Author: Dans les Coulisses

Deadline: CH will take a few weeks to decide on the strategy to adopt.

The Canadiens are in a somewhat strange situation.

With the recent successes of the team, it is difficult to determine what the team’s plan will be at the NHL trade deadline.

Will Kent Hughes want to take advantage of the value of some of his players to send them to other places, or would he rather keep everyone to push for the playoffs? The question would have seemed illogical to ask a month ago, but now…

Pierre LeBrun discussed this during a segment on TSN and said that there are some interesting names in Montreal.

He named Jake Evans, Christian Dvorak, and Joel Armia. The reporter also mentioned that teams have already started calling about these three guys.

But LeBrun also said it is too early to truly know what is on Kent Hughes’ mind.

What you need to know is that the Canadiens want to give themselves a few weeks to decide on the strategy to adopt:

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The deadline is in seven weeks (March 7), and by then, the Canadiens will play 19 games.

If they can win the majority of those games, I tend to believe that Hughes will be more relaxed at the deadline because his goal is to see the team continue to progress.

And it won’t happen by sending several players away.

But if the situation changes, I mainly see two players leaving if there’s interest elsewhere in the NHL: Christian Dvorak and Joel Armia.

Jake Evans – in my opinion – should reach an agreement with the Canadiens on the terms of a new contract in the coming weeks because we can see how useful he is in Montreal. Kent Hughes will not let him go for peanuts, and even if Evans is having a breakout season, the chances of seeing another team offer (at least) a first-round pick for him are minimal.

And Hughes will not trade him if he cannot get excellent return for his services.

All this remains interesting because two months ago at this time, we would never have had this conversation.

No one could have predicted that the Canadiens are the only NHL team playing for at least .800 since December 15, and this is changing expectations at present.

To be continued, therefore.

In Brief

– Unsurprisingly, Tristan Jarry was not claimed on waivers.

– It’s not crazy.

– Ping!

– Intriguing…

Another goal for Ivan Demidov

He doesn’t stop.

Ivan Demidov found a way to score another goal today. The Canadiens’ hope, who is playing on his team’s first line today, used his hands to outsmart the opposing goalie.

He is really strong.

As Grant McCagg points out, he was a bit lucky. But still: Demidov showcased his talent and used his creativity to bring himself near the net and draw the goalie out of his comfort zone.

It’s no small feat.

What’s interesting is the pace at which he has been scoring for the past few weeks – since the visit of the Canadiens’ management. He scored in his last game (January 13) before today and has three goals in his last five games.

He also has nine goals in his last ten games. Quite impressive!

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It should be noted that Demidov will participate in the KHL All-Star Game in the coming weeks and he has really hit his stride in recent weeks.

It’s no wonder everyone is talking so positively about him.

He might not surpass Matvei Michkov’s rate of 19 goals in 47 games from last year in the KHL, but his current pace means he doesn’t have much to regret.

That’s good.

In brief

– Greater expectations for CF Montréal?

– Neymar in Chicago: it wouldn’t be easy to pull off.

– A highly anticipated man.

Johnathan Kovacevic is taking Simon Nemec out of New Jersey.

Jasons by Jonathan Kovacevic a little.

Since the beginning of the season, he has been performing very well. The former Canadiens player, who was traded to the Devils a year before full autonomy, has found his place, to use a term from Martin St-Louis.

He has been an important part of the Devils’ defensive corps since the start of the season.

Kovacevic is nearing the end of his contract, and the Devils do not want to let him go. The GM of the Devils intends to negotiate with him so he doesn’t hit the free-agent market.

This is significant.

With Brett Pesce, Dougie Hamilton, and Kovacevic, the Devils could have a complete right side in the medium term. This could block young players who want to push to establish themselves in the NHL.

And on this subject, Jimmy Murphy (Responsible Gambler) talked about the implications this might have in a recent piece on the topic.

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What we note is that Simon Nemec, the Devils’ second pick in 2022 (behind a certain Juraj Slafkovsky), is particularly blocked. The young player, who spent most of last season in the NHL, is currently stuck in the AHL.

He has even been surpassed by Seamus Casey in the young player hierarchy and cannot see the light at the end of the tunnel.

The young player believes he is capable of playing in the NHL but is stuck in Utica. He therefore wants to move up to the NHL… and in light of everything that is happening, the Slovak is even considering requesting a trade.

