathon )

No, the CH will not be buyers.

They will be sellers. According to Vincent Damphousse, there is no doubt about it.

David Savard, Joel Armia, Christian Dvorak, and Jake Evans will all be unrestricted free agents at the end of the season.

Aside from Dvorak, the other three all have great value and could definitely change teams by March 7.

We know that the Oilers are in the running for Savard’s services and that Armia and Evans could be traded together for a big return. Would Hughes prefer to sign a guy like Evans for the medium or long term, however? That remains an option, as at 28 years old, he’s not too old and could very well help the team.

I am one of those who would like to see Armia back in Montreal, but he will want a nice salary increase (deserved) and the Canadiens will not be the team to offer him more than $3.4 million per year.

Dvorak, on the other hand, will not be back and unless there’s a surprise, I don’t believe any team will want to pay to acquire his services. The Montreal management could retain 50% of his salary, but that remains to be seen. Because even at 50% of his salary, #28 isn’t worth much.

Three of the four players will definitely not be returning to the metropolis next year. Might as well trade them for something small instead of losing them anyway on July 1, right? And by trading them, it will make room for the young players and improve the team’s chances of drafting one last major prospect before better days ahead.

In a nutshell

– Must listen.

– The Canadiens have three (Samuel Montembeault, Patrik Laine, and Joel Armia).

– Well done.

– It starts well.

– Congratulations.

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The Rocket is the first team in the AHL to achieve 30 victories

Among the professional hockey clubs in Montreal, only the Canadiens are struggling.

Because the Rocket and the Victory, they win quite regularly. Both teams are at the top of their respective leagues. As for the Canadiens, they are ranked 22nd. Once again today, Montreal lost.

The Rocket won this time in a shootout against the Toronto Marlies. Pascal Vincent’s squad, which has won a seventh consecutive game, is the first team in the AHL to reach 30 wins.

Laval concluded the weekend with two wins against the Toronto Marlies, solidifying its top position in the league overall, but especially in the division.

It was not Cayden Primeau in goal, but Connor Hughes, who stopped 30 of the 32 shots directed at him. He also gave nothing away in the shootout.

The two shootout goals for the team were scored by Jared Davidson and Joshua Roy.

Rafaël Harvey-Pinard and Florian Xhekaj were the scorers in the game.

Here is the current state of the standings. The Calgary Wranglers (29 wins), who play a little later tonight, could also reach the 30-win mark today.

(Credit: AHL.com)

The Montreal affiliate will return to action on Wednesday in Belleville to face the Ottawa Senators’ affiliate.

They will be aiming for an eighth consecutive victory, nothing less.

In brief

– The guys are happy.

– A lot of interest in Brad Marchand and Brandon Carlo.

– An interview with the two brothers.

– He enjoyed his time in the city.

– Good news.

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4 goals on 22 shots: The fans taunted Samuel Montembeault this afternoon

In January, Samuel Montembeault didn’t seem like a number one goalie.

He was left alone during some matches, but still: a good number one goalie must be able to make the big saves to help his team.

The goalie’s statistics lately are
 average.

In January, Monty had a record of 3-4-0 with a save percentage of .889 and a goals-against average of 3.40.

And today, against the Devils, the Quebecer let it slip again.

He allowed four goals on 22 shots
 And at one point, Canadiens fans decided to taunt him.

Montembeault made a save from the neutral zone and the crowd began to applaud him:

After the match, Monty acknowledged that he didn’t play up to his talent.

He wants to give more; he wants to be better
 And even though he has the right mindset, he is also completely right.

Montembeault needs to be more solid in front of his net.

Samuel Montembeault cannot do everything on his own, and that’s not what I’m implying either.

But still, at the risk of repeating myself: if he does not make the important saves, the Canadiens cannot have a good chance of winning.

Today, we saw him allow three goals due to a clear shot with no traffic in front of him, and it’s exactly in those moments that he must be better.

I also find it hard to believe that Team Canada’s management is very satisfied with his recent performance
 #4Nations

Notably, the fans present today also booed the team at the end of the game. This says a lot about their reaction to the Canadiens’ (or not) superb performance this afternoon, and I really hope the players heard the crowd.

