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  1. Ottawa pulls out the 5-3 victory.
    4 points
  2. Franchise of Futility vs Franchise of Forever Projected line combos, courtesy Daily Faceoff Canucks exceed the Habs in every way, except in net, where I assume Casey DeSmith will be between the pipes owing to Demko's injury (as well as the fact that you'd dress him anyway, against a bottom-feeder like Montreal). I will be at this one, along with the 18 000 or so other local Habs fans who always swarm the arena when les boys come to town. GO HABS GO!
    3 points
  3. David Reinbacher's first game: A month or so again my wife and I and another couple decided we'd drive the hour to Belleville and watch Laval play the Bellville Senators. Last night was the night we bought tickets for and it also happened to be the first game for David Reinbachers so we were all interested to see him play. I expected to see him struggle with the speed and the smaller rink but other than a few isolated moments he looked totally at ease and I thought he played very well and fit in seamlessly. The only time I saw him confused, to me at least, was when they put him out towards the end of overtime, three on three, and I assume they were playing man on man and he probably had never played three on three before. His man took the puck and retreated out towards centre ice and DR looked to the bench, seemingly unsure if he should follow him or stay put. But other than that I thought he did very well. He is a very good and fast skater and was physical, not overly, but definitely used his size at time to his benefit. His teammates huddled with him before every face-off and they seemed to be discussing responsibilities and who should be where. On top of it all he used his skating and hockey smarts to pick off a pass, picked up a loose puck and skated in with another Laval player as a decoy and sniped a nice goal to the far side. His teammates mobbed him and it was definitely a great moment for him and the team. He also was named third star of the game by whoever picks the stars in Belleville. So if this was his first real game in North America on a smaller rink and a faster pace, I thought he did extremely well and I think he's going to as advertised, a very good skating, solid defence man who can carry the puck out of his end and make plays. A very good first game, IMHO!
    3 points
  4. The Coyotes pull their goalie, tie it up and win in overtime. That's a good night!!
    3 points
  5. I feel pretty confident that Hughes will make the right trades and not get unduly attached to players even if he picked or traded for them himself. If you can make the team better by trading, you do it, even if you are sending out a player that you like.
    3 points
  6. It was a painful night. First ever game live for my son. Stupid flames had an 80’s theme night where they had old players and kept showing highlights during the intermission of their one and only 89’ cup win. anyways, it was close until the second period, than the flames pulled ahead, habs battled back and than idiotic refereeing put it way. some thoughts at seeing most of the young players live for the first time and being able to just follow them: -top line is going to be something special, but they have to stop trying to setup the perfect pass all the time and shoot more. -Slafkovsky is a big dude and I’m hoping he can be a Leclair type force - but I think he can also become a much more skilled player that generates more offence on his own than Leclair did. -Caufield’s shot is still off. I know he scored of a deaflybshot tonight. But his One timer isn’t there. Too many times tonight, he just didn’t have enough zip on his shot. Hopefully he is fully recovered by next training camp. -Harris just isn’t physical enough and doesn’t bring the offence you’d want from a non-physical dman. May be a bad night, but was really disappointed in him and how easily he was pushed around. -Suzuki can really slow down the game. There were times the Habs were running around like chickens with their heads off, and Suzuki got the puck ragged it around until everyone settled down. He will score 80+ points next year. -as with the top line, this team needs to shoot more - way too many cute passes and too many cross ice pass attempts - particularly too Caufield. Can’t keep doing that when you have to make those passes through traffic. -Evans effort level surprised me. He is an also a very good stick handler. He’s also being wasted between the two Bergevin two worst remaining long term deals. Anderson and Gallagher are useless. Garbage play by both. Anderson hit a post, but otherwise was useless. Can we just buy them out this year??? I know it’s going to cost a lot, but may as well get them out of the lineup and reduce their cap hit two years from now, when we hope to be competitive. -Roy is a smart player. Hoped to se more offensively. But you could see the high hockey IQ Jennie was on the ice - with and without the puck. -we need someone from the young D to step up. Wasn’t really impressed by anyone tonight. Was hoping to see more and better from Guhle, wifi and Struble, and like I said earlier, was surprised how disappointed I was in Harris.. And the young D also need to start shooting more. Savard was shooting, but the young guys during the first half were just not getting the puck on the net hen there was traffic in front. I wish this game was a few w escalate and maybe I could have seen Hutson live. -Premieau flops around and is out of position. A LOT!! He.needs to work on his positioning and not take himself out of the play as much. anyways, this was really the only game I wanted them to win for the rest of the years hopefully they lose the rest, but the young guys get a ton of points.