As he told a Slovak media outlet, the door is open.

It’s too early to see if I will request a trade. – Simon Nemec

Because the Devils might shop him this summer and his value isn’t the highest, one wonders whether the Canadiens will seek to acquire his services.

Let’s recall that he is Slovak, just like Slaf and Filip Mesar, two other first-round picks in 2022. And let’s also remind you that on the right side, the CH needs help both in the short and long term.

David Savard will not be there forever and Mike Matheson is filling in on the right. Among the young, Logan Mailloux is struggling, and David Reinbacher, as everyone knows, hasn’t had a chance to develop this year.

Will Kent Hughes want to take an interest in him? If so, he won’t be the only one.

in brief

– Watching Oliver Kapanen play is good news.

– To be monitored.

– Good listening.

The Islanders of Patrick Roy have one of the worst power plays in history.

Did you know that Patrick Roy’s Islanders have one of the worst power play advantages in history? That’s the case, indeed.

Since the beginning of the season, the Islanders are operating at 10.5%. Since power play statistics began being counted (1977), this is on track to be the fifth worst record in history.

Ouch.

(Credit: NHL.com)

Because the Islanders only have 2.44 opportunities per game, this means that since the beginning of the season, the team scores, on average, one goal every four games on power play.

This is not enough.

The Islanders, who also have the worst penalty kill rate in the NHL (65.6%), give up several goals per week while shorthanded, but conversely, they do not score when they have the opportunity.

This could explain the state of the standings, clearly.

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(Credit: NHL.com)

The problem is that right now, the power play of the representatives of Long Island is performing worse than usual. The team is 0-for-25 recently, which leads everyone to question things.

The guys want to get out of this situation, and so does the coach. But in front of the media, Patrick Roy is not panicking.

We have to trust ourselves and trust the guys in place. – Patrick Roy

Lou Lamoriello, who brought Roy in last season to create a spark, must be wondering what he should do to help his team. After all, right now, the Islanders are not #InTheMix for the playoffs.

The Islanders don’t have a strong team, they don’t have a bright future… and they haven’t scored on the power play at home since November 30. Let’s just say that nothing is going well.

In a nutshell

– Ivan Demidov on the first line.

– What do you think?

– A rebirth in Montreal is possible. [TVAS]

– Noteworthy.

Knee operation: no “Kirby Dach treatment” for David Reinbacher

In recent days, we have seen David Reinbacher start skating again.

This is good news for the Canadiens prospect as it means his knee injury (he underwent surgery, as you know, last fall) is healing at a normal pace.

Seeing images of Reinbacher on the ice this week is a step in the right direction.

We knew that the plan for the Canadiens, who certainly did not hope for Reinbacher to get injured like that when Matvei Michkov was arriving in the NHL, was to see him back at the end of the season.

Not in Montreal: in Laval, of course.

But now, alongside the Austrian’s return to the ice, Anthony Marcotte (BPM Sports) reminded us that the Canadiens’ wish was to have him play in Laval by the end of the regular season.

This would be similar to last year: he would arrive in Laval for the playoff race. The conditions wouldn’t be the same as last year, when he was healthy, but we understand each other.

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What is interesting is that, evidently, the Canadiens will not be afraid to let the defender play at the end of the season – if he is healthy enough to do so.

Last year, at the end of the season, Kirby Dach said he was ready to return to play. But since his doctor had forbidden him from returning for eight months, he watched the last games of the season from the press box.

Evidently, Reinbacher does not have those conditions. One could think that the operation was not the same, which would create a difference in how his return to play is managed.

If Reinbacher can play at the end of the season, he could gain confidence for his summer training. Because it’s nice to be involved with the CH coaching staff, but there’s nothing like actually being in the game.

extension

Given how things are going for the Rocket, their chances of making the playoffs are good. In the club’s division, the top five teams make the playoffs… and the Rocket has a 12-point lead over Belleville.

Reinbacher should, if all goes well, have enough time to return. The Canadiens were talking about an absence of five to six months, which brings us to early or late March.

(Credit: The AHL)

Top-2: The Sabres score a goal despite not having any shots in the third period.

Quite a calm evening in the NHL as four teams were in action.

At least, Connor McDavid was playing.

Here are the results and highlights:

1. The Sabres score a goal despite not having a shot in the third period

The Buffalo Sabres, the worst team in the East, faced off against the Hurricanes last night and surprisingly, they won.

