Pierre-Luc Dubois is on track to have the best season of his career.

Few people would have bet that by mid-January, the Washington Capitals would be the best team in the NHL.

The Caps, who are on a four-game winning streak, currently sit in first place with 67 points in 46 games (31-10-5).

One of the players at the heart of the team’s success is Quebecer Pierre-Luc Dubois.

The winger seems to have truly found his niche in the American capital, recording 36 points, including eight goals, in 46 games, along with a +15 plus-minus rating.

Since November 10, Dubois has been the top scorer on his team with 28 points (7 goals, 21 assists) in 32 games.

The player should quickly surpass his total of 40 points from last season with the Los Angeles Kings, and if he continues to produce at the same pace as the start of his season, he is on track for a 64-point campaign, his best career total.

However, it’s worth noting that Dubois only played 73 games with the Winnipeg Jets in 2022-23, during which he had 63 points, including 36 assists, both career highs for the Quebecer.

Not bad for a player that many believed was on the decline, especially after signing an eight-year, $68 million contract, which amounts to $8.5 million per year with the Los Angeles Kings.

His time in California lasted just one season as the native of Ste-Agathe-des-Monts was traded to the Capitals on June 19 in exchange for veteran goaltender Darcy Kuemper.

In 23 games, Kuemper, who shares the goal with David Rittich, has a record of 13-4-5 with a 2.10 goals-against average and a .922 save percentage and is also an integral part of his team’s success.

So it can be said that this was a beneficial trade for both teams, as they have both found what they needed.

On his part, Dubois, who has often been criticized for his inconsistency, seems happy with the Capitals.

Even though he is only 26 years old, the towering winger is already on his fourth team in the NHL and needed to justify the generous salary the Kings had granted him.

However, if Dubois can establish himself as a reliable player who scores 60-70 points per year, the Capitals may have made a very good move for the years to come by trusting him.

In Brief

– Laine represents RPP!

– And the other players supporting minor hockey.

– Sad news.

– Heavy loss for Washington.

– MLB news.

– Victory for Inter.

The Canadiens recall Owen Beck.

We expected the Canadiens to recall a guy from Laval.

Well, that has happened.

The CH announced the recall of Owen Beck. He will be in the

lineup tonight against the Rangers:

With Michael Pezzetta not playing much anymore, this makes sense.

The Canadiens needed to recall a guy because playing with 11 forwards is not ideal in the long run.

And in the context where Heineman might miss up to a month of action due to a car-related injury… That’s where the idea of recalling a guy makes sense.

Owen Beck, in his first season as a professional, is finding success.

He has collected 25 points in his first 37 games this season in Laval and he is useful in all three zones of the ice.

We knew what he could bring when the Canadiens drafted him in 2022, and that’s what we’re seeing in Laval since the start of the season.

He has what it takes to stand out on the ice:

There are still questions to be asked.

Owen Beck is a natural center… And right now, there’s no spot available at center in the lineup.

The center line is known:

  • Nick Suzuki
  • Kirby Dach
  • Christian Dvorak
  • Jake Evans

I am therefore eager to see how he will be utilized and in what role he will be placed.

Beck has qualities that could be exploited and he has tools that can help the Canadiens.

The next steps will be interesting, I think.

Overtime

Ultimately, it should be noted that in all of this, it’s Michael Pezzetta who will probably pay the price in the coming weeks.

But on the other hand, he hurts the team when he’s on the ice and at a certain point, a decision had to be made.

He didn’t even play 3 minutes yesterday because Martin St-Louis can’t trust him…

The frustration of Connor McDavid this week is pointless.

I don’t know what got into Connor McDavid, but he seems to have something heavy on his heart lately.

Last night at the end of the game, while the Edmonton Oilers were trying to equalize against the Vancouver Canucks, the center player delivered a cross-check to the face of his opponent Conor Garland with only three seconds left to play. The Oilers ultimately lost 3 to 2.

McDavid’s action came after a pile-up and some chippiness between the two players following a hit by the Oilers player on Garland. McDavid also threw a punch at his opponent while he was over him and Garland was holding his arm.

