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Yahoo
01-05-2025
- Sport
- Yahoo
Canadiens: Season Of Progress Comes To An End
Apr 30, 2025; Washington, District of Columbia, USA; Washington Capitals defenseman Jakob Chychrun (6) scores a goal on Montreal Canadiens goaltender Jakub Dobes (75) in the first period in game five of the first round of the 2025 Stanley Cup Playoffs at Capital One Arena. Mandatory Credit: Geoff Burke-Imagn Images This year's objective was for the young Montreal Canadiens to be in the mix and play meaningful hockey in March. That was more than accomplished; in fact, the Habs came one day short of playing meaningful hockey in May, and that's quite an accomplishment, especially for a team that didn't get any reinforcements at the trade deadline. Advertisement Special Teams Key To Canadiens' Survival Canadiens' Farm Team To Start Quest For Calder Cup Canadiens: Gallagher's Thank You Gift Montreal was the last team to qualify for the playoffs. However, Martin St-Louis' men still battled well against the Washington Capitals, especially considering Alexander Ovechkin and co. were the best squad in the Eastern Conference. Capitalizing On Opportunities The Habs started game five well; they peppered Logan Thompson with shots but could not find the back of the net. After nine minutes of play, Ovechkin scored on the power play to give the Caps a 1-0 lead, but at that point, shots were 8-2 for Montreal. Advertisement In the remaining 11 minutes, the Canadiens only managed one more shot on goal, while Washington found a second lamp lighter to take a 2-0 lead and finish the frame with an 11-9 edge in shots. Dominating early is a momentum maker unless you capitalize on one of those many shots. Then, they have the opposite effect: They plant the seed of doubt, which eats at you. It's Not Over Until It's Over Down 3-0 early in the third, the Canadiens didn't give up. Like they did all year, they worked tirelessly to mount a third-period comeback. Emil Heineman created a spark with his first playoff goal thanks to a nice tip off a puck Joel Armia had put towards the net, and it seemed to send shockwaves through the team's collective body. Advertisement When they finally manage to fix their consistency issue and provide that kind of effort for whole games, the Canadiens will be a force to be reckoned with, especially when more of their young guys graduate to the NHL. In the end, the Canadiens lost both game five and the series 4-1, but they've shown fantastic progress throughout the year, and we'll have plenty to dissect over the coming months. It's not over for the Laval Rocket, though. Pascal Vincent's men won game one of their series against the Cleveland Monsters 3-2, and they'll be fun to watch in the coming weeks. Canadiens stories, analysis, breaking news, and more! Tap the star to add us to your favorites on Google News, never to miss a story. Advertisement Follow Karine on X @KarineHains Bluesky @ and Threads @karinehains. Bookmark The Hockey News Canadiens' page for all the news and happenings around the Canadiens.
Vancouver Sun
30-04-2025
- Sport
- Vancouver Sun
Jakub Dobes will start in goal again for Canadiens in Game 5
Article content Jakub Dobes will be in goal for the Canadiens when they face the Capitals Wednesday night in Washington in Game 5 of their first-round playoff series (7 p.m., CBC, SN, TVA Sports) with their season on the line. Article content The Capitals lead the best-of-seven series 3-1 and the Canadiens are facing elimination. Article content Samuel Montembeault, the Canadiens' No. 1 goalie, remains sidelined with a lower-body injury suffered in Game 3 and didn't make the trip to Washington, meaning Cayden Primeau will be the backup. Dobes, a 23-year-old rookie, has a 1-1 record in the series to go along with a 2.75 goals-against average and a .875 save percentage. Article content Head coach Martin St. Louis said a couple of players will be game-time decisions and added that Patrik Laine will miss his third straight game with an upper-body injury. Article content Defenceman Alexandre Carrier was listed as day-to-day after taking a huge hit from the Capitals' Tom Wilson in the third period of Game 4 Sunday night at the Bell Centre, which the Canadiens lost 5-2. Article content A MASSIVE hit from Tom Wilson leads to a Caps tying goal — The Hockey News (@TheHockeyNews) April 28, 2025 Article content The Canadiens did not have a morning skate Wednesday in Washington. Carrier did not practise with his teammates Tuesday in Brossard and neither did forwards Brendan Gallagher and Josh Anderson, or defenceman David Savard, who all took maintenance days. Article content Article content Veteran defenceman Mike Matheson said the Canadiens aren't nervous heading into Game 5, adding they are excited and confident. Article content 'I think a lot of confidence going into the game knowing that we're kind of battle tested in this environment where there's been a lot of moments this year where I think people kind of counted us out and things weren't looking great for us,' Matheson told reporters in Washington. 'So I think we're confident in our ability to dig deep and show up. But I don't think we need to go into tonight thinking that we need to win the series tonight, either. You just got to win one game and then move on to the next one.' Article content Article content St. Louis agrees with that thinking. Article content 'We just need to win a game tonight and grab the momentum,' the head coach told reporters in Washington. Article content The last time the Canadiens were in the playoffs in 2021 they were down 3-1 to the Toronto Maple Leafs in their first-round series and came back to win in seven games. They won Game 5 against the Leafs that year in Toronto 4-3 in overtime on a goal by Suzuki. The Canadiens then advanced all the way to the Stanley Cup final before losing to the Tampa Bay Lightning.
