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Welcome back to PuckTalk MTL — and this one feels different. In this episode, Kosta dives into what David Reinbacher’s arrival truly means for the Montreal Canadiens and why this moment could reshape the franchise during the 2026 NHL Playoff Push. He breaks down Reinbacher’s skill set — mobility, gap control, defensive reads, breakout efficiency, and physical maturity — and how his presence impacts Montreal’s blue line immediately. Does he stabilize defensive pairings? Improve puck transition? Reduce high-danger chances against? We analyze how his game translates to playoff-style hockey and what this means for the Canadiens’ structure moving forward. This episode also explores lineup implications, defensive hierarchy changes, and how Reinbacher fits into Montreal’s long-term core alongside the team’s emerging leadership group. For Montreal Canadiens fans, this could mark a true turning point in the rebuild. Is this just a debut — or the start of a defining era on the Habs’ blue line? If you’re searching for Reinbacher analysis, Habs defensive upgrades, or insight into Montreal’s playoff trajectory, this episode is essential viewing. 🔥 LIKE, COMMENT & SUBSCRIBE for elite Habs coverage, NHL playoff analysis, and nonstop hockey talk on PuckTalk MTL! 0:00 - Show Start 1:29 - Reinbacher Skill Set Fits The Habs' Philosophy 3:27 - What's The Fallout From a "Rhino" Callup? 6:24 - The X-Factor - What Is Arber Future? 8:55 - The Decision Will Be Based On organizational Philosophy 12:52 - Coach K's Take on Reinbacher #Habs #GoHabsGo #NHL #Hockey #IceHockey #CH #HockeyVLog In every episode, Kosta Papoulias takes a deep dive into the latest Montreal Canadiens news involving Ivan Demidov, Patrik Laine, Juraj Slafkovsky, Josh Anderson, Cole Caufield, Nick Suzuki, Kirby Dach, Joe Veleno, Jake Evans, Zach Bolduc, Brendan Gallagher, Alex Newhook, Oliver Kapanen, Habs Defencemen, Arber Xhekaj, Kaiden Guhle, Sam Montembeault, Lane Hutson, Jayden Struble, Alex Carrier, Mike Matheson, Noah Dobson, Jakub Dobes, Jacob Fowler, Kent Hughes, Martin St Louis. Please Click to Subscribe / Veuillez cliquer pour vous abonner: https://bit.ly/mtlhockeytalk This Changes Everything: Is this the Beginning of the Reinbacher Era? | PuckTalk MTL

This Changes Everything: Is this the Beginning of the Reinbacher Era? | PuckTalk MTL #Habs #GoHabsGo #MontrealCanadiens

02.03.2026 04:13 — 👍 0 🔁 0 💬 0 📌 0

Welcome back to PuckTalk MTL — and this one feels different. “This Changes Everything: The Beginning of the Reinbacher Era” dives into what David Reinbacher’s arrival truly means for the Montreal Canadiens and why this moment could reshape the franchise during the 2026 NHL Playoff Push. We break down Reinbacher’s skill set — mobility, gap control, defensive reads, breakout efficiency, and physical maturity — and how his presence impacts Montreal’s blue line immediately. Does he stabilize defensive pairings? Improve puck transition? Reduce high-danger chances against? We analyze how his game translates to playoff-style hockey and what this means for the Canadiens’ structure moving forward. This episode also explores lineup implications, defensive hierarchy changes, and how Reinbacher fits into Montreal’s long-term core alongside the team’s emerging leadership group. For Montreal Canadiens fans, this could mark a true turning point in the rebuild. For NHL and New York Islanders fans, we evaluate how this shift impacts upcoming matchups and playoff positioning. Is this just a debut — or the start of a defining era on the Habs’ blue line? If you’re searching for Reinbacher analysis, Habs defensive upgrades, or insight into Montreal’s playoff trajectory, this episode is essential viewing. 🔥 LIKE, COMMENT & SUBSCRIBE for elite Habs coverage, NHL playoff analysis, and nonstop hockey talk on PuckTalk MTL! #Habs #GoHabsGo #NHL #Hockey #IceHockey #CH #HockeyVLog In every episode, Kosta Papoulias takes a deep dive into the latest Montreal Canadiens news involving Ivan Demidov, Patrik Laine, Juraj Slafkovsky, Josh Anderson, Cole Caufield, Nick Suzuki, Kirby Dach, Joe Veleno, Jake Evans, Zach Bolduc, Brendan Gallagher, Alex Newhook, Oliver Kapanen, Habs Defencemen, Arber Xhekaj, Kaiden Guhle, Sam Montembeault, Lane Hutson, Jayden Struble, Alex Carrier, Mike Matheson, Noah Dobson, Jakub Dobes, Jacob Fowler, Kent Hughes, Martin St Louis. Please Click to Subscribe / Veuillez cliquer pour vous abonner: https://bit.ly/mtlhockeytalk This Changes Everything: Is this the Beginning of the Reinbacher Era? | PuckTalk MTL

This Changes Everything: Is this the Beginning of the Reinbacher Era? | PuckTalk MTL

02.03.2026 03:15 — 👍 0 🔁 0 💬 0 📌 0

Bottom Six Minutes: Cole Caufield is making modern Habs history Embroiled in an increasingly heated battle for positioning in the Atlantic Division, the Montreal Canadiens hosted the Washington Capitals on Saturday night with a chance to move back into the top three. On the heels of a disappointing overtime loss that saw the Habs surrender a third-period lead, they left no doubt this time around, putting home two empty-netters late in the game to secure a huge 6-2 regulation win. The win, and frankly the overall success of the Habs this season wouldn’t have been possible without one of the league’s premier goal scorers; Cole Caufield. Mr. Saturday night Cole Caufeld opens the scoring. #gohabsgo pic.twitter.com/Ie6QUevj6e— Matt Drake (@DrakeMT) March 1, 2026 Another stellar performance from Mr. Saturday Night now gives him 35 goals on the season, a pace that will see him flirt with the 50-goal plateau if he keeps it up. The above goal shows just how dangerous he is, as he doesn’t necessarily need to be set up for opportunities, he can and will create looks for himself. Even when he doesn’t, the puck seems to just find him right now, as his off-puck positioning has been near perfect. There is no easy way to defend him, because he’s developed so many different ways to maximize his output. He isn’t just the best scorer on his team, he’s currently tied for second in the entire league with Connor McDavid and Matt Boldy. He’s providing the kind of production this team has lacked for decades, and the fact they have a positive goal differential this season is in large part thanks to what he’s accomplished. Most of the current roster, Caufield included, weren’t even alive for the 1993-94 season, when Vincent Damphousse posted the last 40-goal season by a Canadiens’ player. Fewer still were alive to see Stephane Richer pot 50 back in 1989-90. What Caufield is doing right now makes him arguably the organization’s best scorer of the 21st century. With every point being absolutely crucial in these final 23 games, it is a massive boost to this roster that they have a legitimately world-class goal scorer leading the way. Hopefully, this team will give him more than a few Saturday nights in the playoffs to do what he does best. Click the play button below to listen to your full Bottom Six Minutes, also available wherever you get your podcasts. We’ll be back on Tuesday night, when the Habs begin their California road trip against the San Jose Sharks.

Bottom Six Minutes: Cole Caufield is making modern Habs history

01.03.2026 17:00 — 👍 0 🔁 0 💬 0 📌 0

Laval @ Syracuse recap & highlights: Rocket defence falters in a high-scoring affair Fresh off a 9-3 thrashing of the Rochester Americans on Friday night, the Laval Rocket made the 90-minute trek east down I-90 to square off with the Syracuse Crunch on Saturday night. While the night was dedicated to the newest members of the Crunch Hall off Fame, including former Hamilton Bulldog and St. John’s IceCap captain Gabriel Dumont, the Rocket still had a chance to go 11 points clear atop the North Division. With bodies in short supply thanks to illness and injury, the Rocket made just one change to the lineup on Saturday. In net, it was Hunter Jones getting the start after Kaapo Kähkönen started every game over the last two weeks with Jacob Fowler out sick. The Rocket didn’t look any worse for wear as they started the game, limiting looks for the Crunch while generating chances of their own from the point in the opening minutes. However, it took just a little bit of space for Syracuse to open up the scoring. Dylan Duke found a seam down the right wing, and with the Rocket defence cheating to take away a potential pass, Duke took the space and put his shot off the crossbar and in to make it a 1-0 game. Laval was not fazed by Duke’s goal and, much like Friday night’s game, they found their response goal quickly. Sean Farrell and Joshua Roy kept a puck alive, opening up a spot down the wing for Farrell to barrel toward the net. With his head up, Farrell found Alex Belzile wide-open in the slot, and Belzile got all of his shot, squeaking it through the arm of Brandon Halverson to tie the game up early in the first period. As these contests often do, things began to get physical as the opening period went along. Marc Del Gaizo took exception to a hit by Jakob Pelletier, and in turn gave him a two-handed slash which put the Rocket on the penalty kill. While he allowed the early goal, it was Jones who came up big on the penalty kill as the Crunch swarmed the front of goal. Unfortunately for the Rocket, they repeated a similar mistake to their first goal allowed, right down to the goal-scorer. Tristan Allard saw Duke breaking in to the top of the zone, and with the puck on Duke’s stick he backed off Nate Clurman. Duke took the space Clurman allowed him and ripped one by Jones to make it a 2-1 game with just over half the period gone. While the Rocket had their chances, the briefest openings they provided for the Crunch continued to result in the puck finding the back of the net. Mitchell Chaffee worked in through the slot and around Clurman once again as he powered a low shot off the post and in to make it a 3-1 game. Luckily for the Rocket, a strong fourth-line shift drew a penalty to end the period and allowed Laval to start the second frame with a full two-minute power play. It looked like the Rocket power play was going to struggle in the early going against a strong Syracuse penalty kill, but a bit of extra effort by Belzile made all the difference. In a puck battle with Jarred Tinordi, Belzile outworked the defenceman to keep the puck in the zone and it was Joshua Roy who came away with it. Roy paused a moment, then found Sammy Blais charging forward, and Blais ripped his chance by the glove of Halverson to make it a 3-2 contest. Laval’s constant pressure allowed them to draw another penalty and possibly find a tying goal after a tough first period. The Rocket man advantage did just about everything except score on Halverson as they piled up shot after shot, but weren’t able to bury the final chances as the Crunch held on against the onslaught. Even after killing off the second penalty of the period, the Crunch again had to face the Rocket power play as Will Dineen’s hustle drew an offensive zone penalty. It took 26 seconds for the Rocket to surrender a short-handed goal after Roy and David Reinbacher got their wires crossed at the point. As Roy tried to smack the puck up the wall it was picked off by Brendan Furry, and on the short-handed rush Furry deked Jones out of his skates before tucking it in on the backhand to make it 4-2. Furry’s goal took the wind right out of the Rocket’s sails as the power play tried to make up for the earlier mistake. While Blais grazed a shot off the outside of the post, the power play didn’t come all that close to finding another goal and left the Rocket facing a two-goal deficit. That deficit became three very quickly as Jones failed to collect an easy rebound and Ethan Samson buried it in the slot to make it 5-2. Frustrations then began to run high for the Rocket as Blais came up high on a hit on Duke and ended up with a two-minute minor penalty for his troubles. The Crunch, smelling blood in the water, were all over the Rocket penalty-killers, who were struggling to find enough time to clear the puck. Yet they managed to free Blais from the box without allowing another goal. The Crunch were content to sit on their lead as the Rocket offence was seemingly unable to get out of second gear as the second period wore on. While the Rocket had a strong start to the period and a lead on the shot clock, they entered the second intermission trailing 5-2. Laval didn’t start the third period in the fashion they would have hoped for as Roy was dinged for hooking just 69 seconds in, putting a dangerous Crunch power play back on the ice. Against a strong push from Syracuse, the Rocket penalty-killers flustered the Crunch power play and freed Roy from the box. The Rocket soon found themselves making a game of it once more. Blais battled through a pair of Crunch defenders for a loose puck, then managed to send a pass right across the zone to Owen Beck. Beck was able to turn Blais’s pass into a perfect one-timer that beat Halverson to cut the Syracuse lead to two goals. As strong as the offensive effort was, the defence and goaltending were continuing to not meet the moment as the Rocket tried to mount their comeback. William Trudeau was forced off the puck by Ethan Gauthier, and that allowed Gauthier to put a low shot by Jones to make it a 6-3 game, putting a damper on the brief comeback hopes for Laval. Laval’s special teams managed to drag the team back into the game as Roy and Blais combined to find the back of the net again. As a Rocket power play began to wind down, it was Blais battling through a check to get a puck over to Roy in the offensive zone. Roy powered by a defender of his own, and slapped a low shot through the five-hole to cut the deficit down to two goals again. Before long it was down to the wire for the Rocket and they opted to pull Jones to see if they could salvage at least a point on the night. The Rocket offence did all it could with Jones on the bench, attacking relentlessly for almost three straight minutes while the Crunch were holding on by a thread. Belzile, Roy, and Blais were all robbed by the glove and blocker of Halverson as they threw multiple chances at the Crunch net. However, with around 45 seconds left on the clock a lunging blocker save by Halverson cleared the zone, and the Rocket were out of gas and couldn’t pull off a last minute miracle. Final Score: Syracuse 6, Laval 4 Laval will now head back to Place Bell for the next three games, and hopefully will get some positive news on the health front after playing this week without multiple stars. The Rocket and Crunch will play once more on Wednesday night, and puck drop is set for 7 PM ET.