    3 points
  7. This is absolutely fine, clears up the goaltending spot, a decent return. Using up the last retention spot means they are likely done with any big trades, Savard is almost certainly not going anywhere. I wish Jake Allen the best, a class act.
    3 points
  8. #### that.... I will be cheering for the Jets to lose in the 1st or 2nd round so the Habs pick is better Montreal over everything.
    3 points
  9. It was a fun game to be at last night. First time in eons the Habs came away with a win in Colorado. There was a nice tribute video for Newhook, and he interacted with a few fans wearing his jersey during warmups. I was a bit surprised at the amount of "give me a stick" type signs that folks were holding up during warmups, I guess pictures or pucks isn't enough anymore to satiate some greedy fans. The Habs have a strong skating defense. Guhle and Matheson are fun to watch.
    2 points
  10. I'm quite OK with other people being excited about it now, and I'll get excited about it myself come draft day. But, for now, I'm not going to invest a ton of time learning about prospects that may never pull on the CH sweater. That's just me. 🙂 And I'm still keenly following all our prospects, and especially those that might be joining the team for the final games of the season. That's excitement enough for me!
    2 points
  11. Quinn Hughes on being small offensive d-man going form NCAA to NHL. Canadiens weekly notebook: An awkward milestone, an endorsement for Lane Hutson and more - The Athletic “I figure why you’re asking, but I’m sure he’ll figure it out and he’ll be fine.” "He, of course, is Canadiens prospect Lane Hutson, a similarly undersized offensive defenceman currently completing his season at Boston University. Hutson’s name was never mentioned to Hughes, but he had no problem identifying the reason behind the question. Hutson has been compared to Hughes for years, and Hughes clearly knows it." “Right away, for the most part, I think I felt very confident. My first year couldn’t have gone better. I had a great season, and the second year, we struggled. I thought my third fourth and then this year have been really good. It’s just about building,” Hughes said. “Lane’s going to … it’s not about how good he is at 20 or 21, it’s about how good he is at 25, 26. I tell my brother Luke that, focus on one foot in front of the other, and he’s having a great year, too, but just keep grinding so that at 23, 24 you can say you’re one of the best in the league."
    2 points
  12. Going to be in house for this one. If there's one last game they need to win, it's tonight. Going with an Oilers fan.
    2 points
  13. Martiineau is with TVA Sports ... he spoke with three players who played against Reinbacher this season (Google translate, minimal editing): GREATEST ASSET: Maxim Noreau: His hockey sense is very good. I would even say that he is above average for guys drafted in this stage of the draft. I saw him make very effective zone exits. He is also very smart in his decisions made in the heat of the moment. He never does anything for no reason. He will make a small, subtle maneuver with his body to help a teammate. He doesn’t panic and prefers to keep the puck than get rid of it. He can draw an attacker towards him in the neutral zone before giving the puck to his partner. And thanks to that, he has just created a three against two. He won't make spectacular lift passes or plays like that. But it will allow Caufield and Suzuki to have the puck quickly and ultimately, that’s what you want. Guillaume Asselin: His speed, his mobility. Without a doubt. He is very difficult to beat one on one for an attacker. Marc-Antoine Pouliot: He skates very, very well. He is very powerful. I've been playing in Switzerland for 12 years and a 19-year-old defenseman like him, in terms of the skating power/size combination, is extremely rare. OFFENCE: Asselin: I find that his ability to break free in offensive territory is underestimated. He knows how to make himself available without attracting attention. If you put him in a junior league, he'll give you 70 points. Hence the importance of taking some and leaving some with the numbers. He's not a Cale Makar, but I read some comments about him and it's completely false to say that he's only defensive. Pouliot: His mobility in enemy territory helps him a lot. He also has a shot that hits the net consistently. His team is doing a lot offensively. I wouldn't rely on his stats, personally. Noreau: Currently, in Kloten, he is playing with worse players than elsewhere in the league. This