VIDEO: For the Montréal Canadiens, the season is over. The Hockey Guy analyzes what happened and what the future holds

After the Montréal Canadiens won the first two rounds of the Stanley Cup playoffs only to bow out to the Carolina Hurricanes last night, Poor Len Canayen, our National Sports (as long as it's hockey) Editor, is having trouble composing himself, let alone a post. 

Faut de mieux, he has sent along this video by The Hockey Guy, who gives an excellent analysis of what happened to the Habs, and what the future holds.

We fans of les Glorieux are disappointed, but not ashamed. We have put our sweaters and toques away until the fall, and look forward to an even better year in 2026-27. Bravo, les boyz!

It's that day again!

Happy Star Wars Day, from all of us at WWW.

Footnote added by Poor Len Canayen: 

Les Canadiens sont là! Ce soir à Tampa Bay: Habs 2 - TB Lightning 1. 

On Wednesday les Glorieux shuffle off to Buffalo! 

Is this the year the Habs bring the Stanley Cup back to Canada?

Ed. here. We welcome the return of our National Sports (As Long As It's Hockey) Editor, Poor Len Canayen.

Tank youse, Hed. The last Canadian (or Canada-based) team to win the Stanley Cup, emblematic of the championship of the National Hockey League, was the Montréal Canadiens, who brought Lord Stanley's silverware home in 1993. They defeated the Los Angeles Kings in that year's final series. 

Since then, no Canadian team has won the Cup. And no Canadian team has played in the finals since 2021, when the Tampa Bay Lightning defeated the Habs (for it was them, again) 4 games to 1.

In about 200 minutes, the same two teams will do battle again. in the first round of the Stanley Cup playoffs. They finished the 2025-26 season 2nd (Lightning) and 3rd in the Atlantic Division, behind the surprising Buffalo Sabres by a mere 2 points. Whichever team wins this round will likely meet the Sabres next. 

Who will win tonight? As I point my TV antenna towards Florida, I think of the last match between the Habs and the Bolts in the regular season. It was like the old Henny Youngman joke: I went to the fights the other night and a hockey game broke out! 

Les Glorieux gave as good as they got, and I don't think they're going to be bested in the rough stuff department tonight. I also think the Habs can compete in goal. They have the luxury of two goalies -- the two Jakes -- with save percentages of over.900. TB has only the one. 

As for scoring, Habs are better per the stats after an amazing season. How can anyone stop a power play unit consisting of Cole Caufield, Nick Suzuki, Juraj Slafkovsky, Ivan Demidov and Lane Hutson?! The question is defence. 

The loss of Noah Dobson hurts. Alexandre Carrier may be able to play, maybe not. So that puts a lot of pressure on Jayden Struble and Arber Xhekaj. They've improved greatly in the second half of the season, but can they handle 20 minutes per game? It may come to that because coach will be reluctant to give much ice time to David Reinbacher and Adam Engstrom who, IMHO, aren't yet ready for prime time yet. 

I hear you asking for a prediction. My heart tells me Habs in 7, but I wouldn't bet on it! Ed. says some blog posts end suddenly and inconclusively. This is one of them.

Memo from Poor Len Canayen to Martin St-Louis: Rest Hutson!

Ed. here. The condition of the front room of Walt's cabin in the pines when I walked in this morning was such that I doubt we're going to get anything useful out of him. Two large jars of Ma Nifkins' jellied gin -- both empty -- are not a good sign. 

So I called our National Sport (As Long As It's Hockey) Editor, Poor Len Canayen, and asked him if we could make public his memorandum to Martin St-Louis, head coach of Montréal Canadiens. He said "ben ouais", which I take as a yes. Here `tis. 

Slt Martin! St'une belle équipe là mais [Oops, forgot to turn on the translator. Ed.] but you'd better keep one eye on the rear-view mirror. We can't afford to lose two more games in a row like we did this weekend. Especially not by just one goal. (Yes, I know it was technically 4-2 on Saturday, but that fourth goal was an empty-netter so it was really 3-2)

What is to be done to make sure Boston or Ottawa don't leapfrog over us? Here's my view from the nosebleed seats.

Marty, the guys are tired, especially the rookies. Ivan Demidov, Oliver Kapanen and Lane Hutson have never played a full season in the NHL. The grind of playing 3-4 games a week, week in and week out, is getting to them. And don't forget that Hutson isn't that big -- just 5'9" and 160 lbs. You can't keep giving him big minutes -- over 20 per game -- and expect him to keep up the same torrid pace.

My advice? Rest Hutson a bit. But how to do that, absent a reliable sixth defenceman? Answer: Revamp the power play. Let Noah Dobson QB the first unit at the point for Nick Suzuki, Cole Caufield, Juraj Slavkovsky and Demidov.

Then, for the second unit, you can put Mike Matheson on the point, maybe alterenating with Hutson. Who's gonna be up front, then? Here's my counter-intuitive brilliant suggestion. Activate Patrick Laine! 

Laine's healthy (although probably a bit rusty for lack of playing time) and has been showing up for practice. Put him on the fourth line, and put him in his "office" on the power play, with Phillip Danault and/or Kapanen at centre, and Brendan Gallagher and Alexandre Texier. That's going to put a lot of pressure on Matheson to concentrate on foiling a counter-attack, but hey, he's a horse!

If  you think I'm crazy, consider that the Habs' power play went 0 for 4 against the Ducks(!) last night. The PP has got to be fixed. What's your idea?

Go Habs go!  Len

VIDEO: Canadiens hockey quiz

by Poor Len Canayen, National Sports Editor

Question: What does Jacob Fowler, the Montréal Canadiens hot rookie goaltender, have in common with Habs Hall of Fame* all-star goalies Ken Dryden, Patrick Roy, and Carey Price?

Ummmm... Can we have a clue? Who's Jacob Fowler? Ed.

Try to keep up, Hed! Jacob Fowler (born 24 November 2004) is an American professional hockey player who tends goal for la Sainte Flannelle. He was selected by the Habs in the third round, 69th overall, in the 2023 NHL entry draft, and played his first regular season game last night in the Canadiens' 4-2 victory over the Pittsburgh Penguins. Here are the RDS video highlights.

Answer: Last night Jacob Fowler became the fourth Habs goalie to play and win his first NHL game in Pittsburgh. His predecessors were Ken Dryden, Patrick Roy, and Carey Price, all of whom went on to become superstars. 