New York Times
29-04-2025
- Sport
- New York Times
Mirtle: The NHL playoffs and identifying one burning question for every series
Tuesday marks Day 11 of the NHL playoffs, and thanks to the Ottawa Senators' dramatic overtime win in Game 4 on the weekend, all 16 teams are still alive. Not only that, but every Western Conference series is guaranteed to go to at least six games, which almost ensures we're likely to get extra Round 1 drama through the weekend. Advertisement There are eight Game 7s scheduled for Saturday and Sunday, so don't make any big plans with the in-laws. My guess is that, with the level of parity in this year's postseason at one of its highest points ever, we end up getting at least three or four series that go the distance. With every series now past the four-game mark and seven massive Game 5s coming on Tuesday and Wednesday, I thought it would be a fitting time to take a spin around the NHL and highlight some of the biggest talking points. Let's start in the East. (1) Capitals lead (8) Canadiens 3-1 I get the sense that the young upstarts in Montreal are many hockey fans' favorite bandwagon club this year. I've received a ton of text messages from family and friends lauding the play of their kids up against a veteran-laden contender through four games. But losing Sam Montembeault — who quietly had an outstanding season with the third-best goals saved above expected in the league — to injury in Game 3 felt like a bit of a death blow to their chances of an upset, even if Czech rookie Jakub Dobes was one of their feel-good stories this season. Expecting the 23-year-old to carry them to three straight W's against the East's top team seems unlikely. And if shutdown defender Alexandre Carrier is knocked out for any length of time by this crushing Tom Wilson hit from Game 4, that's going to be almost impossible to compensate for, given how many tough minutes he plays at even strength and on PK1. Full credit to Washington for not taking its opponent lightly, as this one has been a battle so far. But you might want to tune in for the next game, given how exciting this series has been and the fact the odds are piling up against one of hockey's best stories of the season. Advertisement No matter how it turns out, this feels like just the beginning for this Canadiens team. (2) Maple Leafs lead (6) Senators 3-1 In no other market in the NHL would a team that took a 3-0 lead in a series, losing Game 4, be talked about like it is right now in Toronto. But that's the issue when the Maple Leafs have blown so many series over the past 12 years, losing elimination games again and again with this core group of players. It's not quite that there's panic, not after one loss. But there's the anticipation that panic is not all that far away, if that makes sense. The Leafs certainly look like a different team than years past, with a new coach in Craig Berube, a revamped no-nonsense style of play, and the addition of hardened veterans such as Chris Tanev, Brandon Carlo, Oliver Ekman-Larsson and Scott Laughton. Toronto finished with the league's fourth-best record on the strength of great goaltending, a dominant power play and blocking a metric ton of shots, strengths that have certainly powered them so far in this series. But you have to give Ottawa credit, too. Despite their inexperience, the Senators have earned full underdog value in pushing the last three games to overtime. Defenseman Jake Sanderson is looking like a budding star, for one, and their checkers have managed to limit Toronto to seven even-strength goals after a terrible showing in Game 1. The Leafs have both the experience and talent advantage here, so they should be able to put this team away with three more chances to do so. Until they do, however, the narrative is only going to grow that they can't get it done when it counts. Winning Game 5 on Tuesday at home would quiet a lot of doubters. (Until Round 2 anyway.) (5) Panthers lead (3) Lightning 3-1 The Lightning were the highest-scoring team in the NHL this season, with 3.56 goals per game and a 26 percent power play, carried by the fact they had four 35-plus goal scorers. Advertisement After dropping Monday's Game 4 by a score of 4-2 — allowing