is the strict truth. Often, he makes a high-quality zone exit. But he doesn’t even have time to press the attack when the puck is back in his territory. If you put Reinbacher on a team where the forwards are good, he will get the puck to them when leaving the zone and allow them to attack the offensive territory with speed. That’s also offence. Without being spectacular, he will still collect his share of points. DEFENCE: Asselin: He can hardly be beaten in speed. His gap [distance control] is very good. He never gives you space one on one. He has a great stick. He is very intelligent in the way he positions himself on the ice. Honestly, he's not a defender you like to face. It's not fun playing against him! And I tell you this knowing full well that he is only 19 years old. He does this despite his young age and while playing in one of the best leagues in the world against men. It’s big, to be honest. There are a few Quebecers on the team and obviously, we sometimes talk about Reinbacher, because we know that he belongs to the Canadiens. And everyone agrees that he is strong and very difficult to beat. Often, when you know a guy his age is on the other team, you know you're going to be able to have fun. But with him it’s quite the opposite. His defensive game is very strong. Pouliot: I faced him several times this season and every match I had to face him, I felt like I was facing a man. His head moves a lot and he is turned on in his territory. He makes me feel like he's already 30. NEEDS TO DEVELOP: Noreau: I would say he's going to have to work on his battles for the puck, whether it's in a melee or with his stick. He's smart, but he's not the nastiest in the corners. Winning pucks in duels is very important. I also think he could be more mobile and hungry in the offensive zone, but that will come with coaching, in my opinion. Asselin: I would like to see him trust his offensive skills more in the offensive zone; be less conservative, more daring at times. He has more in him offensively than his decisions with the puck demonstrate. COMPARABLES: Noreau: Honestly, style-wise, he reminds me of Devon Toews. He is not flashy, he skates where there is space and does not try to outsmart opponents. At the end of the day, Toews, everyone puts him in the category of very good defender, but when you look at his game, there is absolutely nothing special about it. It’s the simplicity and good decisions that make it so good. Devon Toews is a gem for a coach. You can use it for 25 minutes anywhere and you know it’s going to do the job. I'm not saying that David Reinbacher, even at his peak, will be in the top 5 of best scorers among defensemen. But will CH fans really be disappointed to have a defender like Devon Toews on their team? To be at his best, a Cale Makar needs a Devon Toews. Asselin: The first name that comes to mind is Alex Pietrangelo. He is complete. He is not all offensive or all defensive. He skates well. He's the type of guy who helps you win. Reinbacher doesn't have an eye-catching style like Lane Hutson's, but he will still have great use for Montreal. He will play on the second unit powerplay and on the first unit penalty-kill. He will play between 24 and 27 minutes per game and will be matched to the best opponents. To win Stanley Cups, you need players like him. Champion teams often rely on big defenders who skate well. And Reinbacher is exactly that.
    2 points
  14. This org stills needs top-pairing-quality young D. Even Guhle has not clearly established himself as being at that level. So, although he wasn't a sexy pick, this kid is an important piece. Here's hoping he makes the jump to Laval and flourishes.
    2 points
  15. Very much so. Jenner had him fooled twice (including right after the Gallagher goal) and got the post on one and whiffed on the other. Columbus had some other posts as well, I believe. Primeau certainly played well but had some good luck along the way too.
    2 points
  16. I saw Pronman's rankings, he obviously likes the defensemen in this draft as many others do. I think because there is no obvious BPA after #1 many teams will draft based on need.
    2 points
  17. If we don’t get Celebrini, I think my two two choices regardless of where we draft are Dadinov and Parakh. Both look like players that can totally take over a game. That’s something we lacked outside of the goal position since Lafleur. Incidentally, I will be in the lower bowl with my son wearing my Lafleur jersey at the Montreal-Calgary game on Saterday😁. It’s been a long time since I’ve been to a Montreal game!