*OK, unlike Dryden and Roy, Price never had his name inscribed on the Stanley Cup, and has not yet been inducted into the Hockey Hall of Fame. But next year he's a sure-fire bet to be elected to the HHOF, on the first round of voting. For sure!

Poor Len Canayen looks at the Habs at Thanksgiving

Ed. here. It's axiomatic in the NHL that if your favourite team isn't in playoff position by the end of American Thanksgiving weekend, they're going to hit the golf links in April. Here's our National Sports (as long as it's hockey) Editor to tell us how the Montréal Canadiens are faring? Will they be in the post-season this coming spring?

Tank youse, Hed. The quick answer to your question would be "Le Canadien sera là!"... but the Atlantic Division has been so tight this season that the conventional wisdom may not hold. Only 10 points separate the first-place Tampa Bay Lightning from perennial cellar-dwellers, Buffalo Sabres.

La Sainte Flannelle are in 3rd place, the last guaranteed playoff spot in the Atlantic, with a record of 13-8-3 and 29 points, an average of .604. That's one more point than the Ottawa Senators. 

If the playoffs started tomorrow, the Habs would meet their long-time rivals, the Boston Bruins. What a match-up that would be, just like old times. But can the Canadiens hold onto their position? They were on fire in October and the first week of November, but then got hit hard by injuries and only this week seem to be pulling out of a slump. As imjured players -- Patrik Laine, Kirby Dach, Alex Newhook and Kaiden Guhle -- return... or not... coach Martin St-Louis will have to make some changes to the lineup to keep the team competitive.

Forwards: The injury to Laine turned out to be a bit of blessing, relieving the coach of the headache of figuring out what to do with him. He started on the second line with Ivan Demidov on the right and Dach in the centre. Laine scored some goals, true, but the lack of cohesion with the other two was evident and he was dropped down to fourth line before getting injured. Don't be surprised if he gets traded or sent to Laval for "reconditioning". He won't be missed.

A revamped second line centred by Newhook, with Juraj Slafkovsky and Demidov on the wing, seemed to work well until Newhook went to the infirmary. But it left the question of who to put on the first line with Cole Caufield and Captain Nick Suzuki. Recently the choice has been Zach Bolduc, who was hot for the first week of the season and then kind of disappeared. He has scored in the two most recent games but doesn't look like a top-line guy from where I sit.

Demidov, like Lane Hutson, has been a treat to watch, if maybe a bit too flashy. Just shoot the puck, eh! But the line of Slafkovsky and Demidov with Oliver Kapanen at centre is OK and will improve as Demidov improves. The 3rd-line veterans Brendan Gallagher and Josh Anderson, are getting older and slower but are doing well enough with Jake Evans between them. They'll be fine when Dach gets back.

The bad news is that the players named above are about all the Habs have up front. Centre Joe Veleno has turned out to be a dud, with one only goal and -9. Five forwards, who we'll leave nameless to protect them from embarrassment, have been called up from Laval and haven't made any appreciable difference. The Habs will be lucky to have three decent lines, once the injured recover.

Defence: Kaiden Guhle has been missed. When he was playing, either Arber Xhekaj or Jayden Struble could be left to watch from the press box and the D-corps would still be OK. Until Guhle gets back the coach has to play them both, and Xhekaj is more hindrance than help. He likes to hit, he likes to fight, and he likes to shoot the puck, albeit wildly. He has one only assist and is -6. Not a guy you can depend on to support a struggling goaltending tandem.

The other defencemen are doing as well as can be expected, perhaps better. Veteran Mike Matheson is having his best year yet and just got rewarded with a 5-year contract extension. Noah Dobson has proved to be a good acquisition and is warming to his role as quarterback of the second power-play unit. 

Alex Carrier is underrated -- unspectacular but reliable. Lane Hutson is the opposite, although I don't want to be too critical of someone who is so much fun to watch. Look up "puck control" in the hockey dictionary and you'll see his picture. One can compare him with Demidov, but the risks that a forward take often backfire on a D-man.

Goaltenders: I left the difficult topic for the last. In October we were full of hopes for Jakub Dobeš, and full of disappointment with Samuel Montembault  In his first three starts,  Dobeš has a GAA of 1.0, and looked likely to take the starter's spot, leaving Monty as the backup. Now the goalies, instead of being 1A and 1B, look more like 2A and 2B. Help!

Dobes is 8-3-2 with a GAA of 3.22 and a save percentage of 0.888, Montembault's numbers are 5-5-1, 3.49 and 0.864. How caN a team with that kind of goaltending be in third place in their group, with a differential of -3? Beats me! I can only say that if they're going to make the playoffs, the Habs will need to find another goalie.

Kaapo Kähkönen, down in Laval, has never in his NHL career been much more than a backup goalie. The hot prospect is Jacob Fowler, who's been on a tear with the Rocket. But... he's in the first year of a 3-year entry-level contract, and he's supposed to play in Laval until his skills are fully developed! Can Montréal take the risk of bringing him up to the big club too soon? Or could he prove to be the next iteration of goalie superstar Ken Dryden? Stay tuned.

Note from Ed.: We regret that space does not permit us to conclude with Poor Len's prediction. 😉 Watch this space.

Poor Len analyzes Canadiens' first 6 games

Ed. here. Walt is still in Canada. I suspect he is indulging in Boneshaker IPA with our National Sports Editor, Poor Len Canayen, who has send these comments on the Montréal Canadiens season, thus far. 

Tank youse, Hed. Let's start with stats. Following last night's loss to the New York Rangers -- which the Habs deserved, by the way -- they have registered 4 wins and 2 losses, for 8 points and a .667 average.

That's good for second place in the Atlantic Division, behind the much improved Detroit Red Wings, who also have 8 points but have a game in hand. 

If la Sainte Flannelle can maintain the .667 average through the season, they should wind up with 109 point and a berth in the playoffs. 

But I did say "if".

The 2025-26 Canadiens are fast and super-exciting to watch, especially when Lane Hutson and Ivan Demidov. Yet, of the four games they won, they had to come from behind to win two in overtime. And the power play still hasn't hit top gear. Last night, Cole Caufield and Nick Suzuki extended their point streaks to five games. Caufield sniped five goals in the first five games.