three goals unanswered late in the third period — Tampa has scored just nine times all postseason. The man advantage has been a big part of the problem, converting just once on 15 opportunities, but Florida's stifling defensive game has come through at even strength, too, and 36-year-old Sergei Bobrovsky has outplayed Andrei Vasilevskiy in goal. The biggest storyline in the series, however, has been all of the ugly hits and bad blood between the two state rivals. Game 4 featured yet another one when Aaron Ekblad took out Brandon Hagel with a forearm to the face. With Hagel not able to return to the game, that made offense even harder to come by for what's been a surprisingly punchless Tampa team. There very well could be another suspension coming in this series, either for Ekblad's hit, one by Niko Mikkola later in the game that led to an ejection, or perhaps even both. Their possible absences — and potentially Hagel's — loom large for Game 5. The Panthers have always been a brutal team to play in the postseason, earning the nickname 'The Butchers' for good reason, but the trade deadline addition of Seth Jones has made them even more formidable on the back end. He's leading the team with more than 25 minutes played per game and hasn't been on the ice for a single five-on-five goal against all series. With Matthew Tkachuk limited by injury (and playing sparingly in this series) and Ekblad missing 20 games due to suspension (including the first two of this series), many were picking against a third consecutive long playoff run for the defending champs. So far, however, they look like contenders, yet again. (4) Hurricanes lead (7) Devils 3-1 The Devils are dealing with a lot of tough injuries here — including Jack Hughes and now three key defensemen — and those absences are one key reason the Hurricanes appear set to breeze through this series fairly quickly. Advertisement Carolina's just a lot deeper than New Jersey, and that's exacerbated by who's missing from the lineup. Jaccob Slavin's one-man effort goal in Game 4 is a good example of how poorly that series has been going for New Jersey, which has been outscored 14-7. Jaccob Slavin – Carolina Hurricanes (1)* — NHL Goal Videos (@NHLGoalVideos) April 27, 2025 Timo Meier's controversial goal-mouth collision with Canes netminder Freddie Andersen in Game 4, however, has cast a new light on the series. Carolina's biggest weakness and question mark coming into the playoffs was going to be its goalies, given Andersen's age and health issues, and Pyotr Kochetkov's consistency problems. Kochetkov played well in relief in Game 4, and he's had stretches of strong play in the past. But assuming they're able to get past the Devils, Carolina potentially not having Andersen is going to be a massive question mark for Round 2 (and beyond) for a team with Stanley Cup aspirations. (1) Jets tied with (8) Blues 2-2 The Hart Trophy nominations will be released on Thursday, and Jets netminder Hellebuyck is almost certainly going to be there. He very well could end up being only the second goalie to be named league MVP in the last 23 years. But his struggles in the postseason have become not only the story of this series but of the NHL playoffs as a whole. Hellebuyck has an impossibly low .817 save percentage after getting chased in back-to-back games and has allowed a league-high seven goals more than expected in only four games. His play this season was the No. 1 reason the Jets won the Presidents' Trophy and entered the postseason as one of the favorites to win it all. If he can't find his form, a Blues team that was the hottest club in the NHL after the 4 Nations break is going to pull off a huge upset. Advertisement The Blues were the league's best offensive team down the stretch — scoring a ridiculous 3.8 goals per game with a nearly 30 percent success rate on the power play over the final third of the season — so this isn't completely out of nowhere. But Winnipeg leads the NHL in limiting scoring chances and high-danger chances against and just needs a few more saves to get back on track. (2) Golden Knights tied with (7) Wild 2-2 Given the way the Wild limped into the postseason, going 18-18-3 in the second half of the year, it's