    2 points
  18. There are no roster limits now, just call up limits (and the cap). The 23 man limit is gone as of the trade deadline.
    2 points
  19. Exactly, at the time Price was headed to LTIR and Monty was coming off a pretty mediocre first year with the Habs. Hughes doesn't have a crystal ball, so a 2 year contract wasn't a bad thing. It's these 5 and 6 year contracts that can really come back to bite you (ie Gallagher) if you make a mistake.
    2 points
  20. When Allen was signed to an extension there was a lot of uncertainty in the Habs goaltending situation and the extension was looked upon favourably by most. I think Hughes did the best he could as far as a return goes. The space used up by the cap retention is not needed badly next year and was the only way to get any sort of return.
    2 points
  21. Good deal. Here's to Jake Allen for his admirable service to the CH. He provided much-needed support to Carey Price in his twilight years. A classy, worthy Montreal Canadien.
    2 points
  22. Id love to take his brother Gabe from Rangers.
    2 points
  23. Arber Xhekaj’s NHL stats for the season and they are impressive. What I glean from these stats is that Xhekaj is too good for bottom pairing and it’s time to see if he can hold these stats against better players.
    2 points
  24. A 2:59 trade ***IF*** the Avs manage to upgrade their centre position without moving Johansen, Jake for Ryan and a 2025 conditional 3rd (4th if Allen doesn't play in 6 regular season games after the trade ... OR ... get a playoff win in 2024).
    2 points
  25. Chris Nilan posted this today as a reminder of what addiction did to him and to urge others to seek help. Congratulations buddy
    2 points
  26. Some interesting comments especially about Dickinson who I think is an absolute stud. 2024 Midseason Draft Rankings – Picks 1-8 – HabsWorld.net "Many Habs fans won’t like what I’m about to say, but if they are lucky enough to get their hands on Dickinson, they might want to cash in on the value of Matheson or Hutson… or both. Dickinson will be the power play and play nearly 30 minutes per night. A combination of Jayden Struble, Arber Xhekaj, and Jordan Harris can handle the rest. Take Dickinson and deal with the rest later, even if it makes no sense positionally. If both Celebrini and Lindstrom are off the board, take Dickinson."
    2 points
  27. So this is one of those 'entirely out of context' reports. Here's what LeBrun actually said (emphasis mine): It's not a 1st, a young player, and multiple picks, the reported asking price is one of the three. Basically, the anticipated value is that of a first-round pick, not a smorgasbord of valuable picks and a young player.
    2 points
  28. Well, we might as well make this the GDT since it's close to puck drop.
    1 point
  29. Well, as a Habs rookie, Roy was of course required to go through the mandatory 4-6 week injury. Josh Anderson…even I gave up defending him months ago. He’s untradeable, so the best we can hope for is that he hits “reboot,” changes his summer regimen to ensure peak fitness, and gets his mojo back next season.
    1 point
  30. Mattheson is not who you want showing young D how to play in the NHL. He is not a sound defensive player, nor is he good positionally. Given the team has no business trying to win games I do not see the value in him on the roster, holding up a spot, demonstrating that offense allows mistakes to be accepted and generally showing how not to be in position. Due to his skating he makes up for most of these mental issues, but again that is not who you want demonstrating the way to young D. I don’t believe it is coincidence that Guhle has plateaued while partnered with him. I believe Guhle’s game is going to suffer long term because of it. I already notice him playing worse defensively, his gap control has gotten worse but that may be because he is worried Mattheson is gonna decide to play rover (even on d assignments) and Guhle has to accommodate.
    1 point
  31. Hey Habs Fans. A few years back I bought some seats from the Forum. The seats are out of section 401, Row K, seats 34 & 35. That being said, I am looking for any "hockey" ticket stubs from these seats. Its a needle in a haystack kind of request, but worth a shot. I would love to find some stubs to go with these seats for my shrine to the Forum I will have in my basement in the coming years. Thanks in advance!! Sec 401 Row K Seats 34 & 35
    1 point
  32. A good article, could be one of these guys unless we win the lottery. How Catton and Lindstrom compare against each other in the 2024 draft class (nhlentrydraft.com)
    1 point
  33. Sens win, Coyotes win and Blue Jackets win, not a terrible night.
    1 point
  34. Flames TV asked <Jakob Pelletier> if the CH was his favorite team during childhood. “No, because I think they kicked out the Nordics. Most people in Quebec (City) hate the Habs. It’s going to be special for me to play against them” replied the native of the "Capitale-Nationale" - (Translated from TVA Sports) His name is often mentioned in Calgary-Montreal trade rumours ... have to guess he wouldn't be pleased if that happened.