Noah Dobson scored his first goal in a Habs sweater and has fitted in nicely. After scoring three goals in each of the first three games, Zach Bolduc has gone a bit quiet but looks like a good acquisition. Kirby Dach appeared to have shaken off the rust, but is still injury-prone, missing last night's game with a lower-bodyinjury, as did Kaiden Guhle, who's going to be out for a month.

If the Habs are to sustain their early momentum, some tweaks must be made, not to the strategy of coach Martin St-Louis, but to the lineup. The power play has struggled. Too much passing and not enough presence4 in front of the enemy's net. How about putting Demidov on the right and dropping Juray Slavkovsky down to second, with Dach at centre and, say, Bolduc at left. 

Notice I didn't mention Patrik Laine? Apart from some time on the power play, he's been relegated to the fourth line, where, if he doesn't do much good, at least does little harm. Did anyone else note that while he sat out of last night's game (lower body injury, they said), Jonathan Marchessault was absent from the Nashville Predators lineup vs Winnipeg. Marchessault was showcased in Thursday night's game vs Montréal and I wonder if a trade for Laine is in the works. Marchessault would love to be at home in Québec and It would be a great deal for the Habs.

Then there's the goaltending conundrum. Les Glorieux have scored 21 goals in their first six games, but have allowed 18, a differential of +3. Problem: it wasn't backup goalie Jakub Dobes who allowed most of those. It was the supposed starter Samuel Montembeault. His GAA is 3.26 (sv% .857), compared with Dobes' 1.46 (.940), although the latter played in just two games. Monty's record is 2-2, while Dobes' is 2-0. Do I need to say more? [Please do. Ed.]

Hokay den, here's what dey shoujld do. Send Montembeault down to Laval for some reconditioning, and bring up hot prospect Jacob Fowler to play backup to Dobes for the next few games. See what happens.

[You seem to have a liking for goalies named "Jacob". Ed.] Yeah, well, remember Jake Allen? At the ripe old age of 35, he's still playing for the New Jersey Devils, and putting up respectable numbers. I rest my case. [I think there's still one in there that hasn't been opened. Ed.] Tank youse, Hed.

VIDEO TRIBUTE: Le regretté Ken Dryden salué par le Canadien

As our National Sports Editor, Poor Len Canayen, reported, legendary Montréal Canadiens goaltender Ken Dryden, one of the greatest of all time, passed away in early September after a long battle with cancer, at the age of 78. If you missed it, please click here to see the video tribute we posted the day after his death was announed.  

Here is the official NHL tribute video, posted at the same time.

 

And now, the video from the team's tribute shown before the season opening ceremonies at at le Centre Bell, last night.

Rest in peace, Ken. We miss you. - Walt, Poor Len [and Ed.! Ed.]

VIDEO: Poor Len reviews last night's Canadiens vs Senators game (?)

You know the old Henny Youngman joke: "I went to the fights the other night and a hockey game broke out!" Here's our National Sports (as long as it's hockey) Editor, Poor Len Canayen, with his take on last night's tilt in North America's most beautiful second-tier (state/provincial) capital.

Tank youse, Hed! Hockey fans in Québec (the city) are still pissed at Gary Bitchmann, the non-skating Jew who is czar of the so-called National Hockey League. It is he, and he alone, who stands in the way of the return of NHL hockey to Québec City, former home of the much-missed Québec Nordiques, who fell victims of wee Gary's drive to make "National" mean "American", and American only. Perhaps he's one of those behind President Trump's constant allusions to making Canada "the 51st state"?

But I digest. NHL hockey was played last night in the fine Centre Vidéotron, where the Ottawa Senators, the home team for the night, received the Montréal Canadiens in a thrilling match which delighted the multitude of Habs fans in attendance... Sens fans not so much.

       

Interviewed after the game, Habs D-man Alexandre Carrier said, "Rendu en troisième, on ne jouait plus vraiment au hockey." True enough. Between them, the teams racked up 152 penalty minutes in a fight-filled 5-0 victory for les Glorieux.

At the centre of the mêlée were the Xhekaj brothers, Arber and Florian, with two fights each. Florian fought Jan Jenik in the first period, and Arber and Jenik traded blows in the second. Then, in the third, both brothers fought on the same shift when Arber took on Zack MacEwen and Florian battled with Carter Yakemchuk near the Habs' bench. The brothers combined for 31 penalty minutes and were both ejected from the game, along with MacEwen, after those third-period fights. 

Also in the third period, Senators forward Nick Cousins was penalized for an egregious slash on tiny but terrible Canadiens rookie Ivan Demidov, who, along with Lane Hutson, put on a skating and stick-handling clinic that deserved a standing O.

For the record, the Canadiens' goals were scored by Oliver Kapanen, Patrik Laine, Alexandre Carrier, Lane Hutson and Kirby Dach, three of the goals coming on the power play. Assist went to Dach, Demidov, Hutson and Laine, as well as Alex Newhook, Mike Matheson, and Brendan Gallagher.

The victory was largely due to the fine work of the young players, but the contribution of the old pros should be noted. It was good to see Dach figure in the scoring. We hope doing so will help him regain his self-confidence. And Brendan Gallagher... what can we say except "We love ya!"

Last night was perhaps the last opportunity for players who are "on the bubble" to show that they deserve to stay with the Big Team when final cuts are made after Saturday's last pre-season game at Ottawa. Owen Beck, Joe Veleno, Samuel Blais and Zach Bolduc were present last night but did nothing in particular to help or hurt themselves.   

The best of the prospects, IMHO, was Kapanen, whose goal last night was the icing on the cake of a strong performance. My money's on him to be in the starting line-up for the first regular season game, along with maybe Beck. The season opener is October 8th, at Toronto.

We leave you with a pic from last night's game: Jayden Struble on top of Jan Jenik.

If you like your hockey like a good steak... bloody... this was your kind of game!

Footnote added at 1235 FMT: The blatant attempts of certain Ottawa players to inflict serious physical damage on the smaller and better Canadiens did not go unnoced by the NHL Department of Player Safety. Nick Cousins has been fined $2148.44 -- the maximum permitted under the agreement with the players -- for his vicious slash on the arm of Ivan Demidov. Hayden Hodgson was fined $2148.44 for boarding Alex Newhook. The money goes to the NHL Players Emergency Fund.

Poor Len's second look at the Montréal Canadiens,

Poor Len Canayan reports from the National Sports Desk.

