Todd: Resilient young Canadiens need to shake off gut-punch of a loss
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Bad bounces. Puck luck. A mistake or two, because hockey is a game of mistakes. A comeback, a lead lost.
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And bad refereeing, worse refereeing, terrible refereeing.
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Tom Wilson freely exercising his licence to create mayhem without consequences.
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Among many other things, how do you send Josh Anderson off for a face-to-face hit on Wilson but not punish Wilson for an almost identical hit, except that his was delivered to David Savard's back?
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How does Wilson get away with a hit in the general direction of the head that not only leaves Alexandre Carrier stunned and wobbly but also leads to the goal that shifts the momentum? Jeff Gorton has seen this movie before — the plot never changes.
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How does Alexander Ovechkin, who looks like he's paid in poutine, get away with hits that would earn ordinary humans an in-person hearing with the NHL's Department of Player Safety?
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All in all, a witch's brew of a loss, on a night when the splendid rookie Ivan Demidov picked up two assists in his sixth game in the NHL.
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These very young Canadiens are, if nothing else, resilient. As someone said on social media, 'they're as relentless as my mother-in-law trying to find out how much money I make.'
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Don't write them off. Remember they were down three games to one against the mighty Leafs in 2021 and we know how that one turned out.
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Win or lose Wednesday, the Canadiens have been playing with house money since the first puck was dropped in Game 1. They were not supposed to be here at all, yet every game in the series so far could have gone either way and Friday's Game 3 was an exercise in total dominance in every way — hits, shots, goals. They may lose this series yet but there is no question they belong, they can go toe-to-toe with the best team in the conference.
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The Fab Five on the power play — Nick Suzuki, Cole Caufield, Juraj Slafkovsky, Lane Hutson and 19-year-old Ivan Demidov — is as promising a bunch as you will find in the game. Swap a forward for Kaiden Guhle 5-on-5 and the same goes.
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CTV News
4 hours ago
- CTV News
Stanley Cup game control: A question of style, puck possession and exploiting mistakes
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The Province
4 hours ago
- The Province
Abbotsford Canucks: Travis Green knows 'it's not a race' for Manny Malhotra to run an NHL bench
'It's much like making the NHL as a player. It take years of working on your craft. Same thing as coaching.' — Travis Green on the rise of Manny Malhotra as rookie Abbotsford head coach Get the latest from Ben Kuzma straight to your inbox Abbotsford Canucks head coach Manny Malhotra in May. Photo by Jordan Jones Travis Green knows taking the time to reach an NHL career objective is comforting. This advertisement has not loaded yet, but your article continues below. THIS CONTENT IS RESERVED FOR SUBSCRIBERS ONLY Subscribe now to read the latest news in your city and across Canada. Exclusive articles by top sports columnists Patrick Johnston, Ben Kuzma, J.J. Abrams and others. Plus, Canucks Report, Sports and Headline News newsletters and events. Unlimited online access to The Province and 15 news sites with one account. The Province ePaper, an electronic replica of the print edition to view on any device, share and comment on. Daily puzzles and comics, including the New York Times Crossword. Support local journalism. SUBSCRIBE TO UNLOCK MORE ARTICLES Subscribe now to read the latest news in your city and across Canada. Exclusive articles by top sports columnists Patrick Johnston, Ben Kuzma, J.J. Abrams and others. Plus, Canucks Report, Sports and Headline News newsletters and events. Unlimited online access to The Province and 15 news sites with one account. The Province ePaper, an electronic replica of the print edition to view on any device, share and comment on. Daily puzzles and comics, including the New York Times Crossword. Support local journalism. REGISTER / SIGN IN TO UNLOCK MORE ARTICLES Create an account or sign in to continue with your reading experience. Access articles from across Canada with one account. Share your thoughts and join the conversation in the comments. Enjoy additional articles per month. Get email updates from your favourite authors. THIS ARTICLE IS FREE TO READ REGISTER TO UNLOCK. Create an account or sign in to continue with your reading experience. Access articles from across Canada with one account Share your thoughts and join the conversation in the comments Enjoy additional articles per month Get email updates from your favourite authors Ten years ago, he guided the Utica Comets to the Calder Cup Finals, the first time an AHL affiliate of the Vancouver Canucks advanced to the championship series. The Comets fell in five games to the favoured Manchester Monarchs — three one-goal contests and two that required overtime — but the players and Green were much better for the experience. Green parlayed four seasons as Utica bench boss into head coach of the Canucks in 2017, transitioned to the New Jersey Devils, and is now at the helm of the vastly improved Ottawa Senators. The Abbotsford Canucks open their Calder Cup title quest Friday in Charlotte, N.C. with rookie head coach Manny Malhotra in the spotlight. 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He's obviously doing a hell of a job. I'm not giving him advice. He doesn't need it. I just sent him a note the other day to wish him luck and congratulate him on getting to the finals. This advertisement has not loaded yet, but your article continues below. 'I didn't know Manny before I got to Vancouver, but I consider him a good friend now. I'm happy and really proud of him.' Abbotsford Canucks head coach Manny Malhotra (in dark blue) behind the bench during Game 2 of the Western Conference finals on Saturday, May 31, 2025 Photo by Abbotsford Canucks/Flickr That's where time can become a factor. Malhotra is the talk of the town as a hot NHL bench-boss prospect. He was a finalist here to replace the departed Rick Tocchet, but the Canucks pivoted to Adam Foote. That didn't stop speculation. As soon as Pete DeBoer was dismissed by the Dallas Stars on Friday, one betting site had Malhotra as a 3-to-1 favourite to supplant the veteran head coach. 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'You have to adjust your lines, the messages to your team, and rally them at certain moments,' added Green. 'You play a tough schedule and find way to have energy, even as coach, when you're tired. It challenges you in great ways and is such a good breeding ground for coaches.' Like Malhotra. bkuzma@ Read More Vancouver Whitecaps Vancouver Canucks Vancouver Canucks NHL News
National Post
4 hours ago
- National Post
Abbotsford Canucks: Travis Green knows 'it's not a race' for Manny Malhotra to run an NHL bench
Article content 'It's not a race,' stressed Green. 'I know that personally, and even going back to junior (Portland, WHL), I went there to learn to coach. It's much like making the NHL as a player. It take years of working on your craft. Same thing as coaching. Manny was a great hire by the Canucks. Article content 'You're seeing between Ryan Johnson (Abbotsford general manager and Canucks AGM) and Manny two guys who will be a GM and coach in the (NHL) at one point.' Article content Victoria native Spencer Carbery, 43, turned his second season running the Washington Capitals bench in 2024-25 into the Jack Adams Award. He was a unanimous winner as the league's top head coach over runner-up Scott Arniel of the Winnipeg Jets. Green finished sixth. Article content Carbery's acknowledgement came after doing predatory work as a Leafs assistant for two seasons and earlier running an AHL bench with the Hershey Bears for three seasons. Article content The Capitals went 51-22-9 this season, improved by 20 points, and won a Stanley Cup playoff series for the first time since 2018. They finished second in goals per game (3.49) in the regular season after being ranked 28th last season (2.63). They were also tied for eighth in goals against per game (2.79) after tied for 16th in 2023-24 (3.07). Washington was fifth on the penalty kill (82.0 per cent), first in comeback wins (25), and tied for first in road points (53). Article content Article content Article content