Because, let’s face it, it’s pretty embarrassing. If it can send a message to the group, that would be great


In brief

– It’s starting to smell like Europe for this former 4th overall pick.

– Tough break for the Islanders.

– Oh!

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15 goals in eight outings: It is not a coincidence that the CH lost seven of those games

To win games in the NHL, a team must be able to score goals.

It’s not rocket science.

So it’s normal to see that the Canadiens lost (again) today. Martin St-Louis’ team was never able to beat Jake Allen, who hurt his former team by recording a shutout with 34 saves.

With today’s loss, the Canadiens have now lost seven of their last eight games.

In my opinion, we can forget about the playoffs


But if the team has lost seven of its last eight games, it’s because they have only scored 15 times.

15 goals in eight games, it’s fair to say that’s far from impressive:

(Credit: ESPN)

It’s glaring to see how the Canadiens’ offense is struggling.

The first line is not producing, nor is the second…

There are not many players who regularly show up to play. And that’s primarily the troubling element.

It seems the guys are already thinking about vacation. Yet, today was a great opportunity to please the fans: it’s family weekend at the Bell Centre, after all.

The poor performance of the Canadiens’ offense is not the only thing to take away from this game.

What caught my attention in the game?

1. Josh Anderson deserves some love.

We know he makes a lot of money and that his contract is not necessarily ideal for the Canadiens’ salary cap.

But… Andy is still one of the few who gives his all night after night for the team. His salary is well-deserved.

2. Patrik Laine, Kirby Dach, Alex Newhook, Juraj Slafkovsky
 These guys were invisible today.

There was no effort or commitment visible from Slaf and Laine, who are two of the biggest scorers on the Habs.

And it’s practically insulting to see them dragging their feet like that on the ice.

3. Logan Mailloux had a decent game.

You can see he still has things to learn in his zone
 And that’s why I was surprised to see Martin St-Louis pair him with Lane Hutson at a certain point during the game.

Both guys are good offensively, but it’s also risky for the Canadiens when they find themselves on the ice at the same time.

4. Once again, the Canadiens were atrocious to start the game.

Jesper Bratt scored in the first period, and from that moment onward, we felt the Canadiens’ energy was nonexistent.

It really shows that the team is not playing with confidence right now. And Martin St-Louis admitted it after the game:

5. I will repeat the first sentence of my text: to win games in the NHL, a team must be able to score goals.

Lately, the Canadiens are not scoring
 And they are unable to gain the lead over their opponents during the game.

Since January 1, it’s been more than disastrous at this level, as noted by statistician Guillaume Villemaire:

Overall, this was a performance to forget for the Canadiens.

We hope tomorrow’s game will be better
 Especially for the fans who will be bringing their children.

The Canadiens need to show their fans that they want to win for them.

And lately, that’s far from being the case.

Overtime

Martin St-Louis remained optimistic after the game, saying that “a lot of things can happen in two months.”

I want to believe that
 But at the same time, the Canadiens won’t be out of the woods if they continue to string together atrocious performances.

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The CH did not show up: a truly embarrassing defeat against the Devils

It’s Super Bowl weekend!

Before hosting the Lightning tomorrow afternoon, the Habs were trying today to secure only their second victory in their last eight games.

The Devils were visiting the Bell Centre for the occasion.

But as has often been the case lately, we saw the Habs struggle in the opening period.

After just under 14 minutes of play, the Canadiens had only two shots on goal…

The Devils took advantage and scored the first goal, courtesy of Jesper Bratt:

The Canadiens regrouped a bit before the end of the first period, but it felt like the Devils had the upper hand during the first twenty minutes.

It’s difficult to win against a team like New Jersey when you can’t play the right way…

Jake Allen stood out at the end of the first period with a fantastic save against Cole Caufield:

At the start of the second period, the Canadiens came out to play.

They quickly had the opportunity to go on a power play… But the team was unable to capitalize despite having chances to score.

Josh Anderson also had the chance to tie the game on a breakaway, but Allen came up big once again.

The Devils’ goalie was on fire during the final period:

In the second period, Jake Allen’s brilliance stood out… And that’s about all of it.

