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.

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.

HOCKEY VIDEOS: Brad Marchand goes off on chicken Swede

Always liked Brad Marchand, good Acadian (American readers, think "Cajun") boy from around Halifax NS. In 2018, when he was playing for the Boston Bruins, he got into hot water for licking Tampa Bay's Ryan Callahan during a heated playoff match. In this first video he explains why he did that.

He got told, really told, by the NHL not to do that kind of thing, lest people think hockey was becoming as gay as soccer. But no such warning could quell or abate the famous Marchand temper, which found other ways to express itself.

Fast forward to this past Saturday night, when the veteran Marchand, now with the Florida Panthers, absolutely loses it after a crosscheck from behind by your typical chicken Swede (h/t Don Cherry for that phrase) Rasmus Dahlin, in the match between the Panthers and Buffalo Sabres.

Dahlin turtled, afraid to take the consequences of poking the bear, and Marchand pounces on him, yanks off his (Dahlin's) helmet, then tears it apart while sitting in the sin bin.

 

Cost to Dahlin (fine imposed by the NHL Dept. of Player Safety), $5000. Entertainment value: priceless! Says Poor Len Canayen, "Wouldn't he look great in a Habs sweater?!"

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.

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!

NHL Stanley Cup finals: how come fewer Americans are watching?

Yes, it's that time of year again! We know it's spring because the Leafs are out... of the Stanley Cup playoffs. But the defending champions, the Florda Panthers, will face off in about nine hours against the Edmonton Oilers, last year's runner-ups... runners-up?... the team the Panthers beat last year. The competition will be fierce, yet fewer and fewer Americans will be watching. Our National Sports (as long as it's hockey) Editor, Poor Len Canayen, thinks he knows why.  

Tank youse, Hed! Even though la Sainte Flannelle didn't make it to the finals, Habs fans were pleased that they got through to the first round, and it was certainly no disgrace to lose to the Panthers. So I'm following the final series with interest, and am pleased to report that the quality of the games (as evidenced in Game 1) is excellent. 

The bad news is that statistics reported recently in Sports Business Journal, NHL viewership in the US of A was down 12% in the regular season, 25% in the first two rounds of the Stanley Cup playoffs and a whopping 31% in the Conference Finals. Wha hoppen?!

IMHO it's not the quality of the hockey being played, let alone the sport itself, that's to blame. The NHL is suffering from a flawed business proposition, advocated for decades now by (((Gary Bettmann))), the American lawyer who never laced on a pair of skates, yet has tenure as Commissioner (read: boss) of the National Hockey League.

From Day One, Mr Bitchman argued that the only way to grow the sport was to put teams in locales other than the US northeast. He encouraged the establishment of teams in such sun-drenched climes as Raleigh NC, Atlanta and Nowheresville AZ. 

The Atlanta franchise failed twice and was moved to Calgary. The Arizona team, which had neither a permanent home nor more than two die-hard fans (Sid and Doris Bonkers), was moved this year to Utah... Utah!... because Gary wouldn't cave to pressure to restore the Québec team which he'd moved to Colorado.

The Carolina Hurricanes, based in Raleigh, got into the playoffs and played to SRO crowds. The Florida Panthers generally attract good crowds, because their home base is in Sunrise, part of Fort Lauderdale, where the majority of residents are Canadians. 

But does anyone watch the southern teams on TV? Nah. If you lived in North Carolina or Florida or Dallas, would you want to be sitting indoors of a warm May or June evening watching hockey? Fuggedabahtit.

That NHL viewership is in decline has to do with the business of TV sports rather than the location of the teams or the quality of the games. Today's hockey telecasts are carefully produced to fill three hours of air time, even though actual playing time is just one hour!

To pad out the allotted time, each 20-minute period is interrupted by three -- count `em, 3 -- "TV timeouts", which are filled with commercials. Then there are the two 15- or 20-minute intermissions, in which a panel of progessional gabbers tell us what we've just seen. The same thing happens before we get to watch the singing of the national anthems the puck drops, and afterwards, if the game finishes early.