Victory 4-2. Ryan McLeod was the hero of the match, having scored a hat trick.

He opened the scoring just 43 seconds into the game.

This was the fastest goal of the season at home for the Sabres this season.

His last goal was scored without even having a shot.

In fact, in the third period, Buffalo scored a goal and never took a shot on net. Check out this chaotic goal.

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2. Connor McDavid ranks second in Oilers’ scoring

At just 28 years old, Connor McDavid is the best player in the league.

Yesterday, with two goals and one assist, he became the second highest scorer in history, surpassing Jarri Kurri with 1,044 points.

He is 625 points behind Wayne Gretzky.

Knowing the 97, he should surpass it by the end of the season.

Even though McDavid is a good player, sometimes he can deliver hits like this.

Marcus Johansson never returned to the game after that move. Will McDavid be fined?

The match eventually ended with a score of 5-3. The winning goal was scored by Vasily Podkolzin.

Overtime

– Let’s see.

– Unfortunately, he did not get a point.

– The players from the night before with two points or more.

(Credit: NHL.com)

– 26 teams in action tonight.

(Credit: Google)

Patrik Laine scores his first five-on-five goal with the Canadiens.

Patrik Laine is a whiz on the power play. When the puck makes its way to him with the advantage of an extra man, opposing goalies had better be ready.

Laine finally managed to score at even strength!

After scoring nine power-play goals with the Canadiens, Laine got his first even-strength goal on Tuesday during the game against Utah.

The funniest part is that the goal is an exact copy of his typical power-play goals. A blast from the left circle to beat the goalie.

The Canadiens’ number 92 has been improving at even strength over the last few games. He recorded a helper at even strength last week against the Lightning.

Thus, Laine has reached the milestone of 10 goals with the Canadiens.

The Finn has become the sixth Canadiens player to reach this milestone this season. It took the Canadiens only 43 games to have six players score 10 goals.

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This is a significant improvement compared to previous years.

It’s also worth mentioning that this was Laine’s 400th point in the NHL. He achieved this feat in just 495 games.

Not bad!

Out of his 400 points in the NHL, Laine has 214 goals.

Laine continues to leave his mark in the Canadiens’ record book. He has become the fifth Canadiens player to score at least 10 goals in his first 15 games over the last 40 years.

Overtime

Laine is not just setting records with the Canadiens. With his goal in the game against Utah, he became the sixth active Finnish player to reach the 400-point milestone in the NHL.

Three points from Lane Hutson propel the Canadiens to victory against Utah.

For the first time since the team’s inception, the Utah HC hosted the Canadiens on Tuesday. With nine victories in their last 12 games, Montreal was looking to continue their strong streak.

Pezzetta came in as reinforcements for the Canadiens, who will have to manage without Emil Heineman for a few weeks, as he was injured in a car accident.

Here is the Canadiens’ lineup:

And here is the lineup for Utah:

The two teams put on an offensive show right from the start of the game.

Michael Pezzetta and Mike Matheson were both ejected in the first minutes of the game, granting Utah a five-on-three power play opportunity. Josh Doan took advantage of this to open the scoring just under three minutes into the game.

Matheson, however, managed to redeem himself about a minute later. The defenseman retrieved the puck before completely outpacing two Utah defenders. He capped off the play with a shot between the legs of Karel Vejmelka to score the first goal for the CH.

Lane Hutson recorded his 30th assist of the season on that goal, making him the sixth fastest defenseman to reach 30 assists in his rookie season.

He only needed 43 games, which is better than Cale Makar and Quinn Hughes!

However, Utah quickly regained control of the match. Late in the first period, Nick Bjugstad’s shot found its way behind Samuel Montembeault.

After 20 minutes of play, the Canadiens were trailing by a score of 2 to 1.

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In the second period, the Canadiens took control. After allowing Utah to fire 14 shots on Montembeault in the first period, Montreal limited their opponents to just six shots in the second.

Meanwhile, the Tricolore directed 12 shots at the opposing net and managed to score twice.

Nick Suzuki came close to tying the game in the second period, but Vejmelka was saved by his defense.

Patrik Laine tied the game with his 10th goal of the season, which was also his very first goal at even strength with the Canadiens.

Lane Hutson then made another charge by delivering a clever pass to Kirby Dach, who also put on a show by scoring a beautiful goal.