Then, when the Canucks player continued to hold McDavid, the latter responded by delivering a solid two-handed Sherwood to the face.

On the play, McDavid received a match penalty and will have to have a hearing with the Department of Player Safety at a date and time yet to be announced.

Could the NHL suspend the best hockey player in the world? Hard to say, because while McDavid’s action is unequivocal, the context is much less so.

At several moments, we clearly see Garland holding McDavid, and the referees should have cracked down on the play to avoid the escalation that followed.

However, it is not up to the players to take justice into their own hands on the ice, and it is not the kind of behavior the League wants to encourage, so it has to send a message, even if McDavid is one of the biggest stars in the league.

In the same sequence, Tyler Myers of the Canucks also received a match penalty for a cross-check on Evan Bouchard and will also have to meet with the Department of Safety.

 

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Quarter-century team: the CH reveals the identities of the players who are part of it.

If you were asked to name the best players of the Canadiens since the early 2000s, you would probably have different answers.

There are logical choices, we agree.

But there are also other candidates that go unnoticed and deserve their place among the greats of the Canadiens since the early 2000s…

Well, the Canadiens unveiled today the identities of the players who are part of the “Quarter Century Team” of the club.

What does it look like? Here it is:

  • Team 1: Tomas Plekanec (A), Saku Koivu (A), Alex Kovalev (A), Shea Weber (D), Andrei Markov (D), Carey Price (G)
  • Team 2: Brendan Gallagher (A), Nick Suzuki (A), Max Pacioretty (A), Sheldon Souray (D), P.K. Subban (D), José Théodore (G)

Quite a lineup:

Do I agree with the entirety of the list?

Not necessarily, no. And that’s normal: you can’t please everyone.

If it were my choices, I would have swapped P.K. Subban and Shea Weber.

He did win the Norris in Montreal, P.K…

But the other selections make sense to me.

Plekanec, Koivu, Kovalev, and Markov played a big role in Montreal for a long time…

Carey Price has practically won everything with the Canadiens (except the Stanley Cup)…

Weber wore the “C” on his jersey and brought the club to the finals (2021)…

Pacioretty scored a ton of goals and he was captain of the club too…

Gally has been giving his all for the Habs for more than ten years…

Suzuki is the face of the organization right now…

Theo won a Hart AND a Vezina in Montreal…

Souray had his best offensive season of his career (26 goals and 64 points) with the Canadiens…

These guys deserve their place at the top, when you think about it!

That said, I can’t wait to see what the Half Century Team will look like in 2050.

But just like that, I would say Lane Hutson, Ivan Demidov, Cole Caufield, and Nick Suzuki have a good chance of being there… Hehe.

In a nutshell

– The montage is amazing.

– Wow!

– Indeed.

Josh Anderson’s wife is pregnant.

Josh Anderson’s life changed this summer.

And the reason is simple: the Canadiens forward married his partner, Paola Finizio.

The wedding took place in Italy.

A few months after the wedding, it turns out there’s another big announcement regarding Andy.

His wife announced that she is pregnant through an Instagram post. Hooray!

The newlyweds are expecting their first child:

 

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A post shared by Paola Anderson (@paolaandersonn)

We don’t know yet if the child will be a boy or a girl. And we also don’t know when the baby is due, although we can see that his wife is starting to show signs of pregnancy.

But that’s not what’s important in the story.

The important thing is to learn that there’s a baby Anderson on the way.

That said, seeing the player perform better over the past month or two… It feels like his improved performance isn’t a coincidence.

I found that the forward seemed more motivated than in recent seasons in the last few weeks, and I’m convinced it’s related to this news.

He must be excited (for good reason), and that may translate to his performance on the ice.

Good for him!

Ultimately, we should be happy for him and his wife. The nights are going to be shorter after the baby is born, and it may impact Anderson’s performance on the ice… But, oh well.

We’ll have that discussion when the time comes.

In a nutshell

– Win or lose tonight?