Laval @ Syracuse recap & highlights: Rocket defence falters in a high-scoring affair

01.03.2026 11:14 — 👍 0 🔁 0 💬 0 📌 0

Sunday Habs Headlines: Cole Position Montreal Canadiens news and notes * With his two goals to give the Canadiens a lead last night, Cole Caufield set the Canadiens’ franchise record for go-ahead goals in a season. [TVA Sports] * The Canadiens are interested in adding a defensive defenceman ahead of the deadline. [RG.org] * Patrik Laine is 32nd on The Athletic’s trade-bait board. [The Athletic] * Marie-Philip Poulin is still day-to-day, but looked strong in yesterday’s practice for the Montreal Victoire. [La Presse] Around the league and elsewhere * Evgeni Malkin is waiting until the season is over before making any decision on his future with the Pittsburgh Penguins. [NHL.com] * Tyler Myers is being held out of the lineup as the Vancouver Canucks and Detroit Red Wings work on a trade. [Sportsnet] * With a trade for a goalie already completed this season, the Edmonton Oilers are focused on skaters ahead of the deadline. [Sportsnet] * Both Vladimir Namestnikov and Nino Niederreiter are week-to-week for the Winnipeg Jets. [TSN] * Andrei Kuzmenko is out week-to-week after undergoing meniscus surgery. [TSN] * “Just bad. Just fairly embarrassing, to be honest with you,” Auston Matthews says of the Toronto Maple Leafs’ latest losing effort. [Sportsnet]

Sunday Habs Headlines: Cole Position

01.03.2026 09:12 — 👍 0 🔁 0 💬 0 📌 0

In this post-game episode of PuckTalk MTL, Coach K breaks down a night that felt bigger than just two points in the standings — Montreal’s farewell to a legend as the Canadiens defeat the Washington Capitals in what could be Alexander Ovechkin’s final game at the Bell Centre. He dives into the atmosphere inside the building, the respect shown by Habs fans, and what Ovechkin has meant to the NHL over his historic career. From goal-scoring milestones to unforgettable moments against Montreal, this game carried legacy weight. At the same time, the Canadiens delivered a statement performance, balancing emotion with execution to secure a meaningful win. We analyze Montreal’s structure, defensive discipline, and key performances that allowed them to close out the Capitals. How did the Habs manage the moment? Which players stepped up under the spotlight? And what does this victory mean for their playoff positioning and long-term trajectory? For Montreal Canadiens fans, this was a night of pride and perspective. For NHL and Capitals fans, it was a tribute to one of the greatest goal scorers in hockey history. If you’re searching for Habs vs Capitals analysis, Ovechkin Bell Centre farewell, or emotional NHL moments, this episode captures it all. 🔥 LIKE, COMMENT & SUBSCRIBE for daily Habs coverage and nonstop NHL talk on PuckTalk MTL! 0:00 - Show Start 1:00 - Game Highlights - A Pair For Caufield & Ovi 7:47 - Coach K's Game Report - Not Much Negative In This One 19:43 - What's Up Next For The Habs? 22:12 - What If This Was Ovi's Last Game In Montreal? What Did You Enjoy Most? #Habs #GoHabsGo #NHL #Hockey #IceHockey #CH #HockeyVLog #PuckTalkMTL #MontrealCanadiens #WashingtonCapitals #Ovechkin #NHLHistory #HockeyMoments #HabsNation #NHLFans In every episode, Kosta Papoulias takes a deep dive into the latest Montreal Canadiens news involving Ivan Demidov, Patrik Laine, Juraj Slafkovsky, Josh Anderson, Cole Caufield, Nick Suzuki, Kirby Dach, Joe Veleno, Jake Evans, Zach Bolduc, Brendan Gallagher, Alex Newhook, Oliver Kapanen, Habs Defencemen, Arber Xhekaj, Kaiden Guhle, Sam Montembeault, Lane Hutson, Jayden Struble, Alex Carrier, Mike Matheson, Noah Dobson, Jakub Dobes, Jacob Fowler, Kent Hughes, Martin St Louis. Please Click to Subscribe / Veuillez cliquer pour vous abonner: https://bit.ly/mtlhockeytalk Farewell To The Great 8? — Habs Win Ovechkin’s Final Game (Maybe?) In Montreal | PuckTalk Post-Game

Farewell To The Great 8? — Habs Win Ovechkin’s Final Game (Maybe?) In Montreal | PuckTalk Post-Game

01.03.2026 05:12 — 👍 1 🔁 1 💬 0 📌 0

Canadiens vs. Capitals Top Six Minutes: Habs’ offence moves them back up the order First period * Cole Caufield had a good chance in the opening seconds, but couldn’t get it through. * Caufield blocks a shot and turns it into a breakaway, and he’s not going to miss a second scoring opportunity. * Despite Montreal having a lead, the crowd at the Bell Centre is pretty quiet. Maybe they’re waiting to see how they play while up a goal. * Noah Dobson takes a couple of punches from Brandon Duhaime after an icing call, but those seem to be allowed tonight. * I guess two is the limit because he gets sent off for doing the same thing at the opposite end after the whistle. * Dobson almost made it 2-0 on the play, but his slapshot went into the body of Charlie Lindgren in the centre of the crease. * They just aren’t treating power plays like great chances to score the past couple of games. Some individual rushes, a few lackadaisical passes from both units, and not much that could be called a scoring chance. * Mike Matheson gets beat by Duhaime as he comes out of the box, and the defenceman will take a turn in the penalty box. * Alexander Ovechkin winds up and blasts the puck off the crossbar. He tries again, but Jakub Dobeš makes the stop. * The Capitals’ power play was much more dangerous, but Dobeš allowed them to survive. * I suppose the crowd has its answer to how the Habs will play with the lead. Shots are 8-3 for Washington and Montreal hasn’t had one since midway through the power play. * Caufield finally adds one to the counter, and it requires a great glove save from Lindgren. * The Capitals’ next one creates a rebound, and Ovechkin is standing there to pound the puck in and tie the game. * Caufield is by far Montreal’s best player in this game, and he now has two goals on three shots, a very similar play to the one Ovechkin just scored on. * Another incredible glove save denies Caufield of a first-period hat trick. * A very strange period in which the Canadiens were outplayed in terms of possession time and yet probably should have scored four goals. The chances they are getting are of extremely high quality, and Lindgren is the only reason why the Capitals are still in this. Second period * The fourth line is having some issues tonight, and was on the ice for two quick shots in the opening minute of the second period. * Now the Capitals are up to five shots two minutes in. * Suzuki gets sent in on a breakaway, but Lindgren makes another big save. That’s eight shots, and six high-danger chances. * It looks like Suzuki’s shot broke the seal, because Montreal added a couple more on the next shift for Juraj Slafkovský’s line. * The referee allows Ryan Leonard to take down Kaiden Guhle to open up some space for the Capitals, but he doesn’t let him get away with ripping Guhle’s helmet off as he gets back up. Somehow the coaching staff needs to get the message across of how important this power play is. * Well they come out firing at least. Both Suzuki and Ivan Demidov get early chances. * The top unit works hard and doesn’t get rewarded, but the second wave is too much for the Capitals to handle. Zachary Bolduc and Alex Newhook work the puck in the zone and get it to Mike Matheson, who is free to glide into the slot and send the puck past the glove of Lindgren. * Suzuki moves down the wing on a zone entry and gets it to Kirby Dach in the slot. Dach slings a one-timer that goes past Lindgren’s ear and under the bar to make it 4-1. * On the play, Wilson was knocked off-balance and fell hard on his knee. He hobbles off to the bench. * I predicted that four goals would be enough to win this game. We’ll find out over the next 23 minutes if that is true. * Brendan Gallagher tries to create an odd-man rush by knocking Declan Chisholm’s stick out of the way, but it flies away from the Capitals’ defenceman, and Gallagher will get a two-minute rest. * It was a big period for the Canadiens’ offence as they doubled their goal total, but if not for the heroics of Dobeš in the opening minutes the score would look very different right now. Third period * I didn’t think this was a wave crowd when the game started in an almost silent Bell Centre, but everyone’s feeling good with the opening couple of minutes survived in the third period and the Habs up by three. * Dach has a strong shift to keep Montreal cycling in the offensive zone, using his body to shield the puck. If he can take on the role Slafkovský used to on that line, it should have a lot of success. He ends the shift in a shoving match in front of the net, and both he and Nic Dowd go off. * Montreal allows a mini breakaway to Connor McMichael on a misplay at the offensive blue line, but Dobeš is again there to save the day. * Suzuki gets tripped in the offensive zone with no call. Dobson taps the leg of Pierre-Luc Dubois in Montreal’s zone and that one is a penalty. Amazing how the score of a game can determine what is a penalty and what isn’t. * Dobson doesn’t see Ovechkin lurking behind him, and the best all-time goal-scorer adds his second of the game. * It looks like the Capitals have decided to take out their frustrations on Suzuki now. * McMichael tries to take away Demidov as an option on a three-on-two,and will sit for holding. It prevented a fifth goal against, but Montreal has a chance to only delay it as they head to a power play. * They create a couple of chances, but the score remains 4-2 with four-and-a-half minutes to play. * Ovechkin goes back to pick up a puck with his net empty, but Suzuki beats him there. Ovechkin pins the Habs captain, but not his stick, and Suzuki flicks a blind backhand from the boards into the net. * Alexandre Carrier goes off for holding the stick, giving the Capitals a sliver of life. * Jake Evans throws himself at an Ovechkin one-timer, to loud applause from the crowd. Evans ends the shift by sending the puck the length of the ice for a 6-2 lead. * The Canadiens extend their lead over the Capitals, the first team-in-waiting in the wild-card race, to six points. They also improve their season goal differential to +15 as they move back into third place in the Atlantic. * The Habs will now enjoy two days off before beginning the annual trip through California. That begins on Tuesday night in San Jose. EOTP 3 Stars 3) Much more fun than watching them grind for two goals 2) You have to think it’s only a matter of time 1) Let’s hope he doesn’t burn through all his wishes too quickly

