First period
Kirby Dach’s line gets the call to begin this one again.
We didn’t see many players walking right down the slot to get an open shot versus the Kings like Mike Matheson just did.
Joe Veleno gets the next scoring chance as the fourth line continues to make things happen.
Noah Dobson has the whole side of the ice to himself and attempts a hard pass to Juraj Slafkovský in at the top of the crease for a tip, but the play doesn’t connect.
I think it’s fair to ...
2 months ago
| 4 reads
Game 17: Montreal Canadiens vs. Dallas Stars
Start time: 7:00 PM EST / 4:00 PM PST In the Canadiens region: TSN2 (English), RDS (French) In the Stars region: Victory + Streaming: ESPN+, RDS, TSN+
There wasn’t much to be happy about in Tuesday’s game versus the Los Angeles Kings, a 5-1 loss that stands as the most lop-sided defeat of the season for Montreal. But there was one positive, and that was the play of the fourth line versus a team that was able to contain the Canadiens’ at...
2 months ago
| 3 reads
Game 17: Montreal Canadiens vs. Dallas Stars
Start time: 7:00 PM EST / 4:00 PM PST In the Canadiens region: TSN2 (English), RDS (French) In the Stars region: Victory + Streaming: ESPN+, RDS, TSN+
It had to happen at some point.
On Tuesday night, the Montreal Canadiens played, arguably, their first legitimately bad game of the season. Facing a Los Angeles Kings team that prided themselves on shutting down high-flying offences, the Habs struggled to impose their ...
2 months ago
| 7 reads
Montreal Canadiens news and notes
No need to worry about Jakub Dobeš. He’s fine, just a bit emotional. [ Journal de Montreal ]
Even though no other player from his country has scored more goals this season, if the Olympics were to start now, Cole Caufield would be sitting on the sidelines. [ Journal de Montreal ]
Tuesday night’s loss to the L.A. Kings also likely sucked the last breath out of Samuel Montembeault’s Olympic bid. [ Sportsnet ]
Being it’s his favourite road r...
2 months ago
| 6 reads
The Montreal Canadiens that we’ve come to know and love this season did not show up on Tuesday night at the Bell Centre. With the Los Angeles Kings in town, they bumbled their way to a 5-1 loss, sending a number of fans off to beat the traffic with a fair amount of time left in the third period.
From the net out, this was easily the worst game they’ve played this year, and one they need to get past quickly.
Monty what on earth are you trying to do here? pic.twitter.com/9Tsnvma8kG &md...
2 months ago
| 0 reads
Montreal Canadiens news and notes
Why Nick Suzuki is an early contender for the Selke Trophy and Team Canada. [ Sportsnet ]
Suzuki’s run of good form is powered by his ability to stay relatively healthy. [ La Presse ]
Noah Dobson and Mike Matheson are forging a blue line bond. [ Montreal Gazette ]
The hot start to the season makes Kent Hughes’ job easier for the rest of it. [ RDS ]
Checking in on how Montreal’s new additions are doing. [ Last Word on Sports ]
...
2 months ago
| 4 reads
First period
The second line makes one of its now famous rushes up the ice, and Ivan Demidov slides the puck through a defender to Oliver Kapanen, but Darcy Keumper just gets his stick on the puck before Kapanen can complete the move to his backhand and tuck in a goal.
Nick Suzuki launches a hard shot from the slot that goes off Keumper’s stick shaft just above his blocker.
Quinton Byfield beats Samuel Montembeault, but not the post.
Demidov gets a shot from close range a...
2 months ago
| 3 reads
Game 16: Montreal Canadiens vs. Los Angeles Kings
Start time: 7:00 PM EST / 4:00 PM PST In the Canadiens region: TSN2 (English), RDS (French) In the Kings region: FanDuel Sports Network West Streaming: ESPN+, RDS, TSN+
The Canadiens have had a hard time versus the Los Angeles Kings, unable to break down their trapping style to get time in the offensive zone let alone generate much in terms of offence. In recent years they haven’t had the needed puck-moving quality to turn defence ...