Isn't it the truth I told yez, yesterday. A first-rate first line. Tic-tac-toe. Two goals in the Habs' 4-2 victory over the Phlyers of Philthydelphia. [Don't make me use Spellcheck! Ed.] After that, a brother act to watch, and not much else. 

For those who missed it, here are Canada's team's scoring plays: 

1) Less than a minute into the first period, Cole Caufield from Lane Hutson and Nick Suzuki. Tic-tac-toe. Beautiful.

2) Florian Xhekaj, his first NHL goal, causing his mom, watching from the stands, to cry tears of joy for Arber's little brother. 

Ty Thorpe and Luke Tuch assisted. Both were engaged throughout and deserve a serious look to remain with the big club.

3) Nick Suzuki from Juraj Slafkovský and Cole Caufield. Good on Slafkovský for coming back from a nasty slap to the yap, and showing signs of being ready to start playing seriously before mid-season.

4) Arber Xhekaj, into an empty net in the last minute of play... on the second try!

That's just about all ye need to know, except that Arber Xhekaj is going to wind up as the seventh defenceman unless he can learn to keep his temper under control and pick his spots more carefully. In the third period, with the score 3-1 Habs, he was tripped in the Flyers corner, drawing a penalty. But then, right under the eys of the refugee, he skated up behind the penalized player and gave him a shot in the back, hoping to start a fight. The Phlyer didn't bite.  Result: 2 minutes for the Flyer and 4 minutes for roughint to Xhekaj, and a power play goal for Philly.

Jakub Dobes played goal for les Glorieux for the first half of the game and looked solid. His replacement for the second 30 minutes was the much-travelled Kaapo Kähkönen, a UFA who signed with the Habs from one year in July. About ten seconds after he took his position between the pipes, he got scored on. He looked even worse, on the Flyers' second goal, just a few minutes later. 

He redeemed himself (partially) with a good sprawling stop on a breakaway later, but let's just say that he's in no danger of being called on during the regular season unless Sam Montembault, Jakub Dobes and Jacob Fowler all get sick or hurt on the same day Sorry, Kaapo.

Afterthought: Who told Lane Hutson that he's a defenceman? With his speed, skating, stick-handling and playmaking skills, plus a decent shot, and considering his diminutive size, shouldn't he be playing on a forward line? Mind you, he effectively plays a forward's role when he quarterbacks the power play, but still... 

Further reading (great minds think alike dept.): "Observations et impressions après deux matchs préparatoires", par Richard Labbé, La Presse, 24/9/25.

Poor Len's first look at the 2025-2026 Montréal Canadiens

Our National Sports (as long as it's hockey) Editor, Poor Len Canayen, was thrilled yesterday to find that RDS is carrying all the Montréal Canadiens pre-season games. Here's how he saw last night's match with the Pittsburgh Penguins.

Thank youse, Hed. For an exhibition game, last  night's contest was good, entertaining hockey, and le bleu, blanc et rouge won 2-1 in a 5-round shootout. That said, one would have thought that the supposedly improved Habs could do better against a Pittsburgh team that rested Crosby, Malkin, Letang and its other top players. The narrow victory doesn't inspire confidence.

Preliminary indications are that the Habs, in spite of strengthening their defensive corps over the summer, remain a team with just one good line. They rested Cole Caufield, Jury Slavkovsky, and captain Nick Suzuki, as well as ace-to-be defenceman Lane Hutson, leaving fans wondering who could be counted on to score. 

Answer: no-one. The Habs' goals came Owen Beck and, in the shoot-out, Oliver Kapanen, both of whom played a couple of games with the team last season and failed to impress. Give Beck his due, though. He was 70% at the faceoff dot, had 4 shots, and deserved the first star. He played the kind of game he needed to have a shot at filling the only available (on paper) vacancy on the forward lines.

Another forward with a shot, albeit a long one, is Filip Mesar, who played on Beck's right last night. With Laval last year, he had a disappointing 18 points in 42 games. But he made his presence felt yesterday, showing good puck control and patience, as well as willingness to get into the dirty areas, à la Brendan Gallagher. It was he who began the sequence that led to Beck's third-period goal. 

It was nice to see Mesar trying to show some finesse, for he had declared at the rookie training camp that he wanted to show more meanness, and was willing to drop the gloves, although at 5'10" and 184 lbs he's far from the heavyweight class. "We're not looking for a new Chris Nilan," said Coach Martin St-Louis. "You can see he's got good hands and good intelligence. His game has matured, and that's good to see."

And then there was the guy the fans came to see, Ivan Demidov. The problem with him, it says here, is that he needs someone to play with. Last night he was on the right of Jake Evans, not a top centre, with Patrik Laine on the left. I won't riff on Laine for being lazy because in the pre-season one doesn't expect the established players to give their all. Still, he could have done more than take one shot and then go into flotation mode.

It was Demidov who brought the Habs to life in the third period. Tired of waiting for someone to pass the puck to him, he showed that he can keep the puck out of reach of any defender, making moves which decades ago would have been described as "Savardian". He did have a couple of shots but was a bit off-target on one and foiled by the Penguins goalie on the other. No worries about his future with the "A" team. Just please, please put him on a line with a good centre and a mates who like to be part of tic-tac-toe  plays.

And that's it except to say that Jacob Fowler, making his debut between the pipes, looked calm and collected, and pulled off one spectacular save to preserve the tie and force overtime. I could see the coach going with a three-goalie rotation (with Samuel Montembault and Jacub Dobes) for the first 10 or15 games, before deciding which two will be the regular goaltenders. Is it possible to have a Jake as a starter and another Jake as the backup?

VIDEO: Habs' captain Nick Suzuki gives first interview en français

Ed. here. We welcome back our National Sports (as long as it's hockey) Editor, Poor Len Canayen. His notes on last night's exhibition game between the Montréal Canadien and the Pittsburgh Penguins will be posted later today, but first this salute to Habs captain Nick Suzuki, who on Friday gave his first television interview in French. 

There was a time, long ago [Len writes] when giving an interview in la langue de Moliere was no biggie for a captain of les Glorieux, because he would have been a francophone -- native Canadian French speaker. But in the 21st century NHL, the Flying Frenchmen are lucky to have even half a dozen French-Canadian players. I can remember a couple of years back when David Desharnais was voted the fans favourite francophone players, and commented, "Hey, I yam de only one!"

