The Montreal Canadiens performed the ultimate house recreation of an excellent 41 within the 2025-26 season, a yr that featured a few of the most enjoyable moments for the franchise this century.
The Canadiens are an exciting, high-scoring membership offering recollections of the best order for his or her followers. They needed to complete the house season with one other good reminiscence. The Columbus Blue Jackets didn’t simply wish to break that hope; they wanted to break it. The Blue Jackets are combating to remain alive of their playoff hunt, and so they did with a 5-2 win.
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Cole Caufield scored one other objective that maybe solely Caufield can rating. It was a shot that didn’t appear to have the slightest likelihood. It was from a horrible angle, however he fired it anyway, hitting the joint within the crossbar and the put up. That’s 51 on the season for Caufield.
He’s within the battle for the Rocket Richard trophy behind solely Nathan MacKinnon who has 52 on the season. The Canadiens have two video games left. The Avalanche have three video games left.
Nick Suzuki had an help on the objective. He now has 99 factors on the season as he tries to turn into the primary Canadiens participant to get 100 factors since Mats Naslund in 1986.
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It was at all times going to be a letdown night time after the occasions of Thursday towards Tampa Bay. It’s an excessive problem to not lose vitality and focus after Caufield scored 50 targets, Juraj Slafkovsky scored 30 targets, and the membership beat the Lightning in what felt like a grudge match.
There have been poor performances from gamers on the cusp of attempting to turn into regulars. It’s troublesome to be sturdy each single recreation. The Canadiens have relied on Jayden Struble and Arber Xhekaj so much these days resulting from accidents to Kaiden Guhle and Alexandre Provider.
Struble and Xhekaj have dealt with the problem fairly effectively. They’ve upped their video games. Nonetheless, maintaining it going night time after night time is troublesome. Xhekaj had bother on the primary objective. Struble principally handed to the Blue Jackets on the fourth objective.
One other participant who had a troublesome night time was Alexandre Texier as he tries to maneuver from bubble participant to common. Texier has performed some gentle minutes just lately. He’s not an efficient first forechecker as he doesn’t convey the physique. The NHL playoffs are indignant and soiled, and what’s coming might not be to Texier’s liking.
It was additionally maybe a little bit an excessive amount of of the web for Jakub Dobes, who had his first powerful recreation in three weeks. He had been superior for 9 straight video games, however taking on the web, and never sharing it, is a special story for a goalie. The focus required is intense.
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That’s not a knock towards Dobes. Each goalie wants a break at times, even Carey Worth. When the Blue Jackets rolled in to city two weeks in the past, they in all probability deserved a greater destiny than the loss they registered, so some truthful fairness was so as as effectively.
This loss will go an extended technique to not capturing second place within the Atlantic Division, however there shouldn’t be an excessive amount of consternation. No crew may have the required depth for 82 video games. The membership that completely has to win to maintain its playoff hopes alive is prone to be extra centered on the duty. That was the Blue Jackets. They needed to have a outcome, and so they received it.
Not a tragedy to lose towards a hungry crew.
Two way more urgent considerations are being mentioned proper now across the mahogany desk because the playoffs strategy. Noah Dobson has suffered a thumb harm, most certainly, after taking a shot on it within the second interval. The membership says that he’s gone for 2 weeks, and might be reevaluated at the moment.
David Reinbacher has been recalled from Labal. It is a large blow to the fortunes of the membership who will seemingly play the Tampa Bay Lightning within the first spherical beginning subsequent Saturday. The timeline for return is normally three to 4 weeks on this harm, however it may be even longer. Dobson can’t get replaced. He’s a 25 minute per night time defender.
One other concern within the play of the second line. It doesn’t have a centre that may assist Ivan Demidov play extra of the sport within the offensive zone. They tried Texier with Oliver Kapanen and it was extra of the identical — poor hockey.
This membership is missing a second line, and it’s the greatest concern for the playoffs. One can inform this as a result of they maintain altering the mixtures each recreation. They’re struggling to seek out one thing that works.
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An absolute shocker from Michael Hage Saturday afternoon. Expectations from everybody concerned had been that Hage would signal with the Canadiens after getting eradicated within the Frozen 4 on Thursday. Hage, nevertheless, has determined to return to Michigan for a 3rd season.
It is a selection that’s extraordinarily obscure. Hage has nothing extra to study in school hockey after dominating for 2 seasons. His numbers in his sophomore season are world class, and one other season there doesn’t ahead his profession.
Hage ought to flip professional. If he made the Canadiens straight away, that will be large for his growth beneath Martin St. Louis. If he performed initially for Laval, that will additionally ahead his profession to play towards professionals and expertise the grind and the training expertise that’s the American Hockey League.
Enjoying one other season at Michigan is extra of the identical. It received’t ahead his profession in any capability to play towards the identical gamers and listening to the identical voices behind the bench.
Three points come to thoughts in attempting to grasp Hage’s motivation. First, he might care about his schooling and desires to get nearer to an precise diploma sooner or later in his life.
Second, his brother Alex is a Michigan-commit for subsequent season. Alex is smaller than Michael and won’t seemingly have an NHL profession, so this could be Michael’s solely alternative to play along with his brother.
Third, the cash that school athletes could make in name-image-likeness agreements — NIL agreements — is definitely greater than minor league cash, and on the verge of even greater than entry-level NHL cash.
It might turn into an actual challenge for the NHL someday, if NIL is so vital {that a} participant doesn’t select the NHL. The NHL have to be the highest-paying league. That may’t be a debate. In any other case, the league is compromised.
Many will start to fret that Hage is focused on signing as a free agent with one other NHL crew by permitting the Canadiens rights over him to run out. Montreal has his rights till Aug. 15, 2028.
Even when Hage reaches the conclusion of his junior season subsequent April, the Canadiens will nonetheless personal his rights for one more yr. If he desires complete free company, he must play his senior season in Michigan as effectively. Not completely inconceivable, however nobody thought this state of affairs was potential both.
If the Canadiens wish to turn into a bona fide Stanley Cup contender subsequent season, they’re 100 per cent brief a second line centre who can carry the puck up ice and win offensive zone time to get essentially the most out of Demidov.
The participant who suffers essentially the most with this choice is Demidov. He’s spending an excessive amount of time in his personal zone as a result of his line doesn’t have a centre to drive the play. If the Canadiens huge deal that didn’t occur on the buying and selling deadline was a centre, they are going to absolutely be revisiting that deal now.
Alex Newhook, Kapanen and Demidov had a 43 Anticipated Targets share this season. That received’t win a cup. The second line centre hunt simply turned a large storyline for subsequent season. It’s inside a share level of the worst line on the crew this season. An improve is required. An improve that’s not Michael Hage.