Canadiens vs. Capitals Top Six Minutes: Habs’ offence moves them back up the order

01.03.2026 02:59 — 👍 1 🔁 0 💬 0 📌 0

Canadiens vs. Capitals: Game thread, lines, and how to watch

28.02.2026 23:14 — 👍 0 🔁 0 💬 0 📌 0

Canadiens vs. Capitals: Game preview, start time, Tale of the Tape, and how to watch Game 59: Montreal Canadiens vs. Washington Capitals Start time: 7:00 PM EST / 4:00 PM PST In Canada: CityTV, Sportsnet East (English), TVA Sports (French) In the Capitals region: MNMT Streaming: ESPN+, Sportsnet+ The Montreal Canadiens came out of the Olympic break with another overtime game, their 20th of the opening 58 games of the season. Normally good in three-on-three this year, where they’ve claimed nine of their wins, they dropped a second consecutive decision in the extra period. They’re now 3-3 in overtime in 2026, as it has become a toss-up and not the almost automatic second point it was to begin the campaign. Unable to hold a late lead, the lost point became a big one with other recent results. The Detroit Red Wings and Boston Bruins have won the game they’ve played since returning from the break, while the Buffalo Sabres have won two. Going into the Olympic pause in second place in the Atlantic Division, Montreal now sits in the first wild-card spot, two points up on the Boston Bruins, and just four points clear of the Washington Capitals. It’s therefore an important game tonight with the Capitals in town. The gap could be down to just two if Montreal loses in regulation, but increasing it to six would be a large mountain to climb for Washington with just 20 games left on their schedule after tonight. The Habs haven’t beaten the Capitals yet this season, most recently suffering another OT defeat on January 13, but tonight is a critical time to do so. Tale of the Tape .tg {border-collapse:collapse;border-spacing:0;} .tg td{border-color:black;border-style:solid;border-width:1px;font-family:Arial, sans-serif;font-size:14px; overflow:hidden;padding:10px 5px;word-break:normal;} .tg th{border-color:black;border-style:solid;border-width:1px;font-family:Arial, sans-serif;font-size:14px; font-weight:normal;overflow:hidden;padding:10px 5px;word-break:normal;} .tg .tg-ymce{background-color:#BE2F37;color:#FFF;font-weight:bold;text-align:center;vertical-align:bottom} .tg .tg-8d8j{text-align:center;vertical-align:bottom} Canadiens Statistics Capitals 32-17-9 Record 30-23-7 48.6% (24th) Expected-goal share 51.5% (12th) 3.45 (4th) Goals per game 3.18 (16th) 3.22 (24th) Goals against per game 2.88 (8th) 24.7% (7th) PP% 16.3% (31st) 76.6% (26th) PK% 79.2% (18th) 0-1-1 Head-to-Head Record 0-2-0 Cole Caufield (33) Most goals Tom Wilson (23) Lane Hutson (49) Most assists John Carlson (36) Nick Suzuki (65) Most points Tom Wilson (49) For whatever reason, the Canadiens have struggled to finish off Metropolitan Division opponents this year. They do have points in 10 of the 13 games they’ve played, but it’s just a 3-3-7 record. That’s seven losses when a game goes beyond regulation, of the nine total they’ve suffered this season. Montreal has been better versus its own, much tougher Atlantic, and is the only team to rack up 10 wins versus the Central Division that isn’t located in that section, so it’s an outlying performance versus the Metro. It could be that these are generally older, more experienced teams that had to adapt more defensive play to shut down the likes of Sidney Crosby and Alex Ovechkin. Four of the top eight defences in the NHL call the Metro home, and the worst of them is the Columbus Blue Jackets in 21st. They are generally teams comfortable with staying patient and waiting for their opportunities, a solid strategy when the game moves to three-on-three. The Capitals have been just an average offensive team this season, scoring 3.18 goals per contest. Tom Wilson leads them with 23, and Alexander Ovechkin has just 22 with three-quarters of his season played, only able to score four times on a power play that ranks 31st in the NHL. They have managed to score at least five goals 11 times this year (including a season-high eight the first time they met Montreal), but on 22 occasions have managed two or fewer, winning just three of those games. At this stage of the season, however, they’ve been managing to hit the net a little bit more. They’ve scored three goals in nine of their last 11 games, going 7-3-1 in that time. It looks like it will take four goals to win tonight’s game, something that Montreal’s fourth-ranked offence should be able to accomplish. Perhaps Zachary Bolduc, who was made a healthy scratch on Thursday, will have felt the heat from the decision to put in a strong effort to get that fourth goal, while Jakub Dobeš will be the goaltender tasked with containing Washington to three or fewer.

Canadiens vs. Capitals: Game preview, start time, Tale of the Tape, and how to watch

28.02.2026 18:03 — 👍 1 🔁 0 💬 0 📌 0

Saturday Habs Headlines: Zachary Bolduc says there’s another level he can reach Montreal Canadiens news and notes * “I have a lot more in my toolbox than what I’ve shown so far,” Zachary Bolduc admits after being a healthy scratch on Thursday night. [La Presse] * Pierre LeBrun believes the Los Angeles Kings could be interested in acquiring Patrik Laine. [The Athletic] * With Noah Dobson reaching 40 points on the season to join Lane Hutson, the Canadiens have had two defencemen reach that milestone for the first time since P.K. Subban and Andrei Markov in 2015-16. [Journal de Montreal] * Stéphane Robidas says learning to play with a lead is the next important step for the Canadiens to take. [Montreal Gazette] * As part of Saint-Boniface winning the Hockeyville contest last year, a pre-season game will be held in Trois-Rivières on September 21, 2026 between the Canadiens and Ottawa Senators. [Canadiens.com] * Mélanie Villeneuve was happy to continue the legacy of a lifelong friendship between father Gilles and Guy LaFleur with Gilles’s F1 car on display at the Bell Centre on Thursday. [Journal de Montreal] * Eight Laval Rocket players had goals as they beat the Rochester Americans 9-3 on Friday night. [AHL.com] Around the league and elsewhere * If Marc Bergevin does end up taking the general manager role with the Nashville Predators as rumoured, it would be a very different situation to the one he inherited in Montreal. [La Presse] * Now 7-0 in overtime, the New York Islanders have the same winning mindset in the extra frame that the Canadiens did during the 1993 Stanley Cup run, Patrick Roy says. [Journal de Montreal] * The Toronto Maple Leafs are stuck in the middle, and need some bold moves to change that. [Sportsnet] * Expect the biggest flurry of activity to happen just before the trade deadline. [NHL.com] * The New York Rangers claimed Tye Kartye off waivers from the Seattle Kraken. [TSN] * A torn ACL will prevent Tyler Seguin from playing again this season. [Sportsnet] * Jonathan Lekkerimaki is also out for the season after undergoing surgery. [Sportsnet] * The NHL is holding “Hockey Day” showcases across Europe, with the tour beginning yesterday in Gothenburg, Sweden. [NHL.com] * Troy Ryan says it’s unlikely he will be staying on as the coach of Canada’s National Women’s Team. [Sportsnet]

Saturday Habs Headlines: Zachary Bolduc says there’s another level he can reach

28.02.2026 09:12 — 👍 0 🔁 0 💬 0 📌 0

Welcome to PuckTalk MTL LIVE!, your source for breaking Montreal Canadiens trade updates, NHL analysis, and game previews. In this episode, we unveil the latest Habs Trade Board UPDATE and ask the big question: Are there new targets emerging for Montreal? As the playoff race tightens and the front office evaluates its next move, we break down potential trade fits, roster needs, cap implications, and how any deal could impact the Canadiens’ short-term push and long-term rebuild. Are the Habs buyers, sellers, or positioning for a strategic hockey trade that strengthens depth? Which names are rising on the trade board, and what assets could be in play? We also shift focus to a key matchup in our Capitals Preview, analyzing what Montreal must do to handle Washington’s structure, scoring threats, and experience. From goaltending matchups to defensive zone execution and special teams strategy, we cover everything fans need before puck drop. For Montreal Canadiens fans, this LIVE episode delivers real-time trade speculation, lineup discussion, and playoff implications. For NHL and Washington Capitals fans, it’s a complete breakdown of strategy, momentum, and expectations. Join the chat and share your takes as we debate trades, preview the Capitals, and talk all things Habs. 🔥 LIKE, COMMENT & SUBSCRIBE for daily Habs coverage and nonstop NHL talk on PuckTalk MTL! #Habs #GoHabsGo #NHL #Hockey #IceHockey #CH #HockeyVLog In every episode, Kosta Papoulias takes a deep dive into the latest Montreal Canadiens news involving Ivan Demidov, Patrik Laine, Juraj Slafkovsky, Josh Anderson, Cole Caufield, Nick Suzuki, Kirby Dach, Joe Veleno, Jake Evans, Zach Bolduc, Brendan Gallagher, Alex Newhook, Oliver Kapanen, Habs Defencemen, Arber Xhekaj, Kaiden Guhle, Sam Montembeault, Lane Hutson, Jayden Struble, Alex Carrier, Mike Matheson, Noah Dobson, Jakub Dobes, Jacob Fowler, Kent Hughes, Martin St Louis. Dans chaque épisode, Kosta Papoulias analyse en profondeur les dernières nouvelles des Canadiens de Montréal concernant Ivan Demidov, Patrik Laine, Juraj Slafkovsky, Josh Anderson, Cole Caufield, Nick Suzuki, Kirby Dach, Joe Veleno, Jake Evans, Zach Bolduc, Brendan Gallagher, Alex Newhook, Oliver Kapanen, Habs Defencemen, Arber Xhekaj, Kaiden Guhle, Sam Montembeault, Lane Hutson, Jayden Struble, Alex Carrier, Mike Matheson, Noah Dobson, Jakub Dobes, Jacob Fowler, Kent Hughes et Martin St Louis. Please Click to Subscribe / Veuillez cliquer pour vous abonner: https://bit.ly/mtlhockeytalk #Habs #GoHabsGo #NHL #Hockey #IceHockey #CH #HockeyVLog In every episode, Kosta Papoulias takes a deep dive into the latest Montreal Canadiens news involving Ivan Demidov, Patrik Laine, Juraj Slafkovsky, Josh Anderson, Cole Caufield, Nick Suzuki, Kirby Dach, Joe Veleno, Jake Evans, Zach Bolduc, Brendan Gallagher, Alex Newhook, Oliver Kapanen, Habs Defencemen, Arber Xhekaj, Kaiden Guhle, Sam Montembeault, Lane Hutson, Jayden Struble, Alex Carrier, Mike Matheson, Noah Dobson, Jakub Dobes, Jacob Fowler, Kent Hughes, Martin St Louis. Dans chaque épisode, Kosta Papoulias analyse en profondeur les dernières nouvelles des Canadiens de Montréal concernant Ivan Demidov, Patrik Laine, Juraj Slafkovsky, Josh Anderson, Cole Caufield, Nick Suzuki, Kirby Dach, Joe Veleno, Jake Evans, Zach Bolduc, Brendan Gallagher, Alex Newhook, Oliver Kapanen, Habs Defencemen, Arber Xhekaj, Kaiden Guhle, Sam Montembeault, Lane Hutson, Jayden Struble, Alex Carrier, Mike Matheson, Noah Dobson, Jakub Dobes, Jacob Fowler, Kent Hughes et Martin St Louis. Please Click to Subscribe / Veuillez cliquer pour vous abonner: https://bit.ly/mtlhockeytalk New Targets?! Habs Trade Board UPDATE & Capitals Preview | PuckTalk MTL LIVE!