Whoever's responsible for these incredibly boring TV shows obviously doesn't understand the audience. Today's young people -- the millennials and gen-whatevers -- have the attention spans of mosquitoes. They won't, they can't sit still for a quarter-hour of dreck. When I saw "Virtual PK" Subban on ABC/ESPN, I nearly broke my wrist changing the channel. More about ESPN's  "colour(ed) commentator" later today.

Yes, there are still die-hard traditionalists in Canada and the northeastern states who still watch hockey on TV. But was aren't as tech savvy as the kids, and less likely to subscribe to streaming services and specialty channels like Amazon's Monday night hockey or the Bank of Nova Scotia's Wednesday night version. And we resent being asked to pay extra... or anything... for what used to be free!

Putting business and the almighty dollar -- the almighty US dollar, that is -- ahead of sport has just about killed hockey, at least on TV. Maybe that's not so bad. Hockey is best viewed (as well as played) outdoors, in sub-zero temperatures (the ice is faster, then) or at least in an old, unheated barn designated as the Soandso Memorial Arena. Hockey isn't just another "entertainment product". It's a sport!

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! 

Montréal Canadiens' October surprise!

WWW's National Sports (As Long As It's Hockey) Editor, Poor Len Canayen, does a bit of gloating.

Tank youse, Hed. It was a wonderful night au Centre Bell for fans of the Bleu, Blanc et Rouge, as the Canadiens started the 2024-25 season by shutting out the Toronto Maple Leafs 1-0. It was the first time the Laffs had lost a 1-0 season opener since 1957, when they were edged by the Blackhawks at Chicago Stadium.

Here's what may be the best hockey action picture of the year [Already? Ed.], as Juraj Slafkovsky shows off his Slavic heritage in front of Leafs' surprise starter, Anthony Stolarz, while Habs captain Nick Suzuki keeps his eye on the puck. 

Slafkovsky and Kirby "Doc" Dach assisted on the Canadiens' winning (and only) goal, scored by the inevitable Cole Caufield on a perfectly executied tic-tac-toe power play at 7:48 of the first period. It was Caufield's 150th career point in his 206th game, making him the fastest Canadien to reach that mark since Saku Koivu in 1997-98.

Goalie Sam "Monty" Montembeault looked as if his third season with the Habs might be the breakout year in which he becomes recognized as a worthy successor to Carey Price. He became the seventh Canadiens goaltender to post a shutout in a season-opening game. Jacques Plante was the only other to do it against the Maple Leafs -- twice, on 6/10/55 and 5/10/60. 

Midway through the second period, Montembeault flashed the leather with a glove save on a one-timer from the slot by Maple Leafs sniper Auston Matthews, who, along with former Hab Max Pacioretty, was booed every time he was on the ice. Monty's 47th save of the night was on another Matthews chance from the slot in the dying seconds of a great game.

So far, my prediction for this season semble pas trop pire, eh!

Poor Len Canayen looks at the Habs' chances in the coming season

Ed. here. The results in the Montréal Canadiensè first two NHL pre-season games have roused our National Sports (read: Hockey) Editor, Poor Len Canayen, from his off-season torpor, so it's over to him for his thoughts on the outlook for the 2024-25 season.

Tank youse, Hed. To be `onest, I'm not awake yet. The Canadiens' goaltending team pitched deux jeux blancs -- two shutouts -- in two nights, as la Sainte Flannelle beat Philthydelphia 5-0 on Monday night, and Jersey 3-0 last night. It must be a dream!

I just hope I don't have a rude awakening when the regular season starts in a couple of weeks. A lot of changes were made over the summer, and dreams of the Stanley Cup, or at least getting into the playoffs, fill the heads of all Habs fans.

And rightly so. The Canadiens have nailed every step of their rebuild, from the front office and head coaching hires to the draft selections and everything in between. They head into the 2024-26 season not only to put an exciting produce on the ice, but to take a big leap upward in the standings. Here are the players, old and new, to watch.

Let's start with the goaltending situation, which I worry is the big IF in my prediction of a playoff finish. Samuel Montembeault and Cayden Primeau are expected to share the duties with Montembault getting the lion's share. But is he up to being king of the jungle? He certainly looked like it last night, stopping all 11 shots he faced over the 31:28 he played. 