understandable that few picked them to win in Round 1 against a Golden Knights team that finished with 110 points. But Minnesota was decimated by injuries in the second half, missing team MVP Kirill Kaprizov, Joel Eriksson Ek and Jonas Brodin for the majority of those second-half games, a huge part of why their record fell off the way it did. At midseason, the Wild were actually on pace for 111 points, right there with Vegas, and it's that team that appears to have shown up in this series. Kaprizov has been a buzz saw, putting up four goals and eight points in 23 minutes a night through four games. And Matt Boldy continues to emerge as one of the league's top young stars, after a similarly impressive showing at the 4 Nations for Team USA. Vegas has carried the balance of play in the series at five-on-five, thanks to a deeper cast of forwards, but if Filip Gustavsson continues to outplay Adin Hill to this extent, Minnesota has a great shot at pulling off the upset. But I'm not sure that with the Wild finally healthy, it should even count as one. The West is certainly as competitive as it's ever been this year, one through eight. (3) Stars lead (5) Avalanche 3-2 This series has been about as evenly matched as could be, with the two teams trading punches and counterpunches game to game. One night might be a defensive battle (Game 3) or an offensive explosion from one team (Avs in Game 4). The next might be a bit of fireworks from the other (Stars in Game 5). Advertisement It's been so back and forth that any additional edge either team could get in games 6 and 7 could be huge, and it just so happens the Stars might have their franchise defenseman getting healthy just in time to help late in the series. Heiskanen has been skating and traveling with the team in the playoffs, indicating that his three-month recovery from knee surgery may be about over. Thomas Harley has been terrific in logging nearly 30 minutes a game on the back end to lead all NHL players in the postseason so far, but the Avalanche have been on the right side in terms of puck possession and scoring chances at even strength for long stretches of the series, which could give them the edge at home in Game 6. If Heiskanen's healthy, that could tip the series balance more in Dallas' favor. (4) Kings tied with (6) Oilers 2-2 This series has had a bit of a split personality, with two games in one. There's the game when Connor McDavid, Leon Draisaitl and Evan Bouchard are on the ice, inflicting their will on the result, shift after shift. And then there's the game when they're not, when the Kings go to work putting a pile of pucks on the Oilers' beleaguered, overmatched goalies. The numbers tell a pretty incredible story. With McDavid on the ice, the Oilers are controlling 69 percent of chances at even strength. With Draisaitl out there, that jumps to 76 percent. With them out there together for the 45 minutes they've teamed up, they've had a ridiculous 85 percent of the expected goals, basically having their way with a Kings team that was one of the top defensive clubs in the NHL all season. Add in a power play that's clicking at 40 percent, and it's no wonder the two Oilers stars have nine points through four games to lead the league. Without McDavid and Draisaitl on the ice, however, it's the Oilers that get filled in (44 percent expected goals share). Minus Bouchard, too, and things get even more dire, closer to 60-40 in L.A.'s favor. Advertisement That's been the story every time these two teams have matched up in the playoffs, with the McDavid and Draisaitl Show taking over, and it's the biggest reason the Kings are 0-3 in these meetings. But this is a better L.A. team, in goal and defensive depth. And Edmonton, without Mattias Ekholm on the back end and with its goalies struggling, is leakier than ever before. Whether those shifts will allow the Kings to hold off two of the best players of this generation makes the final three games of this series must-see TV. Because you know this one isn't ending in six. (Top photos of Connor Hellebuyck, Kirill Kaprizov and Connor McDavid: Sam Hodde, Luke Schmidt and Andy Devlin / Getty Images)
Yahoo
27-04-2025
- Sport
- Yahoo
Canadiens: The Battle Of The Backups?