2 months ago
| 6 reads
Game 16: Montreal Canadiens vs. Los Angeles Kings
Start time: 7:00 PM EST / 4:00 PM PST In the Canadiens region: TSN2 (English), RDS (French) In the Kings region: FanDuel Sports Network West Streaming: ESPN+, RDS, TSN+
The local fans of the Los Angeles Kings haven’t had much to celebrate this season. The team is 1-4-2 at Crypto.com Arena, scoring just 15 goals in the seven games at home which is second-worst in the league. They aren’t helping themselves defensively either with the...
2 months ago
| 4 reads
After a hiatus for over five years the Coach’s Challenge series has returned. The project that was a returning feature in the early days of the podcast series here at Eyes On The Prize, and the favourite show of Patrik Bexell, gets back into the fold. Hopefully we’ll get a chance to talk to more coaches through out the season – and beyond.
In Europe, Dan Tangnes is a very well respected name. He succeeded in bringing Rögle up to the SHL in 2012, even though they were relegated in 2013 (Rö...
2 months ago
| 0 reads
Montreal Canadiens News and Notes
Nick Suzuki’s best skill has always been his understanding of the game. [ TVA Sports ]
Suzuki is one of the players not currently named to Team Canada whose performances have been the most impressive. [ The Athletic ]
It is early days yet, but based on the current standings, it looks like Montreal is one of a number of teams leading what appears to a changing of the guard. [ Radio-Canada ]
Kirby Dach has been through a lot, and it is not ...
2 months ago
| 6 reads
As players were entering the 2025 PWHL Draft, it looked like the Montreal Victoire were entering the season with the same leadership core they had for their first two seasons. Expansion took a toll on all six existing teams, but Montreal was able to keep their three foundational players (Ann-Renée Desbiens, Marie-Philip Poulin, and Laura Stacey) plus the rest of their original leadership group of Kristin O’Neill, Kati Tabin, and Erin Ambrose.
By the end of the night, O’Neill was traded to...
2 months ago
| 0 reads
Following a statement win on Friday night over the Hartford Wolf Pack, the Laval Rocket hopped on the bus and moved down the 401 into a snowy Belleville for a meeting with the Senators. With the top of the AHL’s North Division separated by all of three points, the Rocket would need to keep their winning ways intact to keep up with Rochester and Syracuse.
Coming off their win on Friday, Pascal Vincent opted for only one lineup change and as expected it was in net. The veteran Kaapo Kähköne...
2 months ago
| 0 reads
Montreal Canadiens news and notes
Kirby Dach and Alex Newhook are realizing the potential Kent Hughes saw in them when they were acquired. [ La Presse ]
Montreal’s hot start has a player leading all NHLers (Cole Caufield) and rookies (Oliver Kapanen) in goals. [ TVA Sports ]
Kapanen is not surprised by his production given the quality of his teammates and the speed they play the game with. [ RDS ]
We saw the Canadiens figure out how to play with a lead in real time this w...
2 months ago
| 3 reads
Third period leads have been somewhat of a problem for the Montreal Canadiens this season, as evidenced by the amount of times they’ve held one, and still ended up in overtime. That didn’t happen against the Utah Mammoth on Saturday night, as the Habs put up three goals in the final frame, building on their one-goal lead and finishing the game with a 6-2 regulation win.
Two of their six goals on the night were scored by none other than Cole Caufield, who is possibly the hottest player in ...
3 months ago
| 4 reads
Montreal Canadiens news and notes
Kirby Dach says the team’s taste of the playoffs inspired all the young players to have a good start to the season so they can take the next step. [ Sportsnet ]
Martin St-Louis says he needs to learn how to deploy a lineup as deep as the one he currently has. [ Radio-Canada ]
Nick Suzuki says he lets the adrenaline take over whenever he’s dealing with an injury, feeling it’s his duty to play every game he can. [ TVA Sports ]
The players c...
3 months ago
| 5 reads
First period
Kirby Dach gets to take the opening faceoff, a nice reward for his recent play.
The top line is forced to play some defence as a pass goes awry and catches them all behind the play.
Samuel Montembeault sees the first shot sent his way blocked in front, but then doesn’t adjust properly for the rebound on a puck that was sitting right in front of him. Kailer Yamamoto opens the scoring.