All the same, there is a certain expectation that he who wears the "C" should learn the language, sooner or later. Since being named the youngest captain in franchise history three years ago at age 23, Nick Suzuki has embraced the role, and shown his understanding of the history and character of la Sainte Flannelle. Here's his interview with Félix Séguin of TVA Sports.  

Believe it or not, this is the first time a Canadiens captain had been interviewed in French since Vincent Damphousse -- a francophone -- more than 25 years ago. Suzuki is the first English-speaking captain to learn French and do an interview in that language since Bob Gainey, who felt it was his duty to learn French and taught himself. 

Fellow Canadiens Hall of Famers Larry Robinson and Ken Dryden also learned French. The Pittsburgh Penguins' Sidney Crosby learned to speak French during his two seasons playing for the QMJHL’s Rimouski Océanic and Suzuki spoke with him about it when the two captains were together recently in Las Vegas for an NHL media event.  “He said he didn’t really have much of a choice when he was playing junior... He said all the bus rides they watched French movies and he'd watch them with the guys."

There are language zealots on both sides of the Two Solitudes and Suzuki will never make everyone happy. But he should be applauded for taking a big first step. Il a gagné ses épaulettes!

VIDEO: Tribute to Ken Dryden, RIP

Further to Poor Len Canayen's commentary, posted earlier today... From his iconic stance to his lightning-fast reflexes, the Montréal Canadiens' Ken Dryden's unique goaltending technique stunned the greatest hockey players and revolutionized the best game of all. Our good friends at Blazing Cat Fur have found and reposted this excellent video showing the historic moment that changed hockey forever.   

Ken Dryden, Canadiens' legend, RIP

Ed. here. It is less than a month until the opening of the National Hockey League's 2025-26 hockey season. We expect Poor Len Canayen's preview about two weeks from now, but have had to call on him today in the sad circumstances which he will now relate. Over to you, Len.

Tank youse, Hed. It is my sad duty to report to fans of the world's best sport, and the Montréal Canadiens in particular, that Ken Dryden, one of the best goaltenders of all time has died, after a long battle with cancer, at the age of 78.

Ken burst on the scene late in the 1970-71 season, when the Canadiens called him up from their Halifax AHL affiliate to lead the underdog Habs to one of the greatest upsets in hockey history. Phil Esposito and Bobby Orr led the Boston Bruins that year to one of the best regular seasons in NHL history but Montreal took them out in a seven-game semi-final series. 

He won the Conn Smythe trophy as MVP after les Glorieux beat Chicago in the final in seven games. He went on to win the Calder Cup as rookie of the year in the following season, and six Stanley Cups in his eight seasons with Montréal.

He and Tony Esposito backstopped Canada to that improbable win over the Soviet national team in 1972. He said after the series that during the eighth and final game, in which Canada trailed 5-3 before coming back to win, he feared waking up the next day and being the most hated man in Canada. 

After hanging up his skates, Dryden went on to practise law before being elected to the Canadian House of Commons as Member of Parliament for the Toronto riding of York Centre.an MP. He was also, briefly, President of the Toronto Maple Leafs, but his heart was always in Montréal.

In 1983 he authored The Game, widely acknowledged as the best hockey book ever written. The Game is a reflective and thought-provoking look at a life in hockey, capturing the essence of the sport and what it means to all hockey fans. Dryden gives us vivid and affectionate portraits of the characters --Guy Lafleur, Larry Robinson, Guy Lapointe, Serge Savard, and coach Scotty Bowman among them --that made the 1970s Habs one of the greatest hockey teams in history. 

Geoff Molson, le propriétaire et président du Tricolore, a décrit Dryden comme "un athlète exceptionnel, mais aussi un homme d’exception. Derrière le masque, il était plus grand que nature.

"Nous pleurons aujourd’hui non seulement la perte d’un pilier d’une des plus grandes dynasties du hockey, mais aussi celle d’un homme de famille, d’une personne attentionnée et d’un gentilhomme qui a profondément marqué nos vies et nos communautés à travers les générations. Il était de ces légendes qui ont façonné notre Club pour en faire ce qu’il est aujourd’hui."

The Montreal Gazette’s Red Fisher, called the Hall of Famer "one of the truly great goaltenders in Canadiens history." On wishing Ken Dryden a happy 65th birthday, Mr Fisher wrote, "Dryden, a winner of 258 of his 397 regular-season games (2.24 goals-against average) and 112 playoff games (80 victories) who started his NHL career with a 5-1 victory over the Pittsburgh Penguins in 1971. And who can forget that after playing in only six regular-season games, Dryden was GM Sam Pollock’s stunning choice over Rogie Vachon to start in the playoffs against the heavily favoured Boston Bruins.

"Dryden didn’t merely contribute to this team winning the Stanley Cup that year – in seven games against the Bruins, in six against Minnesota and in a seven-game final against the Chicago Blackhawks. They would not have won it without him in a string of postseason performances for the ages – with the Canadiens winning all of the series-deciding games on the road. 

"There are so many reasons why he was a member of six Stanley Cup teams in eight seasons. He had the size. He had the hockey sense. He had the passion. So many reasons why he was so special, not the least of which was – and is – his massive intellect. 

"You don’t lead your team to the Stanley Cup and win the Conn Smythe Trophy after only six regular-season games unless the goaltender is your most valuable player. This team was blessed with a number of great stars, but throughout his brief career he was my MVP. And make no mistake about it: he was also the players’ most valuable player. They, better than anyone else, understood what he was made of and what he meant to the team."

A glowing tribute indeed, and well-deserved. Comparing himself to Carey Price, a guaranteed first-ballot Hall of Famer, Ken Dryden said he (Dryden) was a good goaltender who was fortunate to have an excellent team in front of  him, whereas Price was an excellent goaltender playing behind a good team.

It is noteworthy, that through good times and tough times, winning and losing, la Sainte Flannelle has resisted the temptation to employ foreign goaltenders. All their greats have been Canadians, and many of those canadiens. One thinks of Patrick Roy, Jacques Plante, and, of course, Georges Vézina, who started their tradition of excellence. One hopes that Ken Dryden will smile down on young Samuel Montembault as he carries the torch passesd to him.

VIDEO: Congrats to Lane Hutson, winner of the 2024-5 Calder Trophy!

Ed. here. Instead of the usual drivel, we are pleased to turn this space over to our National Sports (As Long As It's Hockey) Editor, Poor Len Canayen, for a long-awaited announcement.

