Martin McGuire: It’s crazy how the atmosphere at the Canadiens and at the Rangers is different.

What is the difference between the New York Rangers and the Montreal Canadiens?

Easy: there is one team that has been winning for a month and the other is losing. Hehe.

No joke, the two teams are in completely different situations and it shows especially in the atmosphere within the two teams.

The Rangers are visiting Salt Lake City for their game tonight, and the Canadiens were there too in the last few days.

Both teams stayed at the same hotel (at the same time)… And the beat reporters were also set up at the same hotel.

Martin McGuire – who was at the hotel – saw what differentiates the Canadiens from the Rangers and discussed it in a radio segment (98.5 FM) last night.

The vibe with the Canadiens is exceptional… While with the Blue Shirts, it’s more than complicated:

It was obvious.

You could see the confident team, the solid team… And you could see the team full of doubts, full of internal conflicts, and full of problems. You could see it in the players’ faces! – Martin McGuire

(OBOXADSQ || []).push({“cmd”: “addBanner”});

It’s for sure that it helps when you are in a position to win!

David Savard’s comments align with those of McGuire, by the way.

The Canadiens’ defenseman said in an interview that it’s fun going to the arena these past few weeks:

We also saw it after the team’s victory in Salt Lake City on Tuesday night.

The guys are having fun together and it’s refreshing because we know how difficult it has been in Montreal for the past few years:

Good for them, really.

When the atmosphere is good and when the guys have confidence, it truly helps a team win games.

Whether it’s in hockey, football, basketball, baseball, or soccer… It’s always easier to win when everyone is on the same page.

And that’s what we see with the Canadiens right now, unlike what we see with the New York Rangers.

Quick Hits

– Great moment for Donovan Sebrango, who will play his first NHL game tonight.

– Nice list.

– It’s your turn to answer!

Alex Newhook is the worst scorer for the Canadiens among regular forwards.

Nick Suzuki is the leading scorer among the forwards of the Canadiens.

The captain has 43 points in as many games since the start of the season, with Cole Caufield closely following him with 42 points in 43 games.

In third place among the top scorers (still among the forwards) of the CH, we find Juraj Slafkovsky. The tall Slovak boasts a total of 23 points in 40 games in 24-25.

We have eliminated three players from the equation, which leads me to ask you the following question.

Among the 12 regular forwards of the Canadiens, which one of them has the fewest points since the start of the season?

If your choice is Joel Armia, Christian Dvorak, Josh Anderson, or Brendan Gallagher, you are mistaken.

And if your choice is Kirby Dach, Patrik Laine, Emil Heineman, or Jake Evans, you are also wrong.

Only one remains… And it is Alex Newhook.

Yes, we are talking about the same Alex Newhook who has been playing in the top-6 of the team since the very first game of the Canadiens’ season… And who also plays on the power play.

(Credit: NHL.com)

(OBOXADSQ || []).push({“cmd”: “addBanner”});

When Kent Hughes went to get him from Colorado, we didn’t expect Newhook to arrive in Montreal as the savior of the organization, nor did we expect him to bring a Stanley Cup to the city.

But we also did not expect it to be so difficult offensively for him.

10 points in 43 games… That’s not even 20 points over a full 82-game season. Newhook is on track to have (by far) his worst offensive season in his career since entering the National Hockey League, and even though he has been playing better lately, everyone will agree with me if I say he needs to contribute more.

Ultimately, it must be remembered that he has played a lot with Dach – who has had his share of difficulties this season as well.

The second line was invisible for several weeks, and the absence of Laine also plays a role in all of this.

But still: if you play in the top-6 of an NHL team, you must be able to produce. You need to be capable of getting points here and there, but that’s not the case with #15 this season.

Alex Newhook is 23 years old, and he still has time to blossom. He wasn’t drafted 16th overall in the 2019 draft just because he has nice eyes: it’s because he has interesting potential due to the qualities that can be seen (at times) in his game.

However… He needs to find a way to contribute more offensively. He is playing for his spot in the team’s top-6, and if he wants to keep it for the upcoming years (which may not happen with the addition of Ivan Demidov), he needs to step up.

Quick Hits

– What do you think?

– The Bell Centre is going to explode.

– Ouch.

Ivan Demidov: For a rare occasion, Roman Rotenberg is showering him with praise.

The coming years in Montreal are going to be exciting.

Especially when we see Ivan Demidov performing as he is this season in the KHL.

The Canadiens’ prospect scored three more points today in his team’s loss, bringing his total to 35 (in 44 games) since the start of the season. For a guy who wasn’t playing much in the first weeks of the campaign… It’s clear that his production is really interesting.

But today, even though his team lost, Roman Rotenberg decided to sing his praises.

Well… He must be having a fever, the good old Rotenberg!