Apr 14, 2025; Montreal, Quebec, CAN; Montreal Canadiens goalie Jakub Dobes (75) kneels on the ice in warm-up before the game against the Chicago Blackhawks at Bell Centre. Photo Credit: David Kirouac-Imagn Images Friday night's game was full of twists and turns at the Bell Centre; nine goals were scored, and four goaltenders were used, a rare feat. Emergency backup goaltender Patrick Chevrefils ended up on the Montreal Canadiens' bench, wondering if he would be called into action, but the goalie hemorrhage stopped after the starting netminders. Advertisement Canadiens: If Montembeault Isn't Good To Go Canadiens: Home Sweet Home On Saturday afternoon, Martin St-Louis said Samuel Montembeault was still being evaluated, and Spencer Carbery, the Washington Capitals coach, said he expected to get an update on Logan Thompson later in the day. It was no great surprise. Show me a coach who's an open book about their lineup or injuries during the NHL playoffs. However, judging by how Thompson exited the ice without putting any weight on his left leg on Friday, he's going to need to be Wolverine to heal in time, but that's not unheard of. We're talking about a hockey player here, not a footballer. As for Samuel Montembeault, he was seen gingerly going up some stairs after the game, and that's not a good sign either. Logic dictates that on Sunday night, Capitals backup Charlie Lindgren will be taking on the team that gave the undrafted free agent his first chance in the pro ranks at the end of his third season in the NCAA with St. Cloud State in 2015-16. Advertisement The 31-year-old has never faced the Canadiens in postseason action, but he has a 3-1-0 record against them in the regular season with a 2.51 goals-against average and a .899 save percentage. As for Jakub Dobes, it's not far-fetched to believe he'll be back in the net after being credited with the win on Friday night. That was the first time he had faced the Capitals, or any other team in the playoffs. He gave up one goal on eight shots and finished his night with a .875 SP. The young netminder also beat Washington once in the regular season when he backstopped the Habs to a 3-2 win in D.C. in early January. Up front, the Capitals will have to keep a close eye on the Canadiens' top line. Cole Caufield put up two points last night, Jurja Slafkovsky scored a big goal, and across three games, the former has a staggering 19 shots on goal while the latter has 14. Rookie wonder Lane Hutson has three points in three games about Ovi and co. As for the Habs, they'll have to know where Alex Ovechkin is at all times. The Capitals' captain has 14 points in just 10 games against the Canadiens, followed by Dylan Strome, who has five in three games. Advertisement Exceptionally, the game is set for 6:30 PM. Make sure not to tune in late; the intensity is ramping up quickly in this series, and who knows what could happen early. Canadiens stories, analysis, breaking news, and more! Tap the star to add us to your favorites on Google News, never to miss a story. Follow Karine on X @KarineHains Bluesky @ and Threads @karinehains. Bookmark The Hockey News Canadiens' page for all the news and happenings around the Canadiens.
Time of India
26-04-2025
- Sport
- Time of India
NHL Playoffs 2025: Canadian fans increasingly back any home team in Stanley Cup Playoffs
Canadian NHL fans (via Getty Images) As the NHL Stanley Cup Playoffs take centre stage, a fresh Angus Reid Institute survey finds Canadian pride surging as the vast majority of hockey enthusiasts rally behind whichever Canadian team might lead them to victory and capture the Cup. The poll, carried out between April 21 and 24, reveals 71 percent of Canadian fans now root for any national team, a big increase from before. Canadian NHL fans unite in national pride as drought persists without Stanley Cup As per the Angus Reid Institute's report, support for a Canadian team to win the Stanley Cup is currently at its all-time high in almost a decade. In 2016, it was felt by just 57 percent of the fans. In 2024, it increased to 64 percent, and now in 2025, it stands at 71 percent. The remarks of U.S. President Donald Trump — joking that Canada should be America's 51st state — seem to have awakened strong nationalist sentiments. Canadian supporters, sensitive to any perceived insult, are directing their pride into the NHL playoffs. The survey suggests that hockey is more than a hobby; it's become a vehicle for Canadians to express their national identity. Toronto Maple Leafs, Winnipeg Jets, and Edmonton Oilers top fan loyalty When polled, which team they think will end Canada's Stanley Cup drought, 22 percent of the survey selected the Toronto Maple Leafs, even with their recent playoff disappointment. The Presidents' Trophy-winning Winnipeg Jets got 19 percent. The Edmonton Oilers, who were one game away from the Cup last spring, received 16 percent. The Montreal Canadiens received 14 percent backing, followed by the Ottawa Senators and Vancouver Canucks with three percent each. The Calgary Flames lagged behind at two percent. Surprisingly, two percent of Canadians hold the opinion that no Canadian team will ever again win the Cup. Survey highlights growing sense of national unity through hockey Angus Reid Institute's website poll was done among 1,607 Canadian adults who form part of the Angus Reid Forum. As background, this many samples include ±2 percentage points margin of error, 19 times in every 20. Also read: 'I was afraid, I was excited, I was emotional, I was crying at the end': rookie goaltender Jakub Dobes shone in Game 3 of the Montreal Canadiens The numbers decisively speak to a common theme: when patriotism gets pumped up, Canadians become more eager to set aside their club allegiance during the playoffs to watch a Canadian team raise the Stanley Cup — something the nation has been denied since 1993. As national sentiments grow stronger, especially after U.S. President Donald Trump's controversial remarks, the NHL playoff race has turned into more than a hockey competition — it's about national pride.