Tank youse, Hed. All of us at WWW, and Habs fans worldwide, are beyond please to congratulate Montréal Canadiens defenceman Lane Hutson, on winning the 2024-25 Calder Trophy as the NHL’s rookie of the year. 

Yes! we have video to show why he easily topped the voting for the coveted award.

 

Hutson n'est pas un gars de chez nous. He actually comes from Holland*, but we already consider him a citizen of Québec, and of Canada too. After all, he was a major reason for the surprise appearance of la Sainte Flannelle in this spring's NHL playoffs.

Hutson, selected 62nd overall by Montréal at the 2022 NHL draft, is the Canadiens’ second Calder recipient in the expansion era, after goaltender Ken Dryden (1971-72). He led rookies in scoring, with six goals and 60 assists in his inaugural NHL season.His 60 assists matched Larry Murphy (1980-81) for the most by a rookie defenceman, while his 66 points trailed only Murphy, Brian Leetch (1988-89) and Gary Suter (1985-86) for the most ever by a rookie blueliner.

We predict a great future for the diminutive defenceman who, when he's on the ice, plays twice his size. Il a gagné ses épaulettes!

* Ed. asks: Should we call him Der fliegende Holländer? Errr, no. He's from Holland MI!

Poor Len looks back at the Canadiens' surprising season

The Canadiens bowed out of the NHL playoffs last night, losing 4-1 (in that game and in the series) to the Washington Capitals. Habs fans are not too disappointed though, because nearly no-one expected them to make the playoffs, and there is much to look forward to in the 2025-26 season. Our National Sport (As Long As It's Hockey) Editor, Poor Len Canayen, grades the players' performance this year, and offers some advice to management.

Tank youse, Hed. Les Glorieux played well last night, but suffered from a couple of defensive miscues and faced a red-hot goalie at the other end. They played exciting, entertaining hockey, and that's good. And a look at the players who've participated in this series gives fans well-founded hope that they'll have a deeper playoff run next year.

Goalies:

Jakub DOBES: Rookie nerves and goes down too early, but made some nice saves and, with good coaching, should keep his position as backup goalie next year. Grade C

Samuel MONTEMBEAULT: Pulled a hamstring in Game 3 but probably couldn't have done better than Dobes last night. Has had a good solid season as he grows into his starter's position. Grade B.

Cayden PRIMEAU: Rode the pines as backup last night. Had a poor start with the big club last fall, but was best in the AHL for the remainder of the season. Still worth a look for next year. No grade.

Defence:

Alexandre CARRIER: Came to the Habs at trade deadline and played well enough to be targeted by the opposition's heaviest hitter. Wilson just about killed him in a vicious check into the boards in Game 4. Serge Savard (who knows about these things) called him the Habs' "most complete defenceman." Grade B.

Kaiden GUHLE: Missed a lot of time through injuries but came back late in the season and played well in the playoffs. Able to lead a rush, has a good shot. Grade B+.

Lane HUTSON: What can one say about this 31-year-old rookie phenom? Amazing stick-handler. Set record for most points by a rookie defenceman. Should win the Calder Trophy. Just needs to remember that he is sometimes required to play defence. [Why does he play defence, anyway? Ed.] Grade A-. 

Mike MATHESON: He's a horse, stalwart on the blue line and plays big minutes. Skates fast, shoots hard (but not always on target), key man on defence. Grade A-.

David SAVARD: Subject of many trade rumors. Strictly defence, blocks more than his share of shots, almost no presence outside of his own zone. Grade C.

Jayden STRUBLE: Solid stay-at-home defenceman but when the chips are down you wish for someone who brings a little more grit. Grade C.

Arbere XHEKAJ: Watched a lot of games from the press box because indiscipline causes costly penalties. Wants to shoot but needs target practice. Kept his cool against Washington, thus probably keeps his job as #6, over Struble. Grade C. 

Forwards:

Josh ANDERSON: Most improved player on the roster, IMHO. Skates faster than I remember, fearsome on the rush, not afraid to fight, never gives up. If only he had an accurate shot. A team leader. Grade A-.

Joel ARMIA: Another subect of trade rumors. Not as strong as last year but teliable on 4th line, and very good on the PK. Grade C. 

Cole CAUFIELD: The little ball of fire had a career-high season, good playoff series after regaining his position at the left dot. Pint size makes him weak on defence. Gotta love him though! Grade A-.

Kirby DACH: Who? Injuries kept him out of the lineup since December (?). Had same fragility problem the year before. Should hang up his skates for good. No grade.

Ivan DEMIDOV: KHL superstar joined the Habs just in time for the playoffs. Just watching him skate and stick-handle is a true pleasure. Had a couple of good looks vs Washington but inexperience playing big, tough guys showed. Will take only a little more seasoning to star with les Glorieux. Grade B.

Christian DVORAK: Sleep-walked through first half of the season before settling into a role as go-to faceoff guy. Has trouble staying on his feet, and hands of stone. Probably still worth keeping. Grade B-.

Jake EVANS: A 4th-liner who sometimes looks like he should play higher in the lineup. Good on the PK, sometimes good for a short-handed goal. A keeper. Grade B-.

Brendan GALLAGHER: Still the heart and soul of la Sainte Flanelle, and had a better season than the previous. Takes a lickin' and keeps on tickin'. Grade B.

The three non-Canadians in this next group are all trade bait, IMHO:

Emil HEINEMAN: Swede. Got the only goal in last night's game but, in spite of his size, generally a non-factor in the games he played in the regular season and in the playoffs. Doesn't get a lot of ice time, and there's a reason for that. Grade C-.

Oliver KAPANEN: Read paragraph on Heineman. Rinse and repeat except for the part about getting a goal. Grade D.

Patrik LAINE: You'd think a Finn would be tougher, but Laine's always pleading illness or injury. Probably never fully recovered from a substance abuse problem. Has a good shot from his "office" at the left dot, but doesn't pass much, doesn't play defence. Lazy. Grade C.

Alex NEWHOOK: Hey, you don't get a pass just because you're a Canadian. Newhook is very speedy, often splits the defence, but then...  nothing happens. "Going nowhere fast!" Doesn't pass, shoots wide more often than not. Grade C.

Michael PEZZETTA: An "energy player" at best. Said to be a good guy in the room. Still on the roster because there has to be a backup if anyone gets injured. Didn't play enough to get a grade. 