New Targets?! Habs Trade Board UPDATE & Capitals Preview | PuckTalk MTL LIVE! #Habs #GoHabsGo #MontrealCanadiens

28.02.2026 00:48 — 👍 0 🔁 0 💬 0 📌 0

Tonight on PuckTalk MTL LIVE!!! at * PM, we discuss the Canadiens Trade Board: Who Teams Are Calling About?, we'll preview Saturday's tilt vs #ALLCAPS & we'll have another great live chat. http://dlvr.it/TRC5xm
#Habs #GoHabsGo

27.02.2026 19:24 — 👍 1 🔁 1 💬 0 📌 0

Bottom Six Minutes: Noah Dobson looks ready to finish strong After a long break for the Olympics, the Montreal Canadiens were back on Bell Centre ice to shake off the rust with a Thursday night matchup against the New York Islanders. Allowing a late goal to tie the game sent them to overtime, and while the one point they earned for getting there is valuable, they left one more on the table when Jean-Gabriel Pageau put home the game-winner at three-on-three. An unfortunate end, to be sure, but there were some encouraging performances in the game as a whole. How about Noah Dobson, for instance, who looked like he’s ready to take off during this stretch run. Can't just flip pucks out and go for a line change when Hutson and Dobson are out there. Lane sends Dobson and he goes glove side. 1-0 #Habs pic.twitter.com/I5sG43iBPP— Matt Drake (@DrakeMT) February 27, 2026 This was a truly excellent display of vision and hockey IQ by Dobson and Lane Hutson. The Islanders think they’re safe to go for a line change with a high flip towards the Habs zone. Dobson immediately recognizes the space on the left side and heads up ice, which allows Hutson to send him unchallenged into the offensive zone when he gloves down the attempted dump-in. With Nick Suzuki driving the net, Dobson has multiple ways to make this a high-danger scoring chance, but he just finishes it himself with a well-placed shot. It is a lot of simple things, but executed so well that the result of a goal was seemingly inevitable. Dobson was considered by many as a player with an outside shot of representing Canada this year. Most roster projections didn’t have him making it, nor did Hockey Canada in the end, but his name was out there as a suggestion. While it wasn’t quite a snub for him to be omitted from the roster, seeing his performance on Thursday makes you wonder if that omission – and of course playing against his former team – motivated him to really step up in the stretch run for the Habs. We’ve long expected names like Lane Hutson and Cole Caufield to be the highly-motivated contributors in the sprint to the playoffs. If Dobson is going to match their expected pace in trying to prove something, it could be huge for this team’s place in the standings come playoff time. He’s already passed his point total from last season in 13 less games, and there could not be a better time for him to heat up even more as the Habs try to keep pace in a very tight Atlantic Division. Hopefully the team as a whole can put things together a little more neatly than they did against New York, but it never hurts to have a handful of players out to make a name for themselves. Click the play button below to listen to your full Bottom Six Minutes, also available wherever you get your podcasts. We’ll be back on Saturday night, when the Habs will host the Washington Capitals before heading off for a western road trip.

Bottom Six Minutes: Noah Dobson looks ready to finish strong

27.02.2026 14:18 — 👍 1 🔁 0 💬 0 📌 0

Remember When … the Subban-Weber trade broke Twitter The Montreal Canadiens have never been accused of being a boring franchise. This series is a look back at the moments that made you throw your hands up, lose your mind, ugly cry, hold your breath, scratch your head, and cheer so loudly you scared the dog … sometimes all at once. If you were there the first time around, you know. If you weren’t, hop in the DeLorean cause we’re going back in time. The Day the Timeline Exploded Some trades simply adjust the roster. Others take down social media. It was June 29, 2016. What started as a typical get-through-hump-day Wednesday afternoon ended with half of the hockey world losing their minds. It turns out that nothing travels faster than news of a blockbuster trade during the off-season. It was 23 minutes of pure trading madness that caused Twitter to take a timeout. Hockey fans barely had time to process the fact that the Edmonton Oilers traded Taylor Hall to New Jersey when, a mere 20 minutes later, the Montreal Canadiens and Nashville Predators announced they were swapping their franchise defencemen: P.K. Subban for Shea Weber. Three minutes after that, Steven Stamkos confirmed he was staying in Tampa Bay (not really keeping with the Twitter breaking news there Stamkos, but part of the chatter nonetheless). The Subban-Weber deal was the loudest explosion in the room with many considering it to be one of the biggest NHL trades in recent years. I think we can all agree that former NHL enforcer Georges Laraque wrapped everyone’s thoughts up nicely when he tweeted: Holy shit PK Subban got traded straight up for Shea Weber!— Georges Laraque (@GeorgesLaraque) June 29, 2016 No draft picks or prospects thrown in to sweeten the pot. Just you give us your guy, we’ll give you ours. The trade came two days before a no-movement clause was to kick in on Subban’s contract so the timing was either ruthlessly efficient or deeply calculated, depending on which camp you fell into. Either way, the reaction was immediate and deeply personal, dividing the fanbase into two sides: one that despised the trade, the other that absolutely loved it. Tweets from fans, NHL stars, bloggers, and well, everyone really, confirmed that this was no under-the-radar kinda trade. Even Jonathan Toews, watching from Chicago, got in on the action tweeting: Hey Webs good luck in Montreal thanks for leaving our division! #relief— Jonathan Toews (@JonathanToews) June 29, 2016 Canadiens owner Geoff Molson admitted he saw “a lot of it on my Twitter account,” which is one way to find out your franchise has just been detonated on social media, and one fan even took took it offline, going old school by taking out a full-page newspaper advertisement to voice his fury over losing Subban. A full-page ad. Now that’s committing. The Great Debate The thing about P.K. Subban is you either loved every second of his flair or you spent your Saturday nights grasping you beer yelling, “Stop twirling around and just shoot the damn puck!” every time he held it at the blue line. He was a 2013 Norris Trophy-winner. He committed to raising $10 million for the Montreal Children’s Hospital. He was electric, flamboyant, and Carey Price’s BFF who annoyed their coach to no end with their “triple low five.” He was also not quite the defensively responsible type that GM Marc Bergevin was looking for, with his flashy game occasionally coming with lapses in his own zone. Weber, by contrast, was the definition of a defensively responsible blue-liner, and his 14 power-play goals in 2015-16 proved the booming slapshot wasn’t just for highlight reels. Brendan Gallagher, whose relationship with Subban was, shall we say, spirited, kept it as diplomatic as he could: “With us, it was a good move in the sense we needed what Shea’s going to bring to our locker room, the presence that he has. It’s a good addition to our team. P.K.’s going to go there and be P.K. I’m sure he’s going to have success there as well.” In his debut season, Weber made believers out of the skeptics with the best offensive output of his career, racking up 17 goals, 42 points, nearly 24 minutes of ice time a night, and finishing second in team scoring. In 2017, the Canadiens returned to the playoffs — as did Subban, but he went all the way to the Stanley Cup Final while Montreal was bounced in the first round by the New York Rangers. Cue the revival of the intense online debate. By September 2018, Weber was named the Canadiens’ 30th captain, and under his watch the team reached the 2021 Stanley Cup Final before the laundry list of injuries finally caught up to him. After the 2021 Stanley Cup Final loss, Bergevin confirmed Weber would not return the following season and likely would not return at all (spoiler alert: he did not). The hockey gods, it turns out, do not care about narrative arcs. The Verdict: Forever Pending The debate over who won this trade has never fully been settled, nor will it be. And we’ll never really know what went on behind closed doors, but we do remember that the speculation machine went from zero to DEFCON 1 before anyone could refresh their feed. Bergevin insisted it was about fit, structure, and the long-term cap situation but he did acknowledge it was “one of the most difficult decisions I had to make” as GM. And former Predators GM David Poile, the man who sent Weber away, eventually said: “In the bigger picture, I wish Shea had never been traded.” The Subban-Weber trade was one for the ages: it took down Twitter, spawned full-page newspaper ads, and ignited nine years of arguments that show no signs of letting up. Whether it was a masterstroke or a heartbreak depends entirely on who you ask. But one thing is certain: on one Wednesday afternoon in June 2016, the hockey world exploded. And Montreal lit the fuse.

Remember When … the Subban-Weber trade broke Twitter

27.02.2026 11:14 — 👍 0 🔁 0 💬 1 📌 0

Friday Habs Headlines: Embracing the Canadian winter Montreal Canadiens news and notes * Phillip Danault used the Olympic break to give his kids the gift of winter. [Montreal Gazette] * Why scratching Zachary Bolduc marks another new phase in the Canadiens rebuild. [The Athletic] * How close is the blue-line corps to being contender-ready? [The Hockey Writers] * Potential destinations for Patrik Laine. [The Hockey Writers] * Kent Hughes and Laine’s agent are actively seeking a solution for the Finnish winger. [RDS] * Montreal’s transit agency says the “Go Habs Go!” slogan will return to some city buses next month after the provincial language watchdog authorized the use of the English expression. [CBC] Around the league and elsewhere * Emil Heineman finds a new gear in a fresh start with the New York Islanders. [Montreal Gazette] * Ian “Scotty” Morrison, a former NHL referee and executive who later became chairman of the Hockey Hall of Fame, has passed away at the age of 95. [NHL.com] * Robert Thomas heads a hypothetical trade board with the deadline only a week away. [Daily Faceoff] * Canadian women’s hockey team head coach Troy Ryan may be hinting at a change of pace. [Daily Faceoff] * Projecting Team Canada’s men’s roster for the 2030 Olympics. [Sportsnet] * The PWHL is looking to capitalize on an Olympic boost as the league resumes play. [CBC] * Jordan Harris announced the launch of “Harris’ Huskies,” a mentorship initiative that connects local youth hockey players to role models from the Northeastern University Hockey Team. [Boston Bruins]

Friday Habs Headlines: Embracing the Canadian winter

27.02.2026 09:13 — 👍 0 🔁 0 💬 0 📌 0

Welcome back to PuckTalk MTL for a detailed Montreal Canadiens post-game breakdown after a heartbreaking overtime loss. In this episode, Coach K analyze exactly what went wrong as the Habs dropped crucial points during the 2026 NHL Playoff Push against the New York Islanders. Kosta breaks down the overtime sequence, defensive zone coverage, communication issues, and puck management mistakes that led to the game-winning goal. Was it a structural problem, a missed assignment, or simply a high-risk decision at the wrong time? We dive into gap control, backchecking effort, and situational awareness to uncover how Montreal allowed momentum to shift late. Beyond the decisive moment, he examines the Canadiens’ overall defensive structure, goaltending support, special teams execution, and coaching adjustments. With every point magnified in the standings, this loss carries real implications for Montreal’s playoff hopes. For Islanders fans, we look at how New York capitalized on opportunity and executed under pressure. For NHL and hockey fans, this breakdown highlights how razor-thin margins define playoff-style games. If you’re searching for Habs post-game analysis, Canadiens vs Islanders breakdown, or insight into late-game defensive lapses, this episode delivers clarity and accountability. 🔥 LIKE, COMMENT & SUBSCRIBE for daily Habs coverage, NHL playoff analysis, and in-depth hockey talk on PuckTalk MTL! 0:00 - Show Start 1:09 - Game Highlights - Habs Finished This One On Their Heels 7:43 - Coach K's Game Report - Why Was Xhekaj Not Used More? 10:29 - Playing Defensively Killed The Habs 12:47 - This Wasn't Danault Best Game..By A Long Shot! 14:44 - Habs PP Needs To Stop Focusing On Scoring From The Goal Line 17:11 - Report Recap - There's Still Work To Do #Habs #GoHabsGo #NHL #Hockey #IceHockey #CH #HockeyVLog #PuckTalkMTL #MontrealCanadiens #CanadiensVsIslanders #NewYorkIslanders #NHLPlayoffPush #2026NHLPlayoffs #NHLPostGame #HockeyAnalysis #HabsNation #NHLFans In every episode, Kosta Papoulias takes a deep dive into the latest Montreal Canadiens news involving Ivan Demidov, Patrik Laine, Juraj Slafkovsky, Josh Anderson, Cole Caufield, Nick Suzuki, Kirby Dach, Joe Veleno, Jake Evans, Zach Bolduc, Brendan Gallagher, Alex Newhook, Oliver Kapanen, Habs Defencemen, Arber Xhekaj, Kaiden Guhle, Sam Montembeault, Lane Hutson, Jayden Struble, Alex Carrier, Mike Matheson, Noah Dobson, Jakub Dobes, Jacob Fowler, Kent Hughes, Martin St Louis. Dans chaque épisode, Kosta Papoulias analyse en profondeur les dernières nouvelles des Canadiens de Montréal concernant Ivan Demidov, Patrik Laine, Juraj Slafkovsky, Josh Anderson, Cole Caufield, Nick Suzuki, Kirby Dach, Joe Veleno, Jake Evans, Zach Bolduc, Brendan Gallagher, Alex Newhook, Oliver Kapanen, Habs Defencemen, Arber Xhekaj, Kaiden Guhle, Sam Montembeault, Lane Hutson, Jayden Struble, Alex Carrier, Mike Matheson, Noah Dobson, Jakub Dobes, Jacob Fowler, Kent Hughes et Martin St Louis. Please Click to Subscribe / Veuillez cliquer pour vous abonner: https://bit.ly/mtlhockeytalk Defensive BREAKDOWN? How The Canadiens Let This One Slip Away In OT | Puck Talk Post-Game

