Why Jacob Fowler feels familiar

Jacob Fowler stopped 46 shots against the St. Louis Blues on October 27, with about half of them fired at him in the third period, to give the Montreal Canadiens a 2-0 win and himself a place in the franchise record books. It was one of seven consecutive victories he earned, and one of the results in his active nine-game point streak. In that time, he’s stopped 258 of 277 shots, a .931 save percentage. Not bad for a 21-year-old goaltender who started the season in Laval. The thing about Fowler is that it’s not just that he’s making saves; it’s the way he’s making them. He has a knack for looking remarkably calm while everyone else is scrambling, and Canadiens fans are starting to see familiar qualities in an unfamiliar face. The comparisons to Carey Price and Patrick Roy are already making the rounds, which got me thinking: What makes a goalie really stand out in Montreal? I’m not a goalie expert, but I was a Carey Price expert(ish), so when Fowler came on the scene, I said he reminded me of Price. Then I found out that Price said Fowler reminds him of himself at that age, praising his calm, mature approach, which is pretty good company to keep and obvious proof that my scouting career starts now. I assume the Canadiens will be calling any minute. I’ll keep you posted. Price was never just about spectacular saves, although there were some pretty freakin’ sweet ones worth rewatching over and over… and over. What made him special was his ability to make the difficult look routine and to help everyone, fans included, “relax, just chill out.” He read the play, got into position, and rarely looked rattled, even when Montreal was under siege. He didn’t overreact or take things into his own hands, except when he mowed down Chris Kreider, and I think we can agree that was owed. Hab or no Hab, it’s not 100% forgiven or forgotten, Kreider. Fowler has shown some of that same composure. Against St. Louis, the Canadiens spent much of the third period defending as the Blues fired shot after shot at their net, and Fowler tracked the puck through traffic and kept turning them away. He didn’t need to put on a show; he just needed to do his job and keep the puck out. Even Blues head coach Jim Montgomery had to tip his cap afterward. “I mean, Fowler, he was incredible tonight. Several spectacular second saves and I didn’t think we shot it at him. I thought he made the saves.” Translation: They were getting quality chances, and Fowler was simply better than them. Then there’s Patrick Roy, who was a different kind of presence altogether: fiercely competitive, often theatrical, and perfectly happy to treat the crease like a stage and the Bell Centre like his audience. Price and Roy were two completely different goalies, with Roy bringing the fire and swagger and Price the composure and control, but they pulled off the same trick. Now, there’s Roy-type fire, and then there’s Jakub Dobeš-type fire. Dobeš showed plenty of promise last year, helping get the Canadiens all the way to the Eastern Conference Final in the 2026 Stanley Cup Playoffs, and his competitive edge was a big part of what made him effective. This season, though, that edge has looked more like aggression, and it has sometimes tipped into overdoing it. Nobody wants a goalie looking like he’s hanging out scrolling Instagram while waiting for the bus, but when the fire turns into chasing plays, leaving the net at the wrong moment, trying to do too much, or tallying 10 penalty minutes since last year’s playoffs, it becomes a problem. Knowing when to hold your ground matters just as much as knowing when to challenge. Fowler has been the opposite, playing with the kind of calm that makes the game look simple and winnable. He’s not perfect, and he won’t win every time he steps on the ice. But right now, he’s giving Montreal a goalie who can make the saves, handle the pressure, and keep the team in games when things lean into the “what are they doing?!” mode. That’s what makes a goalie special in Montreal: not just the numbers, the shutouts, or the highlight-