Primeau did equally well on Monday, but to my mind is still the perennial backup, not that there's anything wrong with that. Waiting in Laval will be Jakub Dobes and Connor Hughes, both of whom stood tall (6'4") in their debuts. If the save percentage of either Montembeault or Primeau slips below .900, Dobes or Hughes look capable of stepping up. If we can judge by just two pre-season games, Habs goaltending looks like being better than expected.

All four Montréal goalies are going to need more help than they got from last season's inconsistent defence. For some reason, GM Kent Hughes traded Jonathan Kovacevic to New Jersey, but kep the risky Justin Barron, who last year seemed unaware that his job was to defend, not carry the puck into the opposition's corner. Fortunately the Habs have exciting rookies to shore up the blueline.

Lane Hutson, the controversial Logan Mailloux, David Reinbacher and William Trudeau [no relation. Ed.] all look ready for the Big Team. Trudeau looks like a good playmaker, with two assists last night. But not all of them are going to start with the A-team. Arber Xhekaj, Jayden Struble, Kayden Guhle,  David Savard, and Mike Matheson (such a fine skater!) all have positions nailed down so that leaves just two spots to fill, out of the four above-mentioned. Looks to me like defence is not going to be the Habs' problem this year.

Their problem will be to get more scoring. There were way too many one-goal games last year, and you're never going to make the playoffs scoring 2.34 goals per game. The first line is set. Cole Caufield, Captain Nick Suzuki and Juraj Slavkovsky (all under 24!) developed great chemistry last year, and the improvement in Slavkovsky's confidence level and play was great to see. If they can keep it up this year -- and stay healtrhy too -- they'll be one of the NHL's top forward lines.

It's the next line that looks questionable. So far, Kirby Dach has been centring Alex Newhook and Patrik Laine, acquired from Columbis over the summer.  But both Dach and Newhook are natural centres -- playmakers, not scorers. Laine is supposed to be the hotshot scorer, but I see him as a rehabilitation project. He missed most of last season because of an injury and then some sort of substance abuse problem. He played over 16 minutes in the game against Philly and took five shots, none of which went in. If he can stay healthy, and off the sauce (or whatever it was), he might once again become a feared sniper. But I said "might".

There are lots of players, young and old, to make up the bottom six. Michael Pezzetta had 2 goals last night, and every team needs a gritty guy like that. Brendan Gallagher is back. He won't do much on the ice, but he'll try his best and remains an inspiration to the others. Likewise Joel Armia, invaluable on the PK.  

There's a long list of newcomers, all of whom may, with time and good coaching, rise to the top. Noted in the two pre-season games were: LW Florian Xhekaj (Arber's little brother); RW Joshua Roy, who played a couple of games late last year; C Owen Beck, very talented but only 20, needs seasoning; and LW Luke Tuch, whose name alone will give the play-by-play guys a headache.

Without going through the rest of the roster, I'll just say that there are a lot of good prospects there, including an abundance of centres and a strong contingent of gars de chez nous. Les Glorieux are  playing in the toughest division of the NHL, but I predict, with confidence, that they will have a winning season, with over 95 points, which should be just enough to get them into the playoffs. Lifetime percentage .989.

Are the Habs for real? Poor Len Canayen's mid-season report

Memo to WWW National Sports (as long as it's hockey) Editor. Len, you scum-sucking son of a motherless goat, you've got exectly ten hours to get your copy in before tonight's Habs-Oilers matchup. It's a new year and I'll be damned if you're going to draw any salary for sitting on your derrière. Vas-y!

Hokay, Hed! (Hey, you're not going to post dat, are you?) Here's my report on the Montréal Canadiens, to the half-way point in their NHL season. Thursday night's loss to the lowly San Jose Sharks. 

Final score 3-2, and that pretty much sums up the Habs season so far. Lots of one-goal games, and so many games won or lost in overtime or a shootout that I've lost count of them. 

That said, les Glorieux have won their share of those games. They rarely get blown out of the rink, and have 6 wins in overtime or a shootout. Could be worse. They've been playing roughly .500 hockey, currently .488, which is good for 6th place in the NHL's Atlantic division.  