Jury SLAFKOVSKY: An enigma. Big guy, good skills. But would his stats look as good if he didn't play with Suzuki and Caufield? Is a puzzlement. What would it take to get him to play with more intensity? Grade B.

Nick SUZUKI: There's a reason why he wears the "C" on his chest. There's nothing he can't do and doesn't do. This season was his best ever, and that's saying something. Grade A. Captain Nick, we wish you many more years!

Advice to Kent Hughes: Take whatever you can get to let some other team deal with Laine's problems. Lose the Swedes; maybe Toronto would like them. Keep Dvorak and Evans unless you can get an equal or better replacement. Prioritize finding a replacement for Savard, who played his last game last night. Tell coach to take time developing Hutson and Demidov. Don't ask too much too soon. And don't make any decisions on goaltending until you've seen Jacob Fowler. 

All in all, the Canadiens had a suprisingly good year. Next year is almost guaranteed to be even better!

Yes! The Habs made the playoffs!

Earlier this month we asked "Are the Habs going to make the playoffs?" Instead of making a prediction, we reposted an article by Brian Wilde in which he said the Canadien rebuild was coming along just fine, but... didn't answer the question.

This morning we are pleased to report that the answer is a big, fat YES / OUI!  For the first time in four years, les Glorieux have earned that nickname, clinching an NHL playoff berth -- second wild card spot in the Eastern Conference -- with a 4-2 win over the Carolina Hurricanes at Le Centre Bell last night.

The last time the Canadiens made the playoffs in 2021, they advanced all the way to the Stanley Cup final before losing to the Tampa Bay Lightning. But that was the COVID-19 shortened season when teams only played 56 regular-season games and the Canadiens had a 24-21-11 record, which ranked 18th in the overall NHL standings. 

The Habs' first home playoff game this year will be the first post-season game at a full Bell Centre since April 20, 2017, when they lost 3-2 in overtime to the New York Rangers in Game 5 of a first-round series. The Canadiens were eliminated in Game 6 two nights later at Madison Square Garden, losing 3-1 to the Rangers. The only member of the Canadiens who played in that series against the Rangers who is still with the team is Brendan Gallagher, the little warrior. 

Walt will be seeing Poor Len Canayen (our National Sport As Long As It's Hockey Editor) over the Easter weekend and will consult with him before opening a book. Odds of la Sainte Flanelle advancing past the first round are likely to be long. However, with another little warrior, Lane Hutson, continuing to amaze the opposition, and yet another, Ivan Demidov, joining the ranks just this week... 

But wait, there's more. Captain Nick Suzuki emerged this season as one of the top three centres in the entire league. And yet another little warrior, Cole Caufield, had a career-high 37 goals and 70 points, playing in all 82 games. With guys like that hitting peak performance this month, les Canadien seront là!

How are the Habs doing? Are they going to make the playoffs?

While we wait for the shoes -- the Trump tariffs -- to drop, let's talk hockey. 

Last night's game between the Stanley Cup champion Florida Panthers and our beloved Montréal Canadiens was a real thriller. With 10 seconds left on the clock, Habs captain Nick Suzuki scored to lift les Glorieux into a 2-2 tie. Then he did it again at 30 second of the OT, et les boyz ont remporté la victoire, 3 à 2. Olé, olé, olé!

At this point we'd turn this space over to Poor Len Canayen, our National Sports (as long ss it's hockey) Editor, but Len is on sabbatical or something like that, so we're taking the liberty of posting a mash-up of Global TV's Brian Wilde's "Call of the Wilde", which says everything that Len would have said, only better. [And with no run-on sentences. Ed.] Thanks, Brian!

With nine games to play and six at home, the Montréal Canadiens have the advantage for the final playoff spot in the Eastern Conference. The opportunity is in front of them, but they have to keep executing. 

Every night is Lane Hutson Night. The assault on the record book continues. He's a point-per-game player since the Four Nations break. Hutson notched an assist on the first goal for the Canadiens on a deflection from Josh Anderson. That line was a handful and the best on the night for Montreal. 

Hutson now has 57 assists in his rookie season. He has moved ahead of Chris Chelios for second in assists all-time for a rookie defender. He trails only Larry Murphy for assists for a rearguard rookie in the history of the National Hockey League. Murphy had 60 assists. Three in eight games for the tie. 

Hutson's 62 points overall is also top-ten in the history of the game for rookie defenders. He could conceivably rise to third overall at his present pace. It must be stressed again that the entire top-15 list is from an era where the average goal total in a contest was 11 or 12; not six or seven goals.

The best this century before Hutson was Quinn Hughes with 53 points on 45 assists. Hutson has obliterated the best numbers in the last 25 years of rookies on the blue line. Hutson is remarkable. They might just scout differently. this kid is so special. 

Smaller players with world-class vision and creativity might not be treated like they will never make the major leagues. What doesn't get enough attention as he makes his meteoric rise to the upper echelon in the history of the game is he is improving tremendously in his own zone as well. 

The Canadiens are in the mix for a playoff spot, and Hutson is, without a doubt, the single biggest change to this roster from last season. Nick Suzuki is having his best campaign. Cole Caufield has had a strong season. Juraj Slafkovsky has had an excellent second half. The Dvorak line is giving the opposition fits these days. Brendan Gallagher is playing the best hockey he has played in years, and Christian Dvorak's best moments as a Canadiens player are right now.

The fourth line had their remarkable run when they were best in the league in goals at one point for a fourth line. On defence, Jayden Struble has improved. Kaiden Guhle is improving still. Alexandre Carrier was a great addition via trade. 

However, all of those reason pale in comparison to the difference Hutson has made to this team in five months. He is just getting started. There are times that it is apparent that he will be even better than this when he sees how much he can actually fool the opposition. They have seen what he can do. They have adapted to him as well as they can. He still is playing chess to their checkers.The rebuild is going just fine, Montréal! 

Poor Len Canayen reviews the Canadiens' season to date

We haven't heard from our National Sports (As Long As It's Hockey) Editor since the beginning of the NHL season, so it's high time for Poor Len Canayen to address the current state of the CH (Montréal Canadiens) nation. Over to you, Len...

Tank  youse, Hed. First the standings and stats. We are now almost half-way into the 2024-5 season -- 37 games played -- and les Glorieux are in 6th place in the Eastern Division, with 17 wins, 17 losses, and 3 overtime losses, good for 37 points and a points percentage of .500.