    1 point
  35. Will update as more becomes available. Montembeault to start. https://x.com/CanadiensMTL/status/1767952557601669248?s=20
    1 point
  36. Not necessarily. This plight of the PP for a few years now is only having a single threat, Weber and now Caufield. PKs neutralized the PP by dedicating a player to that threat. With another threat on the other side of the ice the PK can’t dedicate a player to stoping the left circle one-timer. If they do, they risk being flat footed on the PK, beaten down low or opening the slot. All of which create more threats, which open up Caufield again. It’s how all good PPs function. The more threats on the ice, the more open the biggest threat ultimately becomes.
    1 point
  37. Interesting comments on Allen from Montembeault and Primeau on Arpon Basu's weekly notebook on the Athletic. It seems that Allen was spending more time mentoring Montembeault as opposed to Primeau, whether because of perceived potential or because Montembeault was more receptive.
    1 point
  38. Because of the one rebound that then bounced in off Tavares?
    1 point
  39. Struble and Roy were both papered down to keep them Laval-eligible. Assuming they'll both be recalled swiftly, that's 2 of 4 post-deadline regular recalls gone right there.
    1 point
  40. 1 point
  41. There is NO ####ING WAY this Happens. This is delusional. The canes would be fined a massive amount and have draft picks stripped if they admit to this. Meanwhile KK would never play in the league again. You know who else would be done in the NHL? His agent. This is business not some conspiracy shit.
    1 point
  42. Ironically, it turns out that the Canes did us a favour with KK. Presumably, absent the offer sheet, we would have ended up signing him - maybe even locking him up for a number of years on the belief that he was going to grow into being a core piece. And we would have been signing a piece of crap. Yet another absolutely disastrous high pick by the pre-HuGo era Habs. Thank God Carolina is the team that finds itself dealing with the consequences.
    1 point
  43. Yes, as was noted in the article. Obviously, it would be different now. I was still hoping as of a few weeks ago to get the full write-ups done like normal but realized it wasn't going to happen. So rather than sit on them any longer, I figured I'd get them up before the deadline. I'm going to have to figure out a different way to do these moving forward. I had hopes that Kidney would be able to contribute fairly quickly this season which factored into that rating. I've been higher on Struble than other sites in the past but since he was coming off a tough senior year, I didn't see cause to move him up but didn't want to drop him either which is how he wound up staying where he was.
    1 point
  44. Winter really flew by this year. Seems like it was just yesterday that we were in November and behold it’s March already. Go Habs Go
    1 point
  45. All I know at this point is that Primeau is starting. I like our future:
    1 point
  46. The contract is fair value for an elite, franchise #1C. I’m happy for Vancouver, really. This is one traumatized fan base (although also a fairly stupid one, on the whole) and, while I’ve ranted and raved against them over the years, I sort of feel they’ve suffered enough. And as a hockey fan, I love the troika of Pettersson, Hughes, and Demko - splendid players, each of them. As for Suzuki, he is not going to outscore Pettersson, who is a true, star offensive talent of the sort the Habs have not had since Guy Lafleur. (Not that he is as good as Lafleur!). But yes, with his rise to PPG production and elite two-way acumen, Suzuki will be the franchise cornerstone for the next 6-7 years and a defining player of the rebuild. Hopefully the Habs can do for him what they never did for Koivu, i.e, put him in a legitimate position to win the Stanley Cup.
    1 point
  47. I also still think he can be a 40 goal guy. He has that level of skill and just needs to get the shoulder back to 100%
    1 point
  48. 0.0/82 before being sent to Laval and 21.6/82 after being recalled. In retrospect, it was a brilliant move. Armia is only six goals away from his career high.
    1 point
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