– Attention to those interested:

– Phew…

– Yeah.

Loss to the Leafs: a reminder that the CH is still a team in rebuilding.

Obviously, last night’s loss hurt extremely hard and is very difficult to swallow, especially considering that it came against the Toronto Maple Leafs, the hated rivals of the CH.

However, the CH seemed to be in perfect control of the game, while the Leafs were completely stunned during the first 30 minutes of the match.

Everything looked perfect, and the Tricolor was heading straight towards a big victory that would have further proved that Montreal is not messing around and is truly back in force.

Unfortunately, this beautiful scenario collapsed, as the CH failed to maintain its lead and conceded seven unanswered goals to the Leafs.

Looking at the final score of 7 to 3, one might think that Martin St-Louis’s team was outclassed and dominated, but that’s not quite the case if we look beyond the seven goals conceded.

The CH simply lacked opportunism at key moments and failed to defend against the Leafs’ attacks while being very undisciplined.

In short, what we learned yesterday from this loss by the Tricolor is that despite the incredible streak of the team recently and the amazing level of play, Montreal is still a rebuilding team.

Indeed, we saw a talented and confident team, but inexperienced in a scenario where it led by three goals.

The recent glorious streak of the CH has rekindled excitement among the team’s supporters, but a loss like yesterday reminds us that in the end, it’s a long process and that such painful defeats are part of what will help the CH get through this process.

Ultimately, the Canadiens were not embarrassed last night despite the score, as the CH dominated the vast majority of the game and probably played its best 30 minutes of hockey of the season before the Leafs’ first goal.

The Tricolor directed 35 shots on the Leafs’ net compared to 34 for Toronto, which shows that the Tricolor was not outclassed; on the contrary.

It’s simply a young team in the midst of growth and ascent that continues to learn and improve steadily.

Therefore, there is no reason to panic about this loss, because in the end, the CH remains on an excellent streak, is still in the playoff race (just two points out) and shows hope even in a game where it was coming back like that.

In short, confidence must continue to reign in the Tricolor locker room, because in the end, it’s just a simple necessary misstep in the team’s rebuilding process.

There are several very positive signs for the CH after this game, and this applies on an individual level as well, so we need to look ahead and bounce back right away tonight against the New York Rangers.

This will be a very important match, as the Rangers will try to pass the CH in the standings, as they are just one point behind Martin St-Louis’s squad.

There’s no better opportunity for the CH to bounce back tonight with an excellent performance.

It will likely be Jakub Dobes in net, as he would thus play his first career game at the Bell Centre.

In Brief

– He is doing very well in the absence of Linus Ullmark.

– Speaking of Ullmark, wow, really very cool.

– Stay tuned today.

– A true metamorphosis.

– A must read.

Race to the series: all teams have earned points except for the CH (and the Wings)

Thanks to its excellent streak since December 17, the Montreal Canadiens are indeed back in the mix and in the playoff race.

In fact, Canadiens fans are now all focused on the Eastern Conference standings, as they closely follow the results of the various teams competing for a playoff spot.

And in such a race, unfortunately, losing a game and dropping points can really hurt, especially when other teams are earning points.

That was the case last night for the Canadiens, as their 7-3 loss to the Maple Leafs stings even more when looking at the results involving other teams in the playoff race.

The Tricolore is the only team that did not earn at least a point last night among those teams that are genuinely close to the playoff race.

The Red Wings also lost, but they are two points behind the Canadiens, and therefore four points away from the playoffs.

Here’s the rundown of the nightmarish standings night for the Canadiens:

  • The Ottawa Senators earned two points with a 6-5 shootout victory over the Boston Bruins. They now have 50 points.
  • The Boston Bruins earned one point in that same game. They also have 50 points.
  • The New York Rangers also won in a shootout (1-0) against the Columbus Blue Jackets. They now have 47 points.
  • The Blue Jackets earned one point in that same game. They now have 51 points.
  • The Philadelphia Flyers won 3-1 against the New Jersey Devils. They now have 48 points.

Here’s how things now stand in the East for the race for playoff spots.