Defensive BREAKDOWN? How The Canadiens Let This One Slip Away In OT | Puck Talk Post-Game #Habs #GoHabsGo #MontrealCanadiens

27.02.2026 04:35 — 👍 1 🔁 1 💬 0 📌 0

Canadiens vs. Islanders Top Six Minutes: Habs lose ground in Atlantic race with overtime loss * It’s been three weeks, but there won’t be many more off days for the Canadiens before the end of the season arrives. First period * Martin St-Louis clearly remembers how well Brendan Gallagher, Phillip Danault, and Josh Anderson played in Winnipeg in the previous game because they’re out to start. And they spend their shift in the offensive zone. * It’s the New York Islanders’ fourth line that opens the scoring in the game, however, as an attempted pass from Danault in his own zone goes right to the stick of Matthew Schaefer. Marc Gatcomb collects the rebound and swings it wide around Samuel Montembeault’s pad to tuck it in. However, Montreal is quick with an offside challenge, and video review shows that the Isles were indeed offside, so the goal comes off the board. * It looks like most of the players on these teams haven’t played in nearly a month. * I little fake to get below the goal line opens a lane to the side of the net for a pass, and Alex Newhook gets his first scoring chance in his return to play. * The fourth line has a long shift in the offensive zone, and Nick Suzuki’s trio comes out for an even longer one on a change. In total it’s about three minutes spent wearing down the Islanders in their own zone, but no goal comes of it. * They have to wait for their next offensive-zone shift for that to happen. The Islanders race to the bench for a change and left the entire penalty-box side of the ice open. Four Habs players spread out and skate through it, and Hutson picks out Noah Dobson with the pass. Dobson scores, and Montreal has the official first goal of the night. Noah Dobson takes advantage of a bad change and scores on his former team 1-0 Habs [image or embed]— Scott Matla (@scottmatla.bsky.social) February 26, 2026 at 8:36 PM * The goal is Dobson’s 11th of the year, beating the 10 he had in full campaigns with the Islanders the previous two years. He’s now three away from setting a new career high. * Montembeault makes a spectacular save on a shot deflected just a few feet in front of him, then recovers to make another one immediately afterward. * It wasn’t a pretty period, but Montreal was the stronger team and did get a few good scoring chances with time in the offensive zone. Second period * It’s a stronger start for the Islanders in the second period, with several quick shots to start it off. * The best chance so far goes to Alex Newhook, but he misses the net on a breakaway. * Caufield gets the puck in the net … with his feet. He kicked it from behind the goal line off the foot of Sorokin and in, but you can’t provide the force than sends the puck in the net, so that won’t count, even if it wasn’t actually going toward the net. * We won’t be seeing this game as part of any classic series. * Montreal’s fourth line goes back to work and draws a call in the offensive zone. Josh Anderson gets hooked as he tries to relay a dribbling shot from the point toward the net. * The Islanders are playing keepaway. It’s fair to say the power play isn’t sharp either. * Make that two goals from a new career high from Dobson. He salvages the power play with a blast from three feet inside the goal line. It's a Double Dob 2-0 Habs! [image or embed]— Scott Matla (@scottmatla.bsky.social) February 26, 2026 at 9:29 PM * Despite the two-goal lead, the Habs are still playing the puck in the offensive zone. The Islanders are having trouble slowing them down in the neutral zone. * Juraj Slafkovský whacks the stick of Tony DeAngelo as both players try to get the puck on the boards. DeAngelo’s stick falls from his hand, and Slafkovský is going off for “interference.” * Matheson gets his stick up on on the ensuing faceoff, so the Canadiens are facing 1:52 of five-on-three time. * Matthew Schaefer scores, his 17th of the season, and it’s 2-1. * And his 18th makes it 2-2 53 seconds later. * Montreal was playing a perfectly good second period until the call on Slafkovský, but the game has been reset on two quick goals against. Third period * Simon Holmstrom trips Noah Dobson as he’s backtracking to gain some separation. Montreal gets a chance to get the lead back on the power play. * They aren’t playing like this could be their only opportunity with an extra man to take back control of the game. * The Habs are back in control of the possession at five-on-five, however. Each line is getting the puck in the offensive zone. * The best New York can do to try to get it back is hack and hook at the puck-carrier, and they will get a penalty for doing that to Kaiden Guhle as the stick gets in his feet. * Let’s see some more urgency on this power play with just over 12 minutes to go. * Slafkovský looked to be the latest Canadiens player to have a prime scoring chance thwarted by a broken stick, but the puck ends up bouncing off the toe of Ivan Demidov at the side of the net, and Cole Caufield taps it in from his station at the opposite post. A rare fortuitous bounce for the Canadiens. That's a greasy one on the power play for Cole Caufield, but they'll take it. 3-2 #Habs pic.twitter.com/8Hy0AQOozh— Matt Drake (@DrakeMT) February 27, 2026 * The wave has broken out at the Bell Centre. I had forgotten about that. * The Canadiens are trying to see out the final minutes now to claim these two points. * With 2:20 to go, Sorokin heads to the bench. * And the Islanders use the extra skater to tie the game. A point shot goes off the torso of Anders Lee before he can get out of the way, but deflects into the net. * It wouldn’t be a Canadiens-Islanders game without overtime, and we’re headed there for the fifth consecutive time in this head-to-head battle. Overtime * Montreal holds the puck for the first 90 seconds, but can’t find a good chance. * The Habs lose an offensive-zone faceoff, and no one is paying attention to Jean-Gabriel Pageau. He goes in with speed and opens up Montembeault’s five-hole with a deke, flicking the puck through for the game-winning goal. * On a night when the Canadiens claim one point, the Boston Bruins and Detroit Red Wings each collect two. Montreal drops to third in the division, two points up on the Bruins in the second wild-card spot. Those are the margins in this unforgiving section. * Next up is the final game at home before heading to California. The Canadiens will host the Washington Capitals on Saturday night. EOTP 3 Stars 3) It’s a small tank now, but he gives his all 2) It feels like he hasn’t scored in half a season 1) A proper hockey time

Canadiens vs. Islanders Top Six Minutes: Habs lose ground in Atlantic race with overtime loss

27.02.2026 03:08 — 👍 0 🔁 0 💬 0 📌 0

Canadiens vs. Islanders: Game thread, lines, and how to watch

26.02.2026 23:04 — 👍 0 🔁 0 💬 0 📌 0

Watch the full video: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=p5_ieVdz_kg Habs' Secret Weapon: Master Net Front Defense! 💪

Habs' Secret Weapon: Master Net Front Defense! 💪 #Habs #GoHabsGo #MontrealCanadiens

26.02.2026 21:04 — 👍 0 🔁 0 💬 0 📌 0

See the full video. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=p5_ieVdz_kg Habs' Offense: Learn from Gretzky & Lemieux! 🏒✨

Habs' Offense: Learn from Gretzky & Lemieux! 🏒✨ #Habs #GoHabsGo #MontrealCanadiens

26.02.2026 16:25 — 👍 0 🔁 0 💬 0 📌 0

Canadiens vs. Islanders: Game preview, start time, Tale of the Tape, and how to watch Game 58: Montreal Canadiens vs. New York Islanders Start time: 7:00 PM EST / 4:00 PM PST In the Canadiens region: TSN2 (English), RDS (French) In the Islanders region: MSGSN Streaming: ESPN+, RDS, TSN+ The NHL season was on hiatus for three weeks as the Olympics took place in Milan, so, as you get with television shows that go on break, a “previously on” recap is required. The last time we saw the Montreal Canadiens in action, they were in Winnipeg wrapping up a three-game road trip. Samuel Montembeault claimed the win that night thanks to five unanswered goals from the Habs after going down 1-0 early, extending Montreal’s point streak to five games. With the other three wins in that sequence coming versus the Colorado Avalanche, Vegas Golden Knights, and Buffalo Sabres, the Canadiens were beating some top teams during one of the toughest stretches of the season, and currently sit second in the Eastern Conference with the same 72 points as the Sabres and Detroit Red Wings, but with one less game played. It’s just a short return to Montreal for Olympians Oliver Kapanen, Juraj Slafkovský, Nick Suzuki, and Alexandre Texier. The Canadiens with finish the month of February with two home games before heading out on the trip through California. Before they play the first game of the season versus the San Jose Sharks and Anaheim Ducks next week, they’ll kick of this mini homestand with the first of three games versus the New York Islanders. This season series awarded nine total points a year ago as the Islanders claimed a shootout and overtime win and the Canadiens got two points in the extra three-on-three period in the middle contest. Montreal has claimed points the last six times it’s faced the club from Long Island. The games between these teams have been close the past few years, and considering that each team has already amassed 32 wins in 2025-26, this year’s three-game set will likely be no different. Tale of the Tape .tg {border-collapse:collapse;border-spacing:0;} .tg td{border-color:black;border-style:solid;border-width:1px;font-family:Arial, sans-serif;font-size:14px; overflow:hidden;padding:10px 5px;word-break:normal;} .tg th{border-color:black;border-style:solid;border-width:1px;font-family:Arial, sans-serif;font-size:14px; font-weight:normal;overflow:hidden;padding:10px 5px;word-break:normal;} .tg .tg-ymce{background-color:#BE2F37;color:#FFF;font-weight:bold;text-align:center;vertical-align:bottom} .tg .tg-8d8j{text-align:center;vertical-align:bottom} Canadiens Statistics Islanders 32-17-8 Record 32-21-5 48.6% (23rd) Expected-goal share 46.1% (29th) 3.46 (3rd) Goals per game 2.84 (23rd) 3.21 (23rd) Goals against per game 2.71 (3rd) 23.9% (7th) PP% 15.7% (31st) 76.9% (25th) PK% 82.4% (8th) 1-0-2 Head-to-Head Record (24-25) 2-0-1 Cole Caufield (32) Most goals Bo Horvat (24) Lane Hutson (48) Most assists Mathew Barzal (34) Nick Suzuki (65) Most points Mathew Barzal (51) The Islanders weren’t quite as consistent as Montreal leading into the Olympic break, but they did end with a big win versus the Pittsburgh Penguins that reduced the gap between the two teams to one point in the battle for second spot in the Metropolitan Division. With news that Sidney Crosby will miss four weeks with a lower-body injury sustained in Milan, the Isles have an opportunity to leapfrog their rival and at the very least have home-ice advantage if this proves to be an opening-round matchup. The Washington Capitals (who beat the Islanders in one of the last games before the pause) and the surging Columbus Blue Jackets (the Islanders’ next opponent) still have plenty to say in that race, however. It’s an odd schedule for New York, which is playing a lot of games on the road at the moment. They’ve only played seven home games in 2026, while tonight will be their 12th in another team’s building. They are set to travel to California at the same time as Montreal, and the end totals will be eight games at their home UBS Arena and 17 on the road in the opening 10 weeks of the calendar year. But that does allow them to finish the season at home for nine of the final 11 games, where they can can use that advantage to either pull away or make up ground in the playoff race. The Islanders are getting a major boost from the play of rookie defenceman Matthew Schaefer after selecting him first overall in the 2025 NHL Draft. He has 39 points on the campaign and won’t turn 19 until after the opening round of the post-season. This will be the first head-to-head meeting between him and Ivan Demidov in the Calder Trophy competition. Schaefer’s point total currently has him ranked third on the Islanders’ scoring list, while Demidov’s 46 slot him fourth for the Canadiens. The fact that Schaefer is doing this at a year younger and as a defenceman has him leading, and he also holds the edge in goals at 16 to 12, so he seems well on his way to claiming the award. It would take an exceptional final third from Demidov to change that order, but we can’t rule out a big finish with linemate Slafkovský playing the best he ever has and Demidov himself enjoying a long rest before tackling the final 25 games. Every forward in the lineup will get a boost with the return of Alex Newhook, set to return tonight after missing three-and-a-half months. He was playing great to begin the season with 12 points in 16 games, a 62-point pace, before sustaining a fractured ankle early in his 17th contest. Slafkovský may have taken his old line with Demidov and Kapanen to new heights, but Newhook adding his speed to Jake Evans’s on the third line will give opponents one more offensive outlet to think about, and that will open things up for the top six. Already with the league’s third-best offence, the Habs will get a big roster addition for this final push to claim a seed in the Atlantic Division.