That means -- and this is the "pleasant surprise" part -- that they're not likely to finish in a good position in the draft lottery. Indeed, with a bit of luck, they might get a wildcard position in the playoffs. That's nothing to sneeze at. The 2020-21 Habs finished 16th overall, just barely getting into the playoffs, but made it through to the Stanley Cup finals, which they lost to the Tampa Bay Lightning.

That les Glorieux still have a chance at this point in the season is due to good coaching from Martin St. Louis, and a much improved team effort, and that without Tanner Pearson, Alex Newhook, Christian Dvorak and Kirby Dach, who played in only 2 games before being laid low by a season-ending injury.

Let's look at who's still on the roster, whoès helping and who's not. This year's team is remarkable in that a lot of scoring is being done by defencemen. For my money, the Canadiens' MVP is D-man Mike Matheson. If Montréal didn't already have a good captain, they should give the "C" to Matheson. The guy's a horse! He's one of the NHL’s leaders in time on ice and his willingness to lead the rush -- it's a pleasure to watch him skate -- makes him the ideal for a team coached by St. Louis.

At the other end of the spectrum is Johnathan Kovacevic, one of half a dozen youngsters who've played in front of Habs goalies this year. "The K-man" is a solid stay-at-home defenceman, who may think he needs a passport to enter the opposing teams' zone. He has scored 5 goals, including the most bizarre goal of the year, into an empty net when eveeryone (except him) thought there had been a stoppage in play. However, Kovacevic is +6, which is a decent +/- stat. The coach doesn't seem to like him, but I do!

I'm not saying Coach is wrong. The Canadiens lead the league in goals by defencemen but they rank a lowly 28th in offence, which means guys up front haven’t been pulling their weight. 

Captain Nick Suzuki leads the team in scoring for a third consecutive season, with Cole Caufield, for whom fans had great hopes, in third place. The aforementioned Mike Matheson has one more point than Caufield.

Caufield's goal production is off, and I think it's because the little guy is playing like a little guy. (Wee Brendan Gallagher, on the other hand, always plays like a giant!) Perhaps Caufield is dealing with the effects of the shoulder injury that sidelined him for the second half of last season. He shys away from the "dirty" areas -- the slot and the blue paint -- and opposing teams have figured that out.

Another forward I like (and wish he could do better) is big Josh Anderson. Talk about slow starts! It wasn't until December that Anderson scored his first goal, not counting an empty-netter. Then he had 5 points in 5 games and now he's gone dry again. It's not that he doesn't try. Bulling his way into the offensive zone he's nearly unstoppable. But when he gets there... hands of stone. Keep trying, Josh!

At present, sophomore Juraj Slafkovsky plays on the right of Caufield and Suzuki. He too had a slow start, but has learned to use his size and skill and looks to me like a keeper. The absence of Kirby Dach, Alex Newhook, Rafaël Harvey-Pinard and Christian Dvorak makes it easier for defences to concentrate on the top line and the lack of depth filters through the other lines, affecting players like Sean Monahan and Jake Evans.

Monahan and Evans are both good at the dot. Props to Evans who is getting a lot more ice time this year, faut de mieux. Monahan is one of the Habs' top goal-scorers and the most consistent faceoff man despite not having much support on the wing. 

Getting back to defence, the Canadiens may have a blessing in disguise, in the form of half a dozen D-men aged under 25, in their first or second years in the NHL. One of them that Coach St. Louis likes is Justin Barron, because he likes jumping into the rush -- too much so, IMHO. He needs to learn to play defence!

A pleasant suprise this year has been the emergence of rookie Jayden Struble on defence. His solid two-way play is the reason why Arber Xhekaj is stuck in Laval, in spite of being a fan favourite for his scrappy physical game. Like Barron, Xhekaj should play defence first, fight later.

Now to another problem that is good to have... maybe. La Sainte Flannelle is the only NHL team playing three -- count `em, three -- goaltenders, more or less in rotation. None of Jake Allen, Samuel Montembeault, or Cayden Primeau has had more than two starts in a row. The save percentages are, respectively, 900, .907 and .905. Those are pretty good numbers, considering that they face an average of over 33 shots per game, the highest in the NHL, which says something about the Habs' defence.