By dropping two points last night, the Canadiens now find themselves two points out of the playoffs with the same number of games played as the Ottawa Senators, who hold the 8th and final playoff spot.

It’s a night that really hurt the Canadiens, as they could have found themselves ahead of the Boston Bruins with a win, and tied with the Senators.

And now, when looking behind the Tricolore, it’s just as stressful, given that the Flyers have the same number of points as the Canadiens, even though they have played two more games, and the Rangers have closed to within one point of the Canadiens.

By the way, those same Rangers will be visiting the Bell Centre tonight to face the Tricolore, in what will be a very important game in the playoff race.

If the Tricolore loses this game, no matter how, the Rangers will pass ahead of the Tricolore and come back even more into the playoff race, which the Canadiens really want to avoid.

Martin St-Louis’ team really needs to bounce back tonight and try to keep the Rangers out of the playoff picture.

In short, it’s really quite a playoff race currently unfolding in the East, and it’s truly enjoyable and exciting to see the Canadiens involved.

In Bullet Points

– Very well said and analyzed.

– Noted.

– To read.

– To follow.

– For those interested.

Top-5: Connor McDavid is ejected from the game for a violent double-check to the face.

Only two teams in the entire National Hockey League had a break yesterday, as fans were treated to a huge Saturday of hockey.

Each of the games had its share of highlights and significant events, but some stood out more than others.

Here is the compilation.

1. Connor McDavid delivers a vicious hit to Connor Garland’s face

In a 3-2 loss for the Vancouver Canucks last night against the Edmonton Oilers, Connor McDavid crossed the line.

Indeed, the Oilers captain delivered a violent cross-check to Connor Garland’s face in the final minute of play, resulting in a match penalty, and he was ejected from the game.

This is a very vicious act from McDavid, and seriously, he truly deserves to be suspended.

It will be closely monitored today.

It is also worth noting that in the victory, Quinn Hughes reached the 50-point plateau, making him the first defenseman since Paul Coffey to achieve this feat in back-to-back seasons in just 41 games.

It’s quite funny that he joins Paul Coffey in a statistic while facing the Oilers.

2. Former Habs propel the Avalanche to victory

The Colorado Avalanche can really say a huge thank you to the Montreal Canadiens last night for their 6-3 victory over the Dallas Stars.

Why?

Because it is credited to Artturi Lehkonen and Jonathan Drouin, as both former Habs earned the game’s two stars.

Lehkonen scored four points, including two goals, while Drouin tallied three points, including one goal.

Drouin first assisted Lehkonen.

And a few minutes later, Lehkonen returned the favor to Drouin on his 100th career goal.

Despite the fact that both former Habs have missed many games due to injuries, they are two very important elements in the Avalanche’s success.

Lehkonen now has 26 points, including 17 goals in 35 games, while Drouin has 14 points, including four goals in 14 games.

3. First goal in 28 games for Andrei Kuzmenko

After scoring 39 goals and 74 points in his rookie season in the NHL with the Vancouver Canucks, Andrei Kuzmenko simply is not the same anymore.

He was unable to produce at that rate last season, which led to a trade to the Calgary Flames, and despite a good start with the Flames in 2023-2024, this season has been extremely difficult for the Russian winger.

The proof is that last night, in a solid 3-1 victory for the Flames over the Winnipeg Jets, Kuzmenko scored his first goal in 28 games this season.

He netted his second goal of the season, which turned out to be the game-winner.

Hopefully, this will restore Kuzmenko’s confidence, who has only 11 points in 33 games this season.

4. Nikita Kucherov scores a beautiful goal

In a 5-1 victory for the Tampa Bay Lightning over the Detroit Red Wings, Nikita Kucherov obviously stood out with a three-point performance.

The Lightning star forward also scored a stunning goal in this game, as he weaved through Detroit’s defense as if it was nothing.

5. Three fights in the same match in Nashville

We witnessed quite an intense game last night between the Nashville Predators and the Minnesota Wild.