Canadiens vs. Islanders: Game preview, start time, Tale of the Tape, and how to watch

26.02.2026 13:15 — 👍 0 🔁 0 💬 0 📌 0

Laval vs. Toronto recap & highlights: Rocket can’t overcome errors, officiating in loss to Marlies As a difficult February began to enter its final days, the Laval Rocket found themselves in one of their toughest stretches in quite some time. Ahead of them lay three games against divisional opponents, starting with the Toronto Marlies on Wednesday night, and just behind them was a nasty three-in-three weekend in Central New York. While the Marlies were sat 15 points back of the Rocket in the standings, every single game between the two sides had been tightly contested all season. Making matters even tougher for the Rocket was that they entered Wednesday night’s contest short-handed in a few positions. Jacob Fowler was still out sick, giving the net back to veteran Kaapo Kähkönen with Hunter Jones serving as the backup once again. On defence, Adam Engström was ruled out for the next four weeks after sustaining an upper-body injury against Utica on Sunday, which left many of his duties to Marc Del Gaizo and David Reinbacher. With Laurent Dauphin also nursing a minor injury the Rocket shuffled lines slightly as Sammy Blais joined Sean Farrell and Alex Belzile. Jared Davidson returned and slotted in with Lucas Condotta and Xavier Simoneau on the third line. Whether it was due to the long road trip over the weekend or a possible illness still working its way through the locker room, the start was less than ideal for the Rocket. Passes were being missed at both ends of the ice and Toronto took advantage of that to open the scoring. After an icing, the Marlies kept the puck hemmed in the Rocket zone with William Villeneuve firing a high shot on net, and Luke Haymes deflected it by Kähkönen uncontested. The Rocket continued to struggle at generating any sustained pressure, while Toronto was able to lock Laval into their cycle with relative ease on every shift. While trying to break some of the Marlies’ pressure, Kähkönen fired a puck straight out of play to put the Rocket on the first penalty kill of the game. The Toronto advantage did not last long however, as the veteran know-how of Belzile drew a penalty while short-handed to make it a four-on-four stretch. The extra space helped the Rocket close the gap in terms of shots, but when play returned to five-on-five it was clear they were still the second-best team in the period. Despite the uneven start, it took just the smallest moment of opportunity for the Rocket to strike and even up the score. Owen Beck quickly moved a puck up to a streaking Luke Tuch heading into the offensive zone. Tuch settled the puck for a moment before firing a heavy snapshot off the post and in to level the game late in the first period. Tuch’s goal gave the Rocket some life as they headed to the locker room for the first intermission, but they were in need of a stronger effort entering the second period. For the opening few minutes of the second frame, the Rocket found that effort, but some frustration or maybe just trying to get under the skin of the Marlies led Sammy Blais to fire a shot on net after an offside whistle. On the ensuing power play, the Rocket were lucky to escape unscathed as Borya Valis ripped a wide-open look off the crossbar but thankfully not past Kähkönen. With Blais out of the box the Rocket offence went right back to work as they peppered Dennis Hildeby with shots, but the game remained a 1-1 stalemate. While the Rocket were taking command of the game, they were very clearly not in the good graces of the officiating crew. After an extra few pokes on Kähkönen drew a response from his teammates, the Rocket found themselves as the ones short-handed as Blais took another seat for cross-checking. Thankfully for Blais, his penalty-killing teammates were again up to the task as they smothered the Marlies’ man advantage and went back to work at even strength. The penalties had a marked impact on the Rocket’s attack as they were again struggling to find consistent shifts, and before long found themselves back on the penalty will with just under three minutes left to play in the second period. Despite some great chances short-handed by Beck and Condotta, the Toronto man advantage finally struck as Valis teed up Haymes for his second goal of the game to push it to 2-1. Before the period could reach its conclusion, the Rocket finally managed to earn a full two-minute power play with Mark Johnstone going off … or so they thought. After the whistle, Blais said something to an official after Marc Del Gaizo was hauled down trying to move the puck and cancelled out the Rocket man advantage. Blais’s penalty left the Rocket heading into the second intermission down a goal, and feeling extremely frustrated with the officiating on the evening. Things went from bad to worse for the Rocket in the opening minutes of the third as Laval failed to break down the Marlies’ defensive structure, and their every mistake ended up punishing them. Nate Clurman lost an edge as he tried to clear the puck, seemingly injuring himself in the process. The loose puck was scooped up by Toronto and Jacob Quillan tucked a shot under the glove of Kähkönen to make it a 3-1 contest. It wasn’t long before another failed dump-in attempt turned into an odd-man rush for the Marlies. Matthew Barbolini broke in with Haymes, and after weaving a pass around William Trudeau it was Haymes finishing off his hat trick to make it 4-1. The one-team penalty parade continued as Sean Farrell was called for tripping on a play where his opponent appeared to hug Farrell’s stick and then pitch forward onto the ice to draw a call. The Rocket penalty-killers took care of Farrell’s minor penalty, but with under five minutes left to play there wasn’t much runway left for the Rocket to try to claw back into the contest. After yet another failed attempt to clear their zone and the Marlies nearly scoring again, the Rocket decided to take their pound of flesh after Mark Johnstone crashed into the net. What resulted was a mountain of ejections only against the Rocket as David Reinbacher and Sammy Blais were removed from the game, despite Reinbacher getting punched in the back of the head. Beck earned two minutes for cross-checking and to cap it all off, Rocket head coach Pascal Vincent was ejected for abuse of officials. Toronto ended the game with a five-on-three power play, and that bled out the rest of the game clock, sending the Rocket to a second straight loss. Final Score: Toronto 4, Laval 1 Laval will head out on the road next heading into the weekend, with two more North Division clashes in front of them on Friday and Saturday. First up on Friday night is another match with the Rochester Americans, with the Rocket claiming an overtime win just week ago/ Puck drop is set for 7 PM ET.

Laval vs. Toronto recap & highlights: Rocket can’t overcome errors, officiating in loss to Marlies

26.02.2026 11:14 — 👍 0 🔁 0 💬 0 📌 0

Thursday Habs Headlines: Alex Newhook’s return sparks competition Montreal Canadiens news and notes * Alex Newhook’s return is sparking an internal competition for a playoff push as he focuses on getting back to where he left off. [Sportsnet] * With Newhook back in the lineup, Martin St. Louis has some difficult decisions to make. [TVA Sports] * His Olympic experience lit a fire under him, and now Juraj Slafkovský says he’s coming back with extra motivation. [Montreal Gazette] * Despite their disappointment of not taking home the gold, Slafkovsky and Nick Suzuki return with a wealth of experience. [Journal de Montreal] * The Canadiens are zeroing in on defensive details as they prepare for a playoff sprint. [Sportsnet] * Patrik Laine will not play before the March 6 trade deadline. [TVA Sports] Around the league and elsewhere * After sustaining a lower-body injury at the Olympics, Sidney Crosby will remain out of action for at least four weeks. [NHL] * Auston Matthews explains why Team USA accepted White House visit. [Sportsnet] * Will the returning Olympians have an advantage over the players who had a few weeks off? [TSN] * The Colorado Avalanche traded Samuel Girard to the Pittsburgh Penguins for Brett Kulak. [NHL] * With his father passing away recently, Jon Cooper will not be back behind the Tampa Bay Lightning bench until Saturday. [NHL] * The experience of playing with the best of the best was a whole different level for Macklin Celebrini. [NHL] * Should the NHL borrow a page from the Olympics and move to a 3-2-1-0 points system? [Athletic]

Thursday Habs Headlines: Alex Newhook’s return sparks competition

26.02.2026 09:12 — 👍 0 🔁 0 💬 0 📌 0

Welcome back to PuckTalk MTL, your home for detailed Montreal Canadiens previews, NHL playoff race analysis, and smart hockey breakdowns. In this preview episode, Kosta sets the stage for a critical matchup as the Habs begin their push toward the 2026 NHL Playoffs. With every point magnified, this game against the New York Islanders carries major postseason implications. Coach K breaks down the key storylines, including lineup decisions, goaltending matchups, defensive structure, and which Canadiens players must elevate their performance. Can Montreal control the neutral zone, generate consistent offense at 5-on-5, and limit the Islanders’ structured, defensive-first approach? We also analyze the Islanders’ strengths—puck management, disciplined systems play, and opportunistic scoring—and how the Canadiens can counter with pace, transition pressure, and improved special teams execution. Coaching adjustments, matchup battles, and momentum factors are all covered to give fans a complete preview before puck drop. For Montreal Canadiens fans, this is the start of the real playoff grind. For NHL and Islanders fans, it’s a critical look at how two teams approach high-pressure hockey. If you’re searching for Habs playoff push analysis, Canadiens vs Islanders preview, or NHL postseason breakdowns, this episode delivers. 🔥 LIKE, COMMENT & SUBSCRIBE for daily Habs coverage, NHL playoff talk, and in-depth hockey analysis on PuckTalk MTL! 0:00 - Show Start 0:55 - If you're going to "break" a rumor, provide facts or move on! 3:30 - Proejcted Game Day Lineups - Newhook Back Tomorrow! 9:29 - The Bench Boss Breakdown - 5 Isles Strengths & Weaknesses 18:46 - Players To Watch For Both the Isles & Habs 26:42 - Keys To Victory For The Canadiens Over The Islanders #Habs #GoHabsGo #NHL #Hockey #IceHockey #CH #HockeyVLog #PuckTalkMTL #MontrealCanadiens #CanadiensVsIslanders #NewYorkIslanders #NHLPlayoffPush #2026NHLPlayoffs #HockeyAnalysis #HockeyTalk #HabsNation #NHLFans #MontrealHockey In every episode, Kosta Papoulias takes a deep dive into the latest Montreal Canadiens news involving Ivan Demidov, Patrik Laine, Juraj Slafkovsky, Josh Anderson, Cole Caufield, Nick Suzuki, Kirby Dach, Joe Veleno, Jake Evans, Zach Bolduc, Brendan Gallagher, Alex Newhook, Oliver Kapanen, Habs Defencemen, Arber Xhekaj, Kaiden Guhle, Sam Montembeault, Lane Hutson, Jayden Struble, Alex Carrier, Mike Matheson, Noah Dobson, Jakub Dobes, Jacob Fowler, Kent Hughes, Martin St Louis. Dans chaque épisode, Kosta Papoulias analyse en profondeur les dernières nouvelles des Canadiens de Montréal concernant Ivan Demidov, Patrik Laine, Juraj Slafkovsky, Josh Anderson, Cole Caufield, Nick Suzuki, Kirby Dach, Joe Veleno, Jake Evans, Zach Bolduc, Brendan Gallagher, Alex Newhook, Oliver Kapanen, Habs Defencemen, Arber Xhekaj, Kaiden Guhle, Sam Montembeault, Lane Hutson, Jayden Struble, Alex Carrier, Mike Matheson, Noah Dobson, Jakub Dobes, Jacob Fowler, Kent Hughes et Martin St Louis. Please Click to Subscribe / Veuillez cliquer pour vous abonner: https://bit.ly/mtlhockeytalk The Playoff Push Starts NOW: Canadiens vs Islanders Preview | PuckTalk MTL