As we approach the trade deadline, it's clear that one of the three will have to go, and there are plenty of teams sniffing around. The question for GM Kent Hughes is what he can get in return for (most likely) Jake Allen. There are gaps to fill on both offence and defence. 

If the team was still in rebuilding mode, he could settle for draft picks and "future considerations". But now that the surprising Canadiens are in danger of making the playoffs (!), fans will be hoping for someone who can make a significant impact right now. As Walt would say, stay tuned!

A timely message for the Florida Panthers

This afternoon, at 1900 EDT, the NHL's Florida Panthers face the Toronto Maple Leafs -- Sheldon Keefe's Little Spuds Hard to Peel -- in Game 2 of their Stanley Cup playoff series. Despite having won Game 1, the Panthers remain the underdogs. Walt hopes they will be mindful of this advice from a great sage.

 

And our National Sports (as long as it's hockey) Editor, Poor Len Canayen, adds:

"Better than expected!" Poor Len reviews the Habs' first quarter

Salut! Poor Len Canayen icitte, with a look at the performance of Canada's team -- the Montréal Canadiens -- as we hit American Thanksgiving.

The significance of the date is that conventional wisdom says that any team which is over .500 at this point in the schedule is bound for the playoffs. Well, guess what? Les Glorieux, after their 20th game on Wednesday -- a thrilling 3-1 victory over Columbus -- are .525! Whoda thunk it?!

Here's how we get there. GP 20 - W 10 - L 9 - OL 1 - good for 21 points, 6th place in the Atlantic Division, and 18th place in the NHL overall.

Kudos to coach Martin St. Louis for moulding a group of rookies, hasbeens and neverwases into a team (or something like it) which plays entertaining hockey. Even when they fall behind 2-0 in the first two minutes. Even when a rookie defenceman scores an own goal, which happened twice in the last week. 

The Habs are fun to watch, and we fans can wear our merch with pride... unlike the fans of another team just five hours west on  the 401. [Can you avoid local references? Americans won't know what you're talking about. Ed.] [Who cares? Len.]

Star performers include the dynamic duo of Captain Nick Suzuki and Cole "Goal" Caufield. Gotta love those kids! They need a better player on the right of that top line, but even so, they're right up there with the likes of Crosby and Malkin or Bergeron and Marchand. Ils ont gagné leurs épaulettes!

Unfortunately, that's about it for the stars. The clubs No. 1 draft pick, Juraj Slafkovsky, has potential, and they're being careful not to push him too far too fast, but I wouldn't count on him for much this season.

Rookie defenceman Kaiden Guhle is proving reliable, if unspectacular,  whereas Arber Xekaj (unaccountably pronounced "Jackeye") is the opposite -- spectacular (already a fan favourite) but unreliable.  

In goal, Samuel Montembault shows considerable improvement, and a good thing too as the old pro, Jake Allen, is starting to suffer from shell-shock. As the +/- stat, -9, shows, they need a better defence in front of them. Weak links need to be replaced if the Habs are going to make it into the playoffs. 

That said, I humbly revise my pre-season prediction that the Canadiens would finish out of the playoffs. Now I think that, with a bit of puck luck, le Canadien sera là! Lifetime pct .988.

UPDATE ADDED 26/11: Yesterday afternoon the Habs eked out a 3-2 shootout win over Chicago, with shootout goals by Caufield, Suzuki and linemate Kirby Dach. 

How about those Blackhawks retro sweaters? Chief Black Hawk has been reduced to a tiny patch on one shoulder. I expect he'll soon disappear altogether, like Cleveland's Chief Wahoo. When will the wokeness stop?!

Previewing the Canadiens' 2022-23 season

Ed. here. Canada's team, the Montréal Canadiens, open their 2022-23 National Hockey League season on October 12th, against the Toronto Maple Leafs. We've had to ask our National Sports (as long as its hockey) Editor, Poor Len Canayen, three times for a prognostication. Here it is.

Tank youse, Hed. Da truth, and da hole truth, is dat I've watched the Habs in three pre-season games this week, and can't find anything positive to say, so I was hoping you wouldn't call on me. The outlook isn't brilliant. Or good. It's grim.