The Canadiens weren’t effective in the offensive zone after buzzing at the beginning of the period, and in the end, it was the Devils who took advantage once again.

Paul Cotter beat Samuel Montembeault to make it 2-0:

Martin St-Louis’s men began the third period on a power play.

Result?

Not only were the Canadiens unable to score: they also gave up a goal at the very end of the Devils’ penalty.

Jack Hughes managed to outsmart Montembeault with a perfect shot into the top corner:

After Jack’s goal, the other Hughes decided to join the party.

Luke scored to make it 4-0, and Monty would surely like to have that shot back:

The Canadiens were never in the game.

The Montreal team lost 4-0… In a truly disappointing match.

We must credit Jake Allen, who stopped all 33 shots directed at him for a shutout.

He even stopped Owen Beck on a penalty shot with 15 seconds left in the game, denying him his first career goal in the NHL.

Overtime

This photo perfectly summarizes the Canadiens’ afternoon.

The Devils showed why they are one of the best teams in the NHL, and it became clear the Habs did not have what it takes to compete.

Especially considering that the effort level was abysmal for most of the players on the Tricolore…

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Marc Bergevin is at the Bell Centre this afternoon

Even though Marc Bergevin lost his position as the Canadiens’ GM a little over three years ago, we know he remains involved in the hockey world. The former GM is now an employee of the Los Angeles Kings, whom the CH notably faced on Wednesday night.

We don’t know if he was present that night… but it’s far from impossible.

However, today we know for sure where the Kings employee is. Indeed, as with every game, a list of scouts in attendance is made available…

And on today’s list at the Bell Centre, we notice a name we recognize well: that of Marc Bergevin.

He is part of a list of 12 scouts who are present today.

Of course, it’s possible that all of this is just a coincidence. Perhaps he is just passing through Quebec and took the opportunity to lend a hand to his team… but it is also possible that he is there for a specific reason.

And it’s easy to make connections with Jake Evans and Joel Armia, among others.

We know that for a while now, Evans’ name has been associated with the Kings as a team that has him in its sights. We also know that in 2021, the former CH GM recognized what a player like Armia can bring to a team in the playoffs.

He recognized it so well that he gave him a four-year contract worth $3.4 million per season following the team’s playoff run in 2021.

So, do the Kings want more information on two guys they might target ahead of the trade deadline? It’s far from impossible, especially since Bergevin is not the only Kings representative present today.

We know that it was also Bergevin who acquired Christian Dvorak and David Savard in Montreal. That said, they are probably not the top targets on the Kings’ list… although it doesn’t hurt to have information on those guys as well.

Otherwise, we can also wonder if Bergevin wanted to see his first-round draft pick from 2021 in action in the NHL for a second straight game, as Logan Mailloux plays his second consecutive game with the big club.

In Brief

– Mikko Rantanen and Rasmus Ristolainen are not in uniform today. Let’s see if they will play in the Four Nations Clash.

– Scott Laughton: discussions for a trade are intensifying. This will give an idea of the market for a guy like Jake Evans (who is probably worth less than Laughton, though).

– Indeed.

– Mike Matheson!

– It’s up to him to find his place.

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American national anthem: only a few small boos were heard at the Bell Centre

This afternoon, the Canadiens are back at the Bell Centre to face the Devils. It’s the first home game for the team since January 30… and especially since what has been happening south of the border has been provoking reactions to national anthems in the world of sports.

For about ten days, we’ve seen Canadian fans boo the American anthem as well as American fans boo the Canadian anthem, both in hockey and basketball.

We were monitoring what would happen at the Bell Centre in this regard today, as it was the first game at home for the CH since all this started and the team was facing an American team.

In the end, the American anthem was not booed (there were a few boos, but nothing more)…

But before their performance, it was noted that Michel Lacroix asked the fans to respect both anthems despite recent events.

This is obviously new.

More details to come


Overtime

It should be noted that today, the CH lineup is the same as in the last game in terms of offense
 but not on the blue line.

Lane Hutson, who played with Alexandre Carrier in the last game, is now on the left of Logan Mailloux. Carrier, on the other hand, is now to the right of Mike Matheson.