The Playoff Push Starts NOW: Canadiens vs Islanders Preview | PuckTalk MTL #Habs #GoHabsGo #MontrealCanadiens

26.02.2026 03:32 — 👍 5 🔁 1 💬 1 📌 0

Montreal Canadiens’ salary cap situation heading into NHL trade deadline With just a week-and-a-half to go before the NHL trade deadline arrives at 3 PM ET on Friday, March 6, there isn’t a lot of game action coming out of the Olympic break to make final evaluations of players. There may have been a roster freeze in place during the international tournament, but all the league’s general managers would have been assessing the options to either improve their rosters for a playoff run or add assets with contention in future seasons in mind. We’ve already seen a few trades happen since the freeze was lifted, mostly setups for bigger deals as clubs try to gain more salary-cap space. That’s the situation the Montreal Canadiens currently find themselves in, with about $1.5 million of cap space set to be available to them at the deadline, not enough to make a significant addition on the trade market without shipping out some salary beforehand, or as part of a deal. Right now, the contract for Patrik Laine, which carries the second-largest cap hit of players on the roster at $8.7 million, is the biggest obstacle to getting a deal done. Just two off-seasons ago Laine’s salary was taken on because the management staff wanted to add some offence to a goal-starved roster and also acquire an asset (an additional second-round pick in the trade of Jordan Harris) to help in the future. The Habs were in the early stages of a rebuild and not expected to compete for a few years, but they put everything together about 14 months ago to go on a late-season run that has turned into consistent form. Ironically enough, it was the first Habs game for Laine that you can look back to for the beginning of this sudden rise to playing like a top team. Since his debut on December 3, 2024, Montreal has earned a .626 points percentage, only outperformed by the Colorado Avalanche (.710), Tampa Bay Lightning (.675), Dallas Stars (.657), and Vegas Golden Knights (.636). This season alone, Montreal ranks sixth, performing even slightly better than their play in the final five months of the 2024-25 season. Though Laine has only played five games this year, the once anemic offence in Montreal currently ranks as the league’s third-best, proving that the team has quickly outgrown the need for a pure power-play specialist. The management duo of Kent Hughes and Jeff Gorton would certainly like to move that substantial contract out, and perhaps they could get a bite from a team with Stanley Cup aspirations that needs some special-teams help. There is the option to just see out the final months of Laine’s contract and take advantage of the space in the off-season; once the deadline hits, the 23-player roster limit no longer applies and he can be activated off Injured Reserve without needing to move someone else. But given that Montreal ranks among the league’s top teams, there is some motivation to speed up the process to match the big leap the young roster has taken. While the Canadiens are in position to be buyers, the organization has been adamant that it’s not going to sacrifice the future to address the present, so it’s unlikely to be a rental player who comes in for a high price and sticks around for just one playoff run. Since management’s approach will be future focused at the deadline, a look at the salary-cap situation needs to be as well. Instead of concerning ourselves solely with how a move affects this year’s funds, we’ll look ahead to what a longer-term addition would mean for next season. Salary and contract data via PuckPedia.com If you’ve been following along with these salary-cap visualizations over the years, the first thing that might jump out at you is how little space the goaltending takes up. For almost a decade the position took up about one-sixth of the available cap room, but next year, when the salary jumps again to a projected $104-million upper limit, that will be down to about 4%. The defence is not only all but set for next season (Arber Xhekaj is the only member of the current corps not under contract for 2026-27), the top four are locked in for at least four additional seasons beyond that. Giving up a substantial package of two first-round picks and Emil Heineman to acquire Noah Dobson on an eight-year contract was the clearest indication that the management group saw defence as the priority to build around, and the group of Dobson, Lane Hutson, Kaiden Guhle, and Mike Matheson are in place to carry the team into the 2030s. The top three forwards are also signed long-term, although Nick Suzuki is now almost halfway through the eight-year contract Marc Bergevin signed him to. With Laine’s contract not in the picture next year, it’s a couple of other pacts Bergevin signed that stand out: those for Brendan Gallagher ($6.5 million) and Josh Anderson ($5.5 million). At this time a year from now, we will probably be discussing those the same way Laine’s deal is right now. Yet even carrying those contracts, there is currently $11.4 million of salary the Canadiens could take on, with Kirby Dach and Zachary Bolduc the pending RFAs who would need new contracts for next year. It seems clear that this would be the position the brass would target to make a longer-term addition. There is speculation they could have interest in acquiring Vincent Trocheck from the New York Rangers, a player still signed through the 2028-29 season who fits the future vision for the Canadiens, though not the general focus on putting a young lineup together as Trocheck will turn 33 in July. If they could find a willing partner — not an easy thing this season with most clubs in the Eastern Conference still believing they can make the playoffs — they would have the room next season to acquire a middle-six forward with Laine’s contract off the books, even if they need to retain a portion of his salary to make the move right now. Montreal remains a young team that is just starting to open its contending window, with every member of the core due to improve over the next few years. There’s no urgency to get a deal done ahead of the deadline, so while it would be nice to add another piece of the puzzle this season, the patient approach shown by the current regime may result in just a minor addition being made to shore up the forward depth rather than to insert a big contributor into the group.

Montreal Canadiens’ salary cap situation heading into NHL trade deadline

25.02.2026 11:12 — 👍 4 🔁 0 💬 0 📌 0

Wednesday Habs Headlines: Sprinting for the playoffs Montreal Canadiens news and notes * Defensive details are the name of the game as the Habs prepare for the home stretch. [Sportsnet] * Oliver Kapanen and Alexandre Texier insist that Milan is now firmly in the rear-view mirror. [La Presse] * Kapanen left Italy with a medal and a ton of experience to use going forward. [Radio-Canada | Montreal Gazette] * Cayden Primeau only has good things to say about new Canadiens goaltender coach Marco Marciano. [La Presse] * Is Jordan Binnington what the Canadiens need in goal? [Daily Faceoff] * What should one expect from Jakub Dobes and Samuel Montembeault going forward? [RDS | Montreal Gazette] * What can the team do with Patrik Laine? [RDS] Around the league and elsewhere * The Colorado Avalanche have traded Samuel Girard and a second-rounder to the Pittsburgh Penguins for Brett Kulak. [TSN] * The Avalanche paid a premium for the ex-Hab and Oiler defender. [The Athletic | ESPN] * What does each Atlantic Division team need at the trade deadline? [Daily Faceoff] * Mikko Rantanen will be out for at least two weeks. [Sportsnet] * Aleksander Barkov, on the other hand, eyes a possible return. [Sportsnet] * Jonathan Toews says that he’s not going anywhere at the Trade Deadline. [The Athletic] * Barkov also made a “seven-figure” donation to Joe DiMaggio Children’s Hospital in Hollywood, Florida. [Miami Herald] * Is Gavin McKenna once again the consensus choice for number one overall? [La Presse] * Attorneys for the man accused of killing NHL star Johnny Gaudreau and his brother, Matthew, in a 2024 car crash made another bid this week to have charges against their client dismissed. [The Athletic | Columbus Dispatch] * Marc-André Fleury will be inducted into the QMJHL Hall of Fame. [RDS] * IIHF President Luc Tardif says 3-on-3 overtime is here to stay. [TSN] * NHL officials: incompetent, but not biased. This, and other insights on the Olympics from a Finnish perspective. [Jatkoaika (Finnish)] * 8.7 million Canadians watched the end of the men’s Olympic gold-medal hockey game. [CBC] * The success of the 2026 Olympic hockey tournament puts Gary Bettman and the NHL owners’ decision to stay away for two Olympiads in a bad light. [Radio-Canada] * Two youths have been formally charged with sexual assault in Nova Scotia after a hockey hazing. [CTV News]

Wednesday Habs Headlines: Sprinting for the playoffs

25.02.2026 09:15 — 👍 0 🔁 0 💬 0 📌 0

Welcome to PuckTalk MTL LIVE!, where we break down the biggest issues facing the Montreal Canadiens as the playoff race heats up. In this episode, Coach tackles a tough question: Is the Canadiens’ defense holding them back? With the push toward the 2026 NHL Playoffs, defensive structure, puck management, and consistency have never been more important. He'll analyze the Habs’ defensive zone coverage, gap control, breakout efficiency, and transition play to uncover where breakdowns are happening. Are missed assignments, slow reads, and poor puck retrievals costing Montreal momentum? Is the blue line built for playoff hockey, or does it need tactical adjustments? We also dive into defensive pairings, goaltending support, and how system tweaks could stabilize performance down the stretch. For Montreal Canadiens fans, this LIVE episode offers an honest evaluation of what must improve to compete in playoff-style games. For NHL and hockey fans, we explore how elite defensive structure often separates contenders from pretenders in the postseason. Join the chat, share your takes, and be part of the debate as we discuss solutions, accountability, and what it will take for the Habs to tighten up defensively. If you’re searching for Habs defensive analysis, Canadiens playoff strategy, or in-depth NHL breakdowns, this is the conversation you don’t want to miss. 🔥 LIKE, COMMENT & SUBSCRIBE for daily Habs coverage, NHL playoff analysis, and smart hockey talk on PuckTalk MTL! 0:00 - Show Start 1:27 - The Bench Boss Breakdown - Avoiding Grade A Chances 6:18 - Giving Up The Wrong Kind Of Shots 9:36 - Fewer Defensive Zone Turnovers 13:50 - PK Needs Teeth (Be More Aggressive!) 17:26 - The D Needs To Shelter Their Goalies More! 20:14 - Keep D Pairing Consitently Together (No Shuffling) 22:00 - D Needs to Pick Their Sports To Pinch Better 23:52 - Why Laine Was Practicing On Defense... #Habs #GoHabsGo #NHL #Hockey #IceHockey #CH #HockeyVLog In every episode, Kosta Papoulias takes a deep dive into the latest Montreal Canadiens news involving Ivan Demidov, Patrik Laine, Juraj Slafkovsky, Josh Anderson, Cole Caufield, Nick Suzuki, Kirby Dach, Joe Veleno, Jake Evans, Zach Bolduc, Brendan Gallagher, Alex Newhook, Oliver Kapanen, Habs Defencemen, Arber Xhekaj, Kaiden Guhle, Sam Montembeault, Lane Hutson, Jayden Struble, Alex Carrier, Mike Matheson, Noah Dobson, Jakub Dobes, Jacob Fowler, Kent Hughes, Martin St Louis. Dans chaque épisode, Kosta Papoulias analyse en profondeur les dernières nouvelles des Canadiens de Montréal concernant Ivan Demidov, Patrik Laine, Juraj Slafkovsky, Josh Anderson, Cole Caufield, Nick Suzuki, Kirby Dach, Joe Veleno, Jake Evans, Zach Bolduc, Brendan Gallagher, Alex Newhook, Oliver Kapanen, Habs Defencemen, Arber Xhekaj, Kaiden Guhle, Sam Montembeault, Lane Hutson, Jayden Struble, Alex Carrier, Mike Matheson, Noah Dobson, Jakub Dobes, Jacob Fowler, Kent Hughes et Martin St Louis. Please Click to Subscribe / Veuillez cliquer pour vous abonner: https://bit.ly/mtlhockeytalk The Canadiens’ Defense Is Holding Them Back… Here’s Why ! PuckTalk MTL LIVE!