Here's the record. On Tuesday, the Habs lost to New Jersey, 2-1. On Wednesday, the Maple Laffs shut them out, 3-0. Last night, Winnipeg scored with 18 seconds left in regulation time for a 4-3 win -- third loss in three nights for the Bleu, Blanc et Rouge.

It must be said that the teams on the ice were a  quick mix of one or two veterans and (mostly) AHL players and rookies who are unlikely to be with the big team after the final selection is made. From front to back, here's why the Canadiens will struggle to stay out of the NHL cellar.

Forwards: The Habs were outshot in all three games, and held scoreless in the second. Three of their four goals came from superstar-to-be Cole Caufield (2) and old pro Brendan Gallagher. Kayden Guhle [Who he? Ed.] scored the fourth. Jonathon Drouin didn't play, nor did Nick Suzuki.

Rookies Juraj Slafkovsky (first draft pick in June) and Filip Mesar played but we didn't see enough of them to make any predictions. Management would be smart to let Slafkovsky get some experience in Laval before rushing him into the breach.

Gallagher will have to stay healthy (let us pray) and Drouin will have to get healthy, physically and mentally, for the team to have any real scoring punch. That wouldn't matter if the Habs had a solid defence.

Defence: What keeps de cows in de field? De fence! What don't de Habs got? De fence! With Shea Weber retired, Joel Edmundson, who played only a few games towards the end of last season, was expected to anchor the blue line. Alas, his back is bothering him again and he could wind up on the LTIR. 

The alleged defencemen who played this week are hasbeens (Denis Savard), rookies destined for the AHL, or some who belong in the AHL (maybe) but played with the big team last year, faut de mieux. That wouldn't matter if the Habs had reliable goaltending.

Goaltenders: Jake Allen looked good, allowing just one goal in two partial games, with a save pct of about .925. But remember, when the Canadiens brought him over from St. Louis, he was expected to be the backup goaltender, to relieve Carey Price. Things turned out differently. Price is on the LTIR and I predict he won't play at all this year. Which makes Allen the started. Can he go 50 or 60 games? If not, then what?

For two seasons now, management has been saying [hoping. Ed.] that Cayden Primeau was the heir apparent, the next hot French-Canadian goalie, the future Patrick Roy. He hasn't lived up to expectations, allowing the winning goals in both Tuesday and Thursday's games. 

Last year's backup, Samuel Montembeault, of whom nothing was expected, is showing signs of progress, if you don't count letting one go through the five-hole on the first shot he faced on Wednesday. He'll be OK as a backup to Allen this year, but they both still need a decent defence in front of them.

Let me close with a word of encouragement to young Kevin Poulin -- three out of four goalies are francophones -- who allowed two goals in Wednesday's game, both of which were caused by the inability of the defence to handle the penalty kill. If Allen or Montembeault falters, Poulin, not Primeau, would be the man to be called up.

All in all... what can I say. I predict the Canadiens will miss the playoffs for the second straight season. Lifetime pct .980. 

Poor Len Canayen analyses the remaining Canadiens

The NHL trade deadline has come and gone. In the last month the Montréal Canadiens have traded away six players, including four who were with last season's Stanley Cup finalists. Here with the whys and wherefores is our National Sports (As Long As It's Hockey) Editor, Poor Len Canayen.

Tank youse, Hed, for taking my lede. Now I can cut right to da chase. Les not-so-Glorieux were sellers in this March's madness because, looking up from the NHL's sub-basement (last place), new GM Kent Hughes didn't have much choice. No point in buying/renting new guys in a desperate bid to make the playoffs, because it simply cannot be.

Here's what's happened since my last report on the hapless Habs. The most important change, by far, was the replacement of head coach Dominic Ducharme with Martin St. Louis, who starred for many years with the Tampa Bay Lightning, and who I always thought would look great in the bleu-blanc-et-rouge.

Some were critical of that move, but the perpetual whiners (Hello, Kelly of the Gazoo!) have been proven wrong, wrong, wrong! Under St. Louis' tutelage the team has had a near-miraculous turnaround, and are actually have a winning pct now. And even when they lose in overtime, as they did against Boston last night, the games are entertaining, at last. The guys look like they're having fun now! Olé, olé, olé!