Josh Anderson makes a nice play by driving down the wall to attract some pre...
3 months ago
| 3 reads
Game 15: Montreal Canadiens vs. Utah Mammoth
Start time: 7:00 PM EST / 4:00 PM PST In Canada: CityTV, Sportsnet East (English), TVA Sports (French) In the Mammoth region: Utah16 Streaming: ESPN+, Sportsnet+
Back at home for four games over the next eight days, the Canadiens have turned to Samuel Montembeault for the start. His last outing at the Bell Centre started poorly, with a goal on the first shot of the game and two more in the minutes that followed, but he had a strong reco...
3 months ago
| 5 reads
Game 15: Montreal Canadiens vs. Utah Mammoth
Start time: 7:00 PM EST / 4:00 PM PST In Canada: CityTV, Sportsnet East (English), TVA Sports (French) In the Mammoth region: Utah16 Streaming: ESPN+, Sportsnet+
The Canadiens once again showed good fight to recover from falling behind in a game on Thursday, turning a 2-1 deficit into a 3-2 lead in the third period. They also did one of their best jobs of the season at protecting that lead they took with nine-and-a-half minutes to play,...
3 months ago
| 3 reads
The Laval Rocket had spent much of the last week resting up at home following a strong win last Saturday over the Rochester Americans. Their win left them with a 6-4-0 record, good for third in the highly competitive AHL North Division, trailing both Rochester and Syracuse. The team wasn’t idle during their break however, with Wyatte Wylie being released from his deal and the team opting to sign Josiah Didier to an AHL contract in his place. That deal means of course that Didier has now suited...
3 months ago
| 0 reads
Montreal Canadiens news and notes
Jakub Dobeš was very emotional following his first loss of the season on Thursday, but his coach and his teammates had his back. [ TVA Sports ]
The Canadiens hold steady at sixth in the power rankings. [ The Athletic ]
Six players to watch on the Utah Mammoth roster tonight. [ La Presse ]
Alexander Zharovsky was named player of the game in his match with the Russian under-20 team. [ RDS ]
Danièle Sauvageau was shocked when, after wat...
3 months ago
| 4 reads
Thursday night saw yet another overtime game for the Montreal Canadiens, succumbing this time to the New Jersey Devils 4-3 and remaining unbeaten in regulation through their last five games. It was a tight contest, with perhaps a few missed opportunities to secure the second point in the standings, but they remain among the best teams in the Eastern Conference in part due to picking up these spare points by getting to overtime.
The standings are certainly encouraging, and more so are the ...
3 months ago
| 3 reads
When Kaiden Guhle broke into the NHL with the Montreal Canadiens back in 2022, he was immediately thrust into a situation that was not conducive to success for a rookie defenceman in the NHL. Newly acquired Mike Matheson missed the a good chunk of the opening of the season, as did Joel Edmundson, leaving Martin St-Louis’s defence core with veterans David Savard and Chris Wideman, sophomore Jonathan Kovacevic, and a group of rookies including Guhle himself.
Fully in a rebuild after finishi...
3 months ago
| 3 reads
Montreal Canadiens news and notes
Noah Dobson’s path to the Canadiens began in Austria at age 15. [ Montreal Gazette ]
Inside Ivan Demidov’s hockey brain and how it’s helped him excel as an NHL rookie. [ The Athletic ]
Demidov should not be compared to Alexei Kovalev — the rookie is a wholly different player. [ Journal de Montreal ]
The potential future landscape for the Canadiens at centre. [ La Presse ]
Danièle Sauvageau, a visionary at heart. [ La Presse ]
Ja...
3 months ago
| 2 reads
First period
Josh Anderson skates the puck down the wing with Joe Veleno heading to the net, but no pass comes, and that line continues to accomplish very little on the ice.
Cody Glass opens the scoring after Alex Newhook and Oliver Kapanen collided at the Montreal blue line, giving him space to enter the zone and get an off-wing shot on goal.
The Canadiens keep the shooting percentage perfect in this game as Kirby Dach has a shot from Noah Dobson flip up off of him high in th...
3 months ago
| 5 reads