After two periods, the Canadiens were now leading by a score of 3 to 2.

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Once again, we witnessed some goals in the third period. There was a bit of slack from the Canadiens at the beginning of the period, and Utah capitalized.

Logan Cooley had an empty net to score.

However, the Canadiens were far from having said their last word.

Lane Hutson (yes, him again) broke free and took a shot that found its way into the opposing net. Upon review, it was noted that Cole Caufield had touched the puck, giving him his 24th goal of the season.

As Utah tried to come back in the match, Jake Evans managed to break away while shorthanded but was hooked by Mikhail Sergachev.

Evans received a penalty shot but could not outsmart Vejmelka.

This did not have much consequence for the Canadiens, who continued their offensive game a few minutes later. Kirby Dach scored his second goal of the game with a routine shot that surprised Vejmelka.

Utah pulled their goalie late in the game to try to make up the two-goal deficit. Unfortunately for Utah, Montembeault and the Tricolore stood strong and prevented the puck from entering the net.

Montreal thus won by a score of 5 to 3, claiming their 10th victory in their last 13 games.

The Canadiens will be back in action on Thursday when they face the Stars in Dallas.

Overtime

– The Canadiens were not disciplined at the start of the game.

– Montreal could rely on Samuel Montembeault in the first period.

– He is simply too strong.

– He keeps impressing.

– He will be an important cog for the Canadiens for years to come.

Top-5: Kirill Marchenko with the goal of the year in the shootout

26 teams out of 32 were in action last night.

There was certainly a lot of action.

Here are the results and highlights:

1. Kirill Marchenko with the goal of the year in the shootout

Canadiens fans will certainly start watching Blue Jackets games closely.

Columbus currently occupies the last playoff spot with 48 points. The Canadiens are not far behind with 46.

Last night, Dean Evason’s team won in the shootout thanks to this goal from Kirill Marchenko.

Zach Werenski also contributed to the offense.

He extended his home point streak to 17 games with this goal.

He added another one a little later.

Final score: 3-2.

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2. A second shutout in three games for Leevi Merilainen

Another team in the playoff picture is the Senators.

And they’ve found their goaltender in Linus Ullmark’s absence. Young Leevi Merilainen blanked the New York Islanders with a performance of 24 saves.

Second shutout in three games for him.

Steve Staios said he wouldn’t be shopping for a goaltender ahead of the trade deadline. Here’s why.

Ottawa may have won, but it was far from a masterpiece. First, Brady Tkachuk crashed into his teammate Nick Jensen.

And Thomas Chabot took a puck directly to the face.

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3. Brayden Point’s absence does not bode well for the Lightning

The Boston Bruins took advantage of Brayden Point’s absence, who was sidelined for missing a team meeting, to crush Tampa Bay.

This 6-2 victory allowed Boston to catch up to Tampa in the points standings, but the team still has four more games played.

In his 76th NHL game, Parker Wotherspoon scored his first NHL goal.

David Pastrnak, on the other hand, is more accustomed to scoring goals.

He found the back of the net for the seventh time in six games.

Despite a 6-2 drubbing, Jeremy Swayman was good in net for the Bruins.

He stopped 43 shots.

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4. Frank Vatrano sends Tom Wilson to the bench

It’s rare for Tom Wilson to be the victim of a big hit, but last night, he learned that Frank Vatrano can hit a bit.

He sent Wilson to the penalty box.

The Capitals still won the game by a score of 3-0.

Shutout of 19 saves for Logan Thompson.

Alex Ovechkin did not score in the game, but rookie Ethan Frank shone again.

Three points, including two goals, in three games since his call-up for the speedy forward.

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5. Cale Makar reaches 50 points, Nathan MacKinnon at 70

In Colorado, the Avalanche won 3-2 in overtime against the New York Rangers.

It was Devon Toews who completed the comeback for his team and sealed the game’s outcome in overtime.

Artturi Lehkonen had forced an overtime with just over a minute left in the game.

In victory, Nathan MacKinnon recorded two assists and Cale Makar, one.

Both stars reached significant milestones. MacKinnon is the first player to hit the 70-point mark, while the defenseman is the first at his position to reach 50.

What players!

Overtime

– A 1000th win for the Preds.

– What a goal!

– Great play.

– Quite a match for the rookie!

– More scared than hurt.

– A natural hat trick in the first period for Kyle Connor.

– He leads the charge, justly.