In fact, there were three fights (yes, yes, three) in this completely wild game won by the Preds 6-2.

What’s even crazier is that all three fights occurred in the first period, specifically within the first seven minutes.

The third fight broke out right after David Jiricek scored his first goal with the Wild.

Here are the three fights in one video.

In Brief

– Three assists yesterday for Kaapo Kakko. He now has 13 points in 14 games since joining Seattle.

– Here are all the results from the previous day.

– Here are the top scorers from the previous day.

(Credit: NHL.com)

– On the schedule today in the NHL: three games.

(Credit: Google/NHL)

Two points in two games: Oliver Kapanen feels no symptoms from his head injury.

Last Saturday, Oliver Kapanen frightened many people by hitting his head hard on the ice during one of his team’s matches.

Fortunately, he felt fine in the following days and ultimately missed no games. On Thursday, he scored and earlier in the day, he registered an assist.

He now has 18 points in 19 games since returning to Sweden.

Of course, the Finn did not perform well in Montreal, but he is still young and has time to improve.

We need to be patient with him, and perhaps regaining his confidence with Timra IK was the solution. His last game in the NHL was on November 5. Kasperi’s cousin is doing well in Europe, and the Canadiens have been excellent for a few weeks, so both are currently not missing each other.

It’s a shame he couldn’t play with the Rocket, as it would have greatly helped him in his playoff race, and it would have been optimal for the development of the 21-year-old, but well. The rules, as strange as they are, are there to be followed.

All this to say that we must not forget Kapanen on the team’s prospect list. There may be Ivan Demidov, David Reinbacher, Michael Hage, and Jacob Fowler who excite us, but the Finn could still have a significantly important role in the future.

We need a Jake Evans 2.0. Owen Beck and he will have a similar role on a bottom-6.

In brief

– Oh really.

– The Chiefs win.

– Oh really.

– Oh yes?

– Great.

– A 100th goal for Jonathan Drouin.

The Leafs score seven unanswered goals to win against the CH.

Saturday night.

What could be better than a Canadiens-Leafs duel?

Here are the lineups:

Montreal did not allow the Leafs to impose themselves in the first period.

Martin St-Louis’s team scored three goals in the first twenty minutes, including two in nine seconds at the end of the period.

First, with a delay of game penalty, Kirby Dach scored his ninth goal of the season.

On a power play later, Patrik Laine scored from his office.

And exactly nine seconds later, Josh Anderson took on Superman and scored a beautiful goal.

He served a nice cup of coffee to Max Domi, the guy he was traded for.

At the end of the period, Arber Xhekaj refused an invitation from Ryan Reaves and at the beginning of the next period, he delivered a big check to him.

Check this out:

Moments later, Toronto finally showed signs of life.

After a missed shot by Christian Dvorak, Bobby McMann took advantage to cut the deficit.

With just over a minute to go in the second period, the gap was reduced even further.

Nick Robertson redirected a pass from Oliver Ekman-Larsson on the power play.

The CH took their foot off the gas and what was bound to happen happened: Toronto tied the game.

From the very first seconds, William Nylander made Lane Hutson and Samuel Montembeault look foolish.

And a few minutes later, the visitors took the lead for the first time in the match.

Still on the power play, a shot from the point bested Monty.

Auston Matthews dealt a serious blow to Montreal with a shot from the high slot.

The Quebecois should have stopped that shot without any traffic.

Final Score: 7-3 Toronto, who added a sixth and seventh unanswered goal.

Montreal will return to action tomorrow against the Rangers at the Bell Centre.

Overtime

– A tough game for Lane Hutson. He received a penalty after being served a cup of coffee, which led to the Leafs’ second goal. And he was beaten for speed on the tying goal. That can happen, though. He finished the game at minus-5.

– It was tough for the goalie too. Six goals allowed on 33 shots. Here’s hoping for Jakub Dobes’s departure tomorrow.

– The CH was not opportunistic, especially during the last two periods. It’s a painful loss, but the team can recover tomorrow.

– Oh really.

– Haha.

– A trade was close.