That's not good enough to make the playoffs, but after a poor start in October and November, last month was encouraging. Les Boys are on a 3-game win streak, and have won an amazing 5 out of their last 6. New Year's Eve's 3-2 comeback win over the Golden Knights warmed the cockles of my heart. [If they're still too warm, try rubbing them with ice. Ed.]

To what or whom should we attribute the change in the Canadiens' fortunes? Let's see... 

Goal - Cayden Primeau had his chance to provie that he was a reliable backup to Sam Montembeault. Turned out he wasn't, so Primeau is now back in the AHL, where he belongs. Knowing that his position as the starter is safe seems to have increased Monty's confidence and he has been playing well of late.

 

Montembault doesn't have the reflexes and style of Carey Price, and still needs to make sure that he has hold of the puck when he stops it, but overall he is much improved. Jakub Dobes, called up from Laval to replace Primeau, pitched a shut-out in his first game against the Florida Panthers, and looks like a good bet for the future.

Defence - Coach Martin St. Louis tried a number of players and combinations to build a solid defence, but nothing worked, and there was talk of replacing veteran D-man David Savard, which IMHO would have been a mistake. Right-handed defencemen are hard to find. Instead. Finally they traded accident-prone Justin Barron to Nashville for another veteran, Alexandre Carrier, whose play has brought stability to the blue line.

The big news of this season, though, is rookie Lane Hutson, whose ability to skate and stick-handle made him an instant favourite of fans of the bleu-blanc-rouge. He has scored only two goals but has an incredible 24 assists. The big things about this little guy, though, is that opponents just can't take the puck away from him. Yes, he still makes rookie mistakes, and he needs to put on some weight, but the -9 beside his name isn't solely his fault.

The blossoming of Hutson may have miffed Mike Matheson, one of my personal favourites, but he should be relieved not to have to shoulder the defence burden all by himself. Two younger players, Arber Xhekaj and Kaiden Guhle, can also relax a bit and concentrate on improving their positionaql play. They'll be OK, and if not, then Jayden Struble will be happy to come down from the press box and bring his brawn with him.

Forwards - In the first two months of the season, scoring was not as big a problem for le CH as was defence. However, there was a problem with the offence, in that it was unbalanced. The team had one (only) scoring line, composed of Cole Caufield, Captain Nick Suzuki, and whoever was out there with them. The other nine forwards mostly ragged the puck until it was the Suzuki line's turn again.

That has changed. Patrik Laine, acquied from Columbus, had the bad luck to have his leg broken in his first regular season game with the Habs. The limb has mended now, and he has scored 8 goals in 13 games. It would be nice to see him score 5-on-5, but Laine has definitely earned his place. Good on yer, Patrik!

With Laine in the line-up [geddit? Ed.], Juraj Slafovsky is back on the top line, where his inability to put the puck in the net isn't as noticeable. Old pros Brendan Gallagher and Josh Anderson, with a big tip of the toque to Anderson, who has finally figured out that his strength is not as a scorer but as a defensive forward, à la Bob Gainey. Well, maybe not quite, but he has certainly moved to the "asset" side of the ledger.

Another veteran who has risen to the challenge is Joel Armia, who, with Anderson, is doing a great job on the PK. Even more surprsing is Jake Evans, who has become a star on the PK, with 3 shorties, to which he's added 7 even-strength goals, for a total of 10, tied with Gallagher as the Habs' third-highest goal producer.

Then we have Emil Heineman, who didn't do much until recently, mostly because he languishes on the 4th line and doesn't get a lot of ice time. But this month he's played hard, determined to move up the roster, and has 9 goals to show for it.

Finally, Kirby Dach, Christian Dvorak, and Alex Newhook, all of whom YVT would be glad to see traded for a bag of pucks or whatever GM Kent Hughes could get. Except... this month Dach sudde4nly started scoring. Perhaps it's playing with Laine that did it? Newhook has been getting some looks on the power play, and it must be said that he does try hard. 

Dvorak has hands of stone and never seems ready when someone passes the puck to him. But he is one of the Habs' top two at the faceoff dot (Evans is the other), and is a tough guy to play against. The last mention in this review goes to resident tough guy Michael Pezzetta, who hasn't been seen on the ice since... I can't remember. The Canadiens have been lucky, so far, in not having any serious injuries, except for Laine. When the time comes, as it will, Pezzetta will be there.

Prognosis: It would be nice to predict a 4th-place finish for la Sainte Flannelle, but I just can't. If Ottawa folds (as I predict), the Habs will finish 5th in the Atlantic. Playoffs next year. Lifetime pct .987.

BREAKING: Angela Price voted for President Trump + BONUS VIDEO

Our National Sports (i.e. Hockey) Editor, Poor Len Canayen, has just sent us this FLASH. Angela Price, wife of Carey Price, Montrèal Canadiens greatest goalie of the 21st century (so far) announced in a Q&A session on her Instagram Stories page that she has already voted for Donald Trump!

But (Walt hears you ask), how come a Canuck vote in an American election? According to her bio, the Internet personality was born in Washington state, but apparently that (and being blonde) doesn't make her a Dimocrat. 

Ms Price said this week that she has "reservations" about Vice-President Kamala Harris becoming the first female President of the United States. She couldn't vote for the Cackler, she wrote, because "I have been very vocal about my support for (Robert F. Kennedy Jr.), left or right he was going to get my vote. His dedication to improving healthcare aligns with my own values, as I believe that our health is the most important issue. If we do not address the rising rates of chronic disease, everything else becomes insignificant. We owe it to our children to fight for this." 

She continued, "While I do believe that Trump would be a strong leader for our country, I have also been impressed by Vance and his potential. As for the possibility of Kamala becoming the first female president, I have reservations. I envision our first female president as a powerful, intelligent, and capable individual who will make a lasting impact. Unfortunately, I do not believe that Kamala embodies these qualities."

Well said, Ms Price! Poor Len and all of us here at WWW look forward to seeing you and your husband and kids back at le Centre Bell when Carey's #31 is retired. Your MAGA hat will look just fine with the Bleu, Blanc et Rouge sweater!

BONUS VIDEO: It occurred to us as we looked at that fine photo that we have never before posted "The Sweater", written and narrated by Roch Carrier. The story is based on his boyhood experiences in rural Québec. Imagine his chagrin when his only Canadiens hockey sweater wears out and "Monsieur Eaton" sends him a Toronto Maple Leafs sweater by mistake! Enjoy!