So that's good! Now let's see who coach St. Louis has to work with. Here's my rundown on who left and who's left.

Goal: The Habs have dressed five goaltenders so far this season, and if Carey Price is able to get into a game before the end, that'll be six. Andrew "the Hamburgler" Hammond, signed during the panic when Jake Allen got injured, played in one game, which he won. He's gone now. So is AHL goalie Michael McNiven, who played just one period. That leaves Price, Allen, Samuel Montembeault, and, down in Laval, Cayden Primeau. 

Primeau needs to stay in the AHL at least another season. Truth be told, he may never make it in the NHL. Montembeault was thrown in at the deep end this year. Sometimes he swam, and sometimes he sank. He'd be happy, I'm sure, to play in Laval most of the time. For the rest of this year, Jake Allen clearly deserves to be the No. 1 goalie. He was sensational last night -- the old pro with a save pct .935 in "just another day at the orifice". Next year, he and a healthy Price (we hope) are a natural 1A and 1B.

Defence: With Shea Weber out for the season (and unlikely ever to play again), and Joel Edmundson on the IR until last week, Habs needed all the help they could get on defence. Ben Chiarot stepped up to become the top D-man, with Brett Kulak playing with more discipline and effectiveness. They were both traded away this week. 

The top defence pair is now Edmundson and Jeff Petry. I have always liked Petry but he hasn't had a good season. Apparently he didn't get along with coach Ducharme, but a lack of on-ice communication with teammates seems to be a problem. He would like a move to the other side of the border (his hometown is Détroit) and will likely get it in the summer. 

The other four defencemen on the ice last night were Alexandre Romanov, David Savard, Corey Schueneman and Chris Wideman. Romanov's play has improved greatly this season, now that he's started to think. He has become the first really hard-hitting Habs D-man since Alexei Emelin. Schueneman, still technically a rookie, scored his first NHL goal last week and shows promise. Savard and Wideman were acquired as "expendables", surplus to the requirements of their former teams, and remain so, IMHO.

Forwards: Tyler Toffoli, one of last season's stars, didn't do so well this year. Again, his relationship with coach Ducharme may not have been so good. He was traded to Calgary a couple of weeks ago. Artturi Lehkonen, by contrast, was having a breakout year, but went to Colorado in a last-minute deal yesterday. The will both be missed.

The good news is that under coach St. Louis, the two kids of whom much was expected, Nik Suzuki and Cole Caufield, have turned into a dynamic duo. Joining them on the top line is veteran Josh Anderson, who doesn't score as often but always has a strong presence on the ice.

Paul Byron and Joel Armia, both of whom missed a lot of games through injury, have come on strong since their return. Rookie Michael Pezzetta brings a fighting spirit to the team and looks like a keeper. Another rookie with a good future is Rem Pitlick, a nice surprise.

So you've got seven guys there, the nucleus of a good offence for next year. I wouldn't count on Brendan Gallagher. Although he's still the heart and soul of the Habs, the wear and tear has finally caught up with him. The same can be said of Jonathon Drouin, who has missed a lot of time and seems almsst afraid to step onto the ice  

Ryan Poehling, the great hope of a couple of years ago, has been consistently disappointing. Jake Evans has speed and skill, but lacks toughness. AHL veteran Laurent Dauphin, who probably didn't expect to play much for the big team, tries hard but, to be honest, belongs in Laval, not Montréal. Mike Hoffman and Mathieu Perreault are two more "expendables" of whom not much was expected, and that's what they delivered -- not much.

Back to the good news, then. In return for the six dearly departed listed above, GM Kent Hughes got nobody you've ever heard of, but also several draft picks, for this year and next year and 2024. He's also freed up considerable cap space. So during the summer he can give away the expendables and shop around for a couple of defencemen and a couple of proven scorers. 

And who knows? The Habs might win the Shane Wright sweepstakes. This year's entry draft promises to be a deep one, and Montréal should come out of it with, if not Wright, at least two top prospects. Put it all together and the Canadiens should be serious contenders for next year's playoffs. Lifetime pct .979.