The Canadiens’ Defense Is Holding Them Back… Here’s Why ! PuckTalk MTL LIVE! #Habs #GoHabsGo #MontrealCanadiens

25.02.2026 02:55 — 👍 0 🔁 0 💬 0 📌 0

Tuesday Habs Headlines: Closing Thoughts Montreal Canadiens News and Notes * Jaromir Jagr liked how the players from the Czech Extraliga played, but also expressed particular praise for Juraj Slafkovský. [Sport.sk] Around the League and Elsewhere * Mikko Rantanen will miss time for the Stars after the Olympics. [TSN] * Likewise, the Jets will be missing Josh Morrissey. [TSN] * Nazem Kadri isn’t looking for an out, but it seems likely that his time in Calgary is coming to an end. [Sportsnet] * The Jets aren’t surprised by Connor Hellebuyck’s golden performance. [CBC] * The regular season is likely to hit the ground running after the Olympic break as the playoff race heats up. [Sportsnet | Montreal Gazette] * Sidney Crosby, Auston Matthews, and a final discussion of the Olympics. [Sportsnet] * The success of Olympic coverage in Inuktitut, particularly of hockey, has been a growing success in multiple ways. [Radio-Canada]

Tuesday Habs Headlines: Closing Thoughts

24.02.2026 09:15 — 👍 1 🔁 0 💬 0 📌 0

Welcome back to PuckTalk MTL, your home for detailed Montreal Canadiens analysis, NHL strategy breakdowns, and playoff-focused hockey discussion. In this episode, Kosta takes a deep dive into the Habs’ attack in “Analyzing the Canadiens’ Offense: What Needs To Get TWEAKED?” and identify the key adjustments required as the push toward the 2026 NHL Playoffs intensifies. He breaks down Montreal’s offensive structure at 5-on-5, zone entries, shot quality, puck movement, and power play execution. Are the Canadiens generating enough high-danger chances? Is their cycle game effective? How can they improve puck support, net-front presence, and transition speed to become more dangerous in tight, playoff-style games? We also examine line combinations, role clarity, and whether tactical tweaks—like quicker puck retrievals or more aggressive weak-side activation—could unlock another scoring layer. For Montreal Canadiens fans, this episode delivers actionable insight into how small offensive adjustments can translate into big results during the postseason grind. For NHL and hockey fans, it’s a broader look at what separates average playoff offenses from elite, championship-caliber attacks. If you’re searching for Habs offensive analysis, Canadiens playoff strategy, or breakdowns of NHL scoring trends, this video provides smart, system-level insight. 🔥 LIKE, COMMENT & SUBSCRIBE for daily Habs coverage, NHL playoff analysis, and in-depth hockey talk on PuckTalk MTL! 0:00 - Show Start 2:50 - The Bench Boss Breakdown - Habs 5 on 5 Play 9:47 - Stop Depending On Transition Offense In The Playoffs 15:36 - The Power Play Needs Variety 21:50 - Playoff Series Are Won At The Net-Front! 26:43 - 2nd Period Shift & Line Changes Need To Remain Clean 30:09 - Define Clear Roles For Each Line #Habs #GoHabsGo #NHL #Hockey #IceHockey #CH #HockeyVLog In every episode, Kosta Papoulias takes a deep dive into the latest Montreal Canadiens news involving Ivan Demidov, Patrik Laine, Juraj Slafkovsky, Josh Anderson, Cole Caufield, Nick Suzuki, Kirby Dach, Joe Veleno, Jake Evans, Zach Bolduc, Brendan Gallagher, Alex Newhook, Oliver Kapanen, Habs Defencemen, Arber Xhekaj, Kaiden Guhle, Sam Montembeault, Lane Hutson, Jayden Struble, Alex Carrier, Mike Matheson, Noah Dobson, Jakub Dobes, Jacob Fowler, Kent Hughes, Martin St Louis. Dans chaque épisode, Kosta Papoulias analyse en profondeur les dernières nouvelles des Canadiens de Montréal concernant Ivan Demidov, Patrik Laine, Juraj Slafkovsky, Josh Anderson, Cole Caufield, Nick Suzuki, Kirby Dach, Joe Veleno, Jake Evans, Zach Bolduc, Brendan Gallagher, Alex Newhook, Oliver Kapanen, Habs Defencemen, Arber Xhekaj, Kaiden Guhle, Sam Montembeault, Lane Hutson, Jayden Struble, Alex Carrier, Mike Matheson, Noah Dobson, Jakub Dobes, Jacob Fowler, Kent Hughes et Martin St Louis. Please Click to Subscribe / Veuillez cliquer pour vous abonner: https://bit.ly/mtlhockeytalk Analyzing the Canadiens' Offense What Needs To Get TWEAKED | PuckTalk MTL

Analyzing the Canadiens' Offense What Needs To Get TWEAKED | PuckTalk MTL #Habs #GoHabsGo #MontrealCanadiens

24.02.2026 03:59 — 👍 1 🔁 1 💬 0 📌 0

Laval @ Utica recap & highlights: A listless effort ends the Rocket’s point streak After a golden morning in Italy, the Laval Rocket took the ice once again in Utica less than 24 hours after thwarting the Utica Comets in a shootout on Saturday night. Laval’s hard-fought win pushed their point streak to 10 games and opened their lead atop the AHL’s North Division to seven points before puck drop. With some bumps and bruises along with a possible illness going around the team at the end of a three-games-in-three-days stretch, there were some lineup changes for Pascal Vincent. Jared Davidson was withdrawn from the lineup as Xavier Simoneau slotted in alongside Sammy Blais and Lucas Condotta. Will Dineen drew in on the fourth line for Luke Tuch, while Josiah Didier stepped in for Nate Clurman on defence. With Jacob Fowler still under the weather, it was a third straight game for Kaapo Kähkönen in net with Hunter Jones serving as the backup. The Comets took the opening two minutes to swarm all over the Rocket inside their zone, forcing bad turnovers and keeping Kähkönen very busy. However, once the Rocket were able to break that press they instantly drew an interference call and sent the power play out to work. Laval’s man advantage got one great look as Alex Belzile found himself robbed at the back post by Nico Daws’s leg pad. Before Belzile could collect the rebound, he tripped up a Comets defender and cancelled out the power play. Neither side did much during the four-on-four to really open the game up as the first period ticked on, but the Rocket were the side growing into the contest more and were controlling more of the puck. Before long it was Laval headed back to the penalty kill as Joshua Roy got his stick tangled up in a pair of skates and headed to the box for tripping. The Rocket penalty-killers were strong again as they allowed just a single shot on net as Roy exited the box unscathed. Laval’s pressure in attack continued to cause the Comets issues as they drew two penalties in short order and earned 1:44 of five-on-three power-play time as the first period was drawing to a close. The two-man advantage yielded nothing but more frustration for the Rocket as they could not find the final pass or shot needed to get a puck by Daws. As the second penalty expired, Sean Farrell nearly jammed home a pair of chances, but the Comets’ netminder was giving up nothing as he kept the game scoreless. While the Rocket ended the first period with a firm grasp on the game, they would have to battle through the rest of the game without their top defenceman as Adam Engström left with an injury. The puck remained glued to Rocket sticks as the second period began, but for Laval they lacked the smallest bit of polish as they tried to find their first goal of the game. Florian Xhekaj continued to be a nuisance around the Comets’ net, but much like his teammates his final touch wasn’t there. Again Laval’s intense pressure drew a penalty as Belzile was cross-checked while chasing down a loose puck. With Engström out of the game, the Rocket power play became a touch more static, limiting how many chances they could generate. In fact, Laval’s best chance didn’t even count as a shot when Farrell worked into the slot to rip a shot off the crossbar. A typically strong Rocket power play came away empty-handed and with a sense of frustration starting to boil under the surface. That frustration turned into a run of penalties for the Rocket, threatening to undo what had been a domination on the shot counter for nearly 40 minutes. Blais was already being called for an offensive-zone penalty, then as tempers began to rise it spilled over into Simoneau going after a Comets player, earning himself enough penalties to put the Rocket on a four-minute penalty kill. Despite being outshot 19-7, it was the last shot the Comets generated that finally broke the deadlock. A failed clear by Tobie Bisson and Owen Beck allowed the Comets to cycle the puck back to Topias Vilen at the point. Vilen’s shot made it by the attempted block by Xhekaj and off the stick of Angus Crookshank to give Utica a 1-0 lead. Laval, now trailing by a goal, entered the second intermission with 1:31 of penalty-kill time left in the third period, and would be down a forward and defenceman for the period as well. Down by a goal to start the period, the Rocket penalty killers went on the attack as they generated multiple short-handed chances, but the stick of Daws managed to deny them once more. The intense push to start the period allowed the Rocket to kill the rest of the remaining penalty, keeping their deficit at just one goal early in the third period. Before too long, a lazy clearing pass resulted in Belzile taking a tripping penalty and putting the Rocket penalty-killers back on the ice. That deficit quickly grew to two goals, putting a suddenly struggling Rocket offence in a hole with just over 15 minutes left in regulation. As David Reinbacher charged toward the puck-carrier, he left partner Bisson on an island in front of the net. A quick pass across the crease fell to Kyle Criscuolo who put it past Kähkönen to make it 2-0. On the following shift, Roy continued what was an extremely undisciplined back half of the game as he sat for tripping. After allowing back-to-back power-play goals, the Rocket escaped Roy’s penalty with the gap at two goals and were slowly running out of time to cut into their deficit. They would again go short-handed as Blais got his stick hooked around a Utica player, handing the home side an eighth power play. With just five seconds left on the power play, a failed clear again turned into a goal against for the Rocket. A puck bounced off a skate and right to Mike Hardman who managed to sneak it by Kähkönen to make it 3-0 game, and signalled the likely end to Laval’s point streak. After surrendering power-play chances all period, the Rocket finally drew a late call in their favour, and with their goalie on the bench it turned into a six-on-four. Daws continued to stop all the shots, even with two extra players out on the ice as the Rocket could not jam a puck by the Utica goalie. Eventually, a lane opened up for Laurent Dauphin to feed Blais, and then Blais to put it across the crease for Belzile to make it a 3-1 game. There was no comeback in the cards for the Rocket beyond Belzile’s goal, however, as the Comets swept away every single rush chance the Rocket tried with Kähkönen back on the bench. The final horn sounded, and Utica snapped Laval’s 10-game point streak, and ended what had been a strong weekend on a sour note. Final Score: Utica 3, Laval 1 The Rocket will now head back home for a single game before returning to the road again next weekend. Laval will welcome the Toronto Marlies to Place Bell on Wednesday night.

Laval @ Utica recap & highlights: A listless effort ends the Rocket’s point streak

23.02.2026 11:12 — 👍 0 🔁 0 💬 0 📌 0

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