(Credit: NHL.com)

– Two matches on the schedule.

(Credit: Google)

Stop disrespecting Lane Hutson; you look bad.

Last Thursday, I dedicated almost my entire column to the show Laraque & Gonzalez about Lane Hutson.

Let’s just say his three-point game and first star in Salt Lake City only added weight to his exceptional track record since arriving in the NHL.

I still pinch myself every time I see Lane Hutson dance on the ice…

Incredible statistics
Hutson is the best defenseman for the Canadiens in 45 years…

He is the MVP of the first half of the CH season…

He is one of the biggest surprises in the entire NHL since the start of the campaign…

He is the third-best scorer for the CH this season, behind Nick Suzuki and Cole Caufield…

He is the best passer on the team so far in 2024-25…

Only Juraj Slafkovsky and Logan Cooley – two guys who are respectively in their third and second seasons in the show – have more points than Hutson among the players drafted in 2022. Not bad for a guy picked at the end of the second round…

He was named rookie of the month for December in the NHL and is on track to win this title again in January…

He is the top scorer among rookies this season, four points ahead of Michkov and Celebrini…

He has nine games with more than one point already this year…

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He is the sixth-best scorer among all defensemen in the Bettman circuit, ahead of Victor Hedman, Adam Fox, Evan Bouchard, Erik Karlsson, Rasmus Dahlin, Roman Josi, Mikhail Sergachev, John Carlson, Moritz Seider, Mike Matheson, and more…

He has recorded at least one point in each of his last five games. This is the third time this season he has gone through such a streak…

He is capable of playing simply but also in a more complicated way. The fact that he is just as capable of getting secondary assists on the power play, as well as many spectacular primary assists at five-on-five, proves it.

There was one game this year where Hutson had the puck on his stick for more than four minutes. Michael Pezzetta doesn’t even play that, four minutes, in a game…

He holds his own physically; he seems to be at his best when the going gets tough…

He has more points this season than the combined total of the second, third, fourth, fifth, sixth, and seventh-best rookie defensemen. Wow!

We thought he would only be a power play specialist, but he is very good defensively and also produces at even strength…

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Want more?
Lane Hutson was good last year in his two games against the Red Wings. He also performed very well during the first 23 games of the current season (13 assists).

But the small American defenseman has really reached a whole other level since November 27.

In 22 games, Hutson has recorded no less than three goals and 21 assists, giving him a production of over one point per game. All this while maintaining a plus-9 differential during this period!

Only Mike Matheson (24m35) spends more time on the ice on average per game than Hutson (22m43). But Matheson is a veteran, and the fact that he has ceded his place on the team’s first-power play unit to Hutson is likely to decrease his average ice time (and increase Hutson’s).

The rapid emergence of Hutson has brought everyone back to their positions, especially Mike Matheson.

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Trophies to be won
Many believe that Lane Hutson will win the Calder Trophy this year, especially those who have watched his last 22 games.

“Many people”, however, does not include Kevin Weekes and Adnan Virk from the NHL Network.

Darren Dreger sees Hutson as a superstar in the making.

Both P.K. Subban and Renaud Lavoie predict not only a probable Calder Trophy for Hutson; they go so far as to predict a Norris Trophy for him. Do I need to remind you that such a trophy is awarded to the best defenseman in the entire NHL?

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The lack of respect towards Hutson
Some commentators continue to show disrespect towards the young Canadiens defenseman.

The most recent? Corey Pronman, who stated yesterday that Lane Hutson might one day become a top-four defenseman in the NHL.

Cr*pp! He is already top two in Montreal… and top 10 in the NHL!

Corey, when you miss the mark that much, you make your mea culpa; you admit your mistake. Just like the Snake dared to do this week on Processus…

Especially since you claim to be an expert on young players (just like the Snake and Pronman).

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We are lucky to have him
Let’s take a few minutes on this day off for the Canadiens to appreciate how lucky we are to have a young player like Lane Hutson. We are used to dreaming about Hutsons and watching them thrive elsewhere while thinking: “we never have players like that in Montreal.”

Or we trade them too early!

Damn, he’s going to break the bank with his next contract, little Lane. If Slafkovsky was able to earn nearly as much as Nick Suzuki, Hutson will surpass the captain.

I expect an eight-year contract with an average annual salary between eight and nine million dollars.

Don’t forget that the salary cap will rise significantly in the coming years…