Poor Len Canayen reports on the Habs: AAAAUUUUGGGH!

For the Montréal Canadiens, the NHL season is half over, and thank St-Jean-Béliveau for that. The 2021-22 iteration of the Habs is the worst in the very long memory of our National Sports Editor, Poor Len Canayen. Here is his mid-term report.

Tank youse, Hed. After watching last night's debacle in Minnesota (8-2 loss), I'm not happy to do write this terrible tale, but it is my duty, so here goes.

Let's start with some grim statistics. Le Canadien have played 41 games, with a record of 8-26-7, good [not very! Ed.] for 23 points out of 82 available (pct .280), and last place in their division and in the National Hockey League overall. Terrible.

But wait (as Vince Offer said), there's more. In 41 games the Habs have scored just 90 goals, but have allowed 154. Do the math. That's a goal differential of -64. Nick Suzuki, our leading scorer, is -18. David Savard, the only defenceman to play in all 41 games, is -17.

About all that fans of la Sainte Flanelle can hope for is for the team to finish in the bottom three, for a good chance to win the draft lottery and pick Shane Wright, a good Kingston boy (Hello, Don Cherry!) and a top prospect for sure. But if they get him, they'll have to develop him much more carefully then they have Cole Caufield, who has not responded well to the challenge of playing with the big boys. Spending the rest of this season in Laval should help him regain his confidence.

OK, let's talk about some additions to the team who have done well.

???

Nobody???

Hahaha, just kidding (sort of). There are one or two, starting with Michael Pezzetta, whose energy, combativeness and style of play have won him many fans. Not among his opponents though, who have made him a target for heavy hitting, as in the last minute of last night's game. It's OK. Pezzetta can give as good as he gets.

The Habs have now played four goalies, with Michael McNiven coming in to relieve Samuel Montembeault in the third period last night. He allowed 3 goals in 20 minutes, for a GAA of 9.00. That's pretty much the bottom of the barrel.

The good news is that Montembeault has grown into his present position as starting goalie, in the absence of Jake Allen, who held the job in the absence of Carey Price. Montembeault was used sparingly while Allen was healthy, usually in a cause already lost, but is doing better now. His save percentage of .932 is 12th in the league, for goalies who have played in at least ten games.

It should be noted that Allen was doing well enough, in spite of having little help from the defence, until he was injured. He is still the Habs' top goalie, and is likely to remain so, even if Carey Price is fit to play in the spring, which is becoming increasingly doubtful.

That I should begin the section on players who aren't doing too badly with a fourth-line guy tells you all you need to know. But let's continue. Laurent Dauphin hadn't played in the NHL for three years, so not much was expected from him when he was thrown into the deepo end on 7 December. He's been decent, if not spectacular, on attack, and good on the PK.

Then there's Artturi Lehkonen, who has appeared on our fecal roster in past years. Now that a lot is no longer expected of him, he has earned a place on the bottom six, especially on the PK. His 15 points make him the fufth-best scorer on the hapless Habs.

I didn't really mean to diss Nick Suzuki. He is without doubt le Canadien's offensive leader, and his creative play is lovely to watch. But this season has been hard for him for lack of reliable linemates. He's proved that he can be a top line guy. He just needs to be able to do so consistently.

I could say the same about Tyler Toffoli, one of my favourites. He'd be at the top of the honour roll if one looked only at his performance on the road this past week. But in the preceding weeks he was nearly invisible. I blame coach Dominic Ducharme for the constant juggling of lines (admittedly, due to injuries and the Wuhan flu), which means that Toffoli constantly had to adjust to new linemates. When he's out there with Suzuki, good things happen, as in a great short-handed goal last week.

Finally (for now -- running out of space), kudos to defenceman Ben Chiarot, who most fans regarded as the fourth guy last year, behind  Shea Weber, Jeff Petry, and Joel Edmundon. He was regarded as a defensive defenceman, not capable of contributing much in front of the blue line, but he has been good on the power play this year. And he's piling up a ton of minutes, because he's more reliable than the other d-men.

That's it for the list of good guys. We'll pick this up again tomorrow. À la prochaine...