That’s the first thought that came to my mind when I saw the SKA head coach praised his player.

Because we can all agree on this point: it doesn’t happen often.

Rotenberg mentioned after his team’s game that Demidov “has reached another level” and that pressure does not affect him.

He also said that other young players his age are not as mentally strong as Demidov:

(OBOXADSQ || []).push({“cmd”: “addBanner”});

Roman Rotenberg could have gone back to his old routine when he saw Demidov being benched after just three minutes of play for delaying the game.

But the SKA coach instead chose to trust his young player by giving him his best ice time of the season (22:05).

Result? Demidov finished the game with one goal and two assists, and he was the offensive engine of his team during the match.

The team lost… But we saw that Demidov is capable of the best when he is used the right way.

Moreover, it should be noted that the Canadiens’ visit to Russia seems to have done him a world of good.

Looking at the last 10 games of the player, we realize that Rotenberg is right in saying he has reached another level:

  • Nine goals and six assists (15 points)
  • 36 shots on goal
  • A plus-minus of plus-6
  • Only two games without a point

Finally, let’s note that Demidov – with his performance today – is just seven points away from Kirill Kaprizov’s record for the most points scored by a 19-year-old player in the KHL (42).

Hard to ask for more. And Rotenberg doesn’t seem crazy for praising the kid’s qualities!

In a nutshell

– Good for him.

– 😅😂

– It’s truly deserved.

– We could even add Lane Hutson’s name to that list!

Kent Hughes must no longer respond to calls from the Avalanche.

It will be three years on Saturday since Kent Hughes was named GM of the Montreal Canadiens. The one who will celebrate his 55th birthday next week has had time to accomplish a lot during his early years in the management of the Habs.

He has completed some good trades (Patrik Laine, Alexandre Carrier, Sean Monahan, Mike Matheson, and even Kirby Dach among others), but he has also made some less favorable ones.

Johnathan Kovacevic – who is currently taking Simon Nemec’s place – in return for a simple fourth-round pick…

Ben Chiarot in return for a sacrificed first-round pick, Ty Smilanic, and a fourth-round pick…

But I was analyzing this this morning, and something jumped out at me: Kent Hughes must no longer answer the phone when Chris MacFarland (GM) or Joe Sakic (President of Hockey Operations) calls him.

Why?

Kent Hughes has completed two trades with the Avalanche since he took the helm of the Habs. And it didn’t go very well in those two deals…

(OBOXADSQ || []).push({“cmd”: “addBanner”});

1. He sent Artturi Lehkonen to Colorado in exchange for Justin Barron and a second-round pick that was used to move up in last year’s draft.

Lehkonen has become an impact player in Colorado and has been praised by pretty much everyone in the Avalanche organization.

Justin Barron, however, did not make a significant impact in Montreal, so much so that he was traded a few weeks ago.

Justin Barron never managed to break through in Montreal.
(Credit: X/Twitter)

As for the second-round pick, it has not become an important player for the Montreal organization.

Yes, Kent Hughes managed to work some magic by transforming Barron into Alexandre Carrier, but that doesn’t contribute anything to the initial bad trade involving Lehkonen. And I don’t think Barron will break out in Nashville either…

(OBOXADSQ || []).push({“cmd”: “addBanner”});

2. Kent Hughes sacrificed a first-round pick and a second-round pick to acquire Alex Newhook, who was going nowhere in Denver. Newhook was a former client of Quartexx…

Newhook has an average annual salary of nearly three million dollars, and we still don’t know what his real role is with the Habs. He is not physical, he is not categorized as a defensive player, he plays on the second line, but he is not producing points (only 10 in 43 games)…

When Ivan Demidov arrives next year, Newhook will be relegated to the third line. But is he really a bottom six guy? Can he develop in short-handed situations, among other things? We’ll see.

In short, all this to say that Kent Hughes would be better off not answering his cell if the Avalanche calls him before the trade deadline.

It’s better to take calls from the Jets, Penguins, Predators, Blue Jackets, and Blackhawks as a priority.

Sometimes, there are relationships that fit less well than others. Or through which you never come out ahead.

His relationship with the Avalanche falls into that category for Kent Hughes…

Quick Hits

– No surprise here.

– Lane Hutson among the best players aged 23 or younger who are not first-round picks. [NYT]

– When is retirement coming?

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:

(OBOXADSQ || []).push({“cmd”: “addBanner”});

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!

(OBOXADSQ || []).push({“cmd”: “addBanner”});

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.

(OBOXADSQ || []).push({“cmd”: “addBanner”});

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.

(OBOXADSQ || []).push({“cmd”: “addBanner”});

(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.

(OBOXADSQ || []).push({“cmd”: “addBanner”});

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.

(OBOXADSQ || []).push({“cmd”: “addBanner”});

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)