Cayden Primeau's run with Canadiens organization appears to be over
Article content
Cayden Primeau can take credit for helping the Laval Rocket finish first overall in the AHL this season.
Article content
But as Primeau heads into an uncertain summer, the Rocket goaltender must accept his share of the blame for being unable to help the Rocket get past the Charlotte Checkers in the recent Eastern Conference final.
Article content
'It was a tough ending. You never want to go out without winning, but we can be really proud of what we accomplished this year,' Primeau said during the team's recent end-of-season media availability after being swept by Charlotte. 'You have to give it to (Charlotte); they're a great team. There's only one winner at the end of the day. There's a lot of unhappy teams. It takes a lot to get to where we did. We can be proud of that.'
Article content
Article content
Primeau, 25, was 21-2-2 this season with Laval. His goals-against average was a scintillating 1.96. His save percentage was .927 and he had two shutouts — one in his second game after clearing waivers and being loaned to the Rocket on Dec. 29 after struggling again with the Canadiens.
Article content
Article content
Selected in the seventh round (199th overall) in 2017, Primeau was 2-3-1 with Montreal this season over 11 games with a 4.70 GAA and .836 save percentage. In what might have been his final appearance on Dec. 12, he allowed three goals on seven shots in relief of Samuel Montembeault during a 9-2 Bell Centre loss to the Pittsburgh Penguins.
Article content
'To say I was playing my best hockey (with Montreal), I'd be lying,' Primeau said. 'The team at the beginning of the year — I think everyone knows it — wasn't the team that was playing in the playoffs. Coming to Laval … you don't have many bad days. You want to be in the NHL, but when you're in Laval, it's a great opportunity.'
Article content
Article content
Primeau was recalled by the Canadiens on April 27 — but never played — after Montembeault suffered a lower-body injury in Game 3 of their opening-round playoff series against Washington. Primeau backed up Jakub Dobes the next two games before Montreal was eliminated, then returned for Laval's post-season run.
Article content
But Primeau was inconsistent in the playoffs for the Rocket, with a 3.27 average and .878 save percentage over eight games. While he shut out Rochester in the deciding game of the North Division final, he was exposed by Charlotte, allowing 12 goals over portions of three games.
Article content
Article content
Primeau was removed in the second period of both the second and third games after allowing four goals in each contest. Laval head coach Pascal Vincent then started Jacob Fowler in Game 4, a 3-2 loss.
Article content
'To start, it's not an easy league,' Primeau said. 'It's a grind. It was an emotional series before, going to Game 5 against a good (Rochester) team. A lot of guys gave everything they had in that series and into that fifth game. I don't think I handled it well in terms of (preparing for Charlotte). Going into that series and falling down early, we were chasing the series from the get-go. I think that was the biggest thing.'
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
Winnipeg Free Press
3 hours ago
- Winnipeg Free Press
New coach Lane Lambert says he expects to lead the Kraken to the playoffs
SEATTLE (AP) — Lane Lambert said he feels no pressure to turn the Seattle Kraken into a playoff contender. But his own expectation is to do exactly that. Lambert was introduced as the Kraken's coach on Monday at the team's practice facility. He was hired on May 29 after spending last season as an associate head coach with Toronto. The Maple Leafs won 52 games and the Atlantic Division title, but were eliminated in Game 7 of the Eastern Conference semifinals by Florida, which is currently playing in the Stanley Cup Final. He will become the third head coach in the history of the Kraken, who are entering their fifth season and have made the playoffs just once in their previous four. 'I have an expectation of myself and of my role and of my abilities,' the 60-year-old Lambert said. 'You start on Day 1 and it's a process, it's a journey. If you do the right things through that journey and do the right things every day and look to get better every day and stick with the process, the results will take care of themselves.' Lambert takes over for Dan Bylsma, who was fired on April 21 after one season. Seattle was well outside the playoff picture by the time of the February break for the 4 Nations Face-off and finished 35-41-6 (76 points). That was 20 points below the West's final wild-card spot and five fewer than the Kraken's 81 points in 2023-24. 'It became very evident that Lane presented the attributes we were looking for,' general manager Jason Botterill said. 'The combination of presence and knowledge to work with veteran players, and would also be dedicated to interact with young players.' Seattle ranked in the bottom third of the league on the power play (23rd), faceoff winning percentage (24th) and average shots per game (25th). It was 21st on the penalty kill, an area in which Lambert helped the Leafs improve from 23rd to fourth. 'There are priorities in certain areas, but everything has to be addressed,' Lambert said. 'You can't build Rome in a day, and that's the whole process from Day 1. You start with the process, start demanding, and you start instilling your systems, your structure, your details. But definitely, our special teams have to be better. We'll better in our defensive zone. I know we will be. So that would be the start and the focus.' Lambert has had NHL coaching jobs since 2011. His only head coaching experience came with the New York Islanders, beginning at the start of the 2022-23 season and ending when he was fired in January 2024. In his only full season, the Islanders made the playoffs but were eliminated in the first round. 'You go through an experience like that, you get let go, and you have a lot of time to reflect,' he said. 'If you don't have an ego, you can say, 'Gee, I'd do this differently or that differently. Or I'd do this or that the same.' There's certain little things I'll look at and look into changing.' Winnipeg Jets Game Days On Winnipeg Jets game days, hockey writers Mike McIntyre and Ken Wiebe send news, notes and quotes from the morning skate, as well as injury updates and lineup decisions. Arrives a few hours prior to puck drop. He was an assistant with Nashville from 2011-14, then with Washington from 2014-18, with the Capitals winning the Stanley Cup in 2018. The Islanders hired him as associate head coach prior to 2018-19. The teams he has worked for have made the playoffs 10 times. Lambert inherits a roster that includes veterans Jaden Schwartz (a team-high 26 goals last season), Jared McCann (22 goals and a team-leading 61 points), Eeli Tolvanen (23 goals) and Chandler Stephenson (38 assists). The Kraken also have highly regarded young talent such as 2023 Rookie of the Year Matty Beniers (20 goals, 23 assists) and Shane Wright (19 goals, 25 assists). 'When you look at the team and the balance, we have great talent,' Lambert said. 'We have veteran players. The non-negotiables are that we have to play the right way — that's the formula.' ___ AP NHL:
Winnipeg Free Press
3 hours ago
- Winnipeg Free Press
Sam Bennett raising his game and wreaking havoc for Florida Panthers
SUNRISE – Connor McDavid goes way back with Sam Bennett. The youngsters played together on the same team in the Greater Toronto Area as kids, faced off in the Ontario Hockey League, and have been on opposite sides in the Battle of Alberta. They also went toe-to-toe in last year's Stanley Cup final, which Bennett's Florida Panthers took in seven hard-fought games over McDavid's Edmonton Oilers. The clubs are going back at it again in June 2025. McDavid is still topping the stats sheet. Bennett, meanwhile, has raised his game — and continues to wreak havoc around the opposition crease. The 28-year-old Panthers centre had 13 goals in these playoffs as the Panthers headed into Monday's Game 3 of the NHL's title series, which sat tied 1-1. But it's not just the offence. It's how Bennett is influencing the action. A gritty, physical player known for his on-the-line approach, he took Toronto Maple Leafs goaltender Anthony Stolarz out with an elbow to the head that resulted in a concussion in the second round of the playoffs before making life miserable in the blue paint for the Carolina Hurricanes in the Eastern Conference final. The six-foot-one, 193-pound Bennett, who had three goals in this year's final entering Monday, has kept it going in a matchup with Edmonton that has seen him contact Oilers netminder Stuart Skinner a couple of times. Once it led to a goal, while the other sequence resulted in a goaltender interference penalty. 'It certainly can be difficult at times,' Bennett, who played 5 1/2 seasons with the Calgary Flames before getting traded to Florida, said of figuring out where the line is with referees. 'I've definitely been in situations where I've crossed that line. I never try to, but I try to play as close to that line as I can. It takes time and experience to figure out how to be as close to that line as possible without crossing it. 'It's not going to be perfect. Sometimes you're going to go over, but sometimes it's necessary to play as close to that line to help your team win.' Panthers defenceman Aaron Ekblad said there are certain players in the league that simply find ways to get in the way at the net. 'Just like (Oilers winger) Corey Perry, he's extremely good at getting there and being between the defenceman and a goalie,' said the blueliner. 'Those guys have a knack for it.' Bennett, who has already set a playoff record this spring with 12 road goals and is poised to become an unrestricted free agent July 1, might be the best of the bunch. Oilers head coach Kris Knoblauch said it's 'almost impossible' to keep opponents away from the crease. 'You just hopefully trust the referees, that they can uphold the standard on what's goaltender interference,' he said. 'What should be allowed and what shouldn't.' And when it comes to Bennett, McDavid has seen it before — from youth hockey to the NHL. 'He's always played with an edge, ever since he was a little guy,' said the Oilers superstar captain. 'He's playing well, scoring goals. Nothing we haven't seen before, so we've got to figure him out. 'He's not going anywhere. We're not going anywhere.' HELPING HAND McDavid wasn't quite sure how to answer the question. Asked to explain the work and process to be able to produce his highlight-reel assist in Game 2 of the Stanley Cup final — an otherworldly toe-drag sequence that ended with a feed to Leon Draisaitl — the humble, soft-spoken centre struggled to find the right words for a difficult query. 'A lot goes into that,' McDavid said. 'I don't know how to answer that.' Draisaitl, usually on the receiving end of No. 97's setups, finished off his teammate's reply. 'You can't learn that,' the big German interjected, receiving laughter from reporters. 'I'll answer it for him.' Winnipeg Jets Game Days On Winnipeg Jets game days, hockey writers Mike McIntyre and Ken Wiebe send news, notes and quotes from the morning skate, as well as injury updates and lineup decisions. Arrives a few hours prior to puck drop. RAT PACK The Panthers' rally towels for Game 3 have a cheeky twist. The red-and-white laundry features a hockey-stick-carrying rat sporting a hockey helmet in honour of the plastic versions of the rodent thrown on the ice by fans after victories. There's are also subtle nods to Florida's three playoff conquests this spring — the Tampa Bay Lightning, Toronto Maple Leafs and Carolina Hurricanes — blended into the design. This report by The Canadian Press was first published June 9, 2025.
Ottawa Citizen
4 hours ago
- Ottawa Citizen
Cayden Primeau's run with Canadiens organization appears to be over
Article content Cayden Primeau can take credit for helping the Laval Rocket finish first overall in the AHL this season. Article content But as Primeau heads into an uncertain summer, the Rocket goaltender must accept his share of the blame for being unable to help the Rocket get past the Charlotte Checkers in the recent Eastern Conference final. Article content 'It was a tough ending. You never want to go out without winning, but we can be really proud of what we accomplished this year,' Primeau said during the team's recent end-of-season media availability after being swept by Charlotte. 'You have to give it to (Charlotte); they're a great team. There's only one winner at the end of the day. There's a lot of unhappy teams. It takes a lot to get to where we did. We can be proud of that.' Article content Article content Primeau, 25, was 21-2-2 this season with Laval. His goals-against average was a scintillating 1.96. His save percentage was .927 and he had two shutouts — one in his second game after clearing waivers and being loaned to the Rocket on Dec. 29 after struggling again with the Canadiens. Article content Article content Selected in the seventh round (199th overall) in 2017, Primeau was 2-3-1 with Montreal this season over 11 games with a 4.70 GAA and .836 save percentage. In what might have been his final appearance on Dec. 12, he allowed three goals on seven shots in relief of Samuel Montembeault during a 9-2 Bell Centre loss to the Pittsburgh Penguins. Article content 'To say I was playing my best hockey (with Montreal), I'd be lying,' Primeau said. 'The team at the beginning of the year — I think everyone knows it — wasn't the team that was playing in the playoffs. Coming to Laval … you don't have many bad days. You want to be in the NHL, but when you're in Laval, it's a great opportunity.' Article content Article content Primeau was recalled by the Canadiens on April 27 — but never played — after Montembeault suffered a lower-body injury in Game 3 of their opening-round playoff series against Washington. Primeau backed up Jakub Dobes the next two games before Montreal was eliminated, then returned for Laval's post-season run. Article content But Primeau was inconsistent in the playoffs for the Rocket, with a 3.27 average and .878 save percentage over eight games. While he shut out Rochester in the deciding game of the North Division final, he was exposed by Charlotte, allowing 12 goals over portions of three games. Article content Article content Primeau was removed in the second period of both the second and third games after allowing four goals in each contest. Laval head coach Pascal Vincent then started Jacob Fowler in Game 4, a 3-2 loss. Article content 'To start, it's not an easy league,' Primeau said. 'It's a grind. It was an emotional series before, going to Game 5 against a good (Rochester) team. A lot of guys gave everything they had in that series and into that fifth game. I don't think I handled it well in terms of (preparing for Charlotte). Going into that series and falling down early, we were chasing the series from the get-go. I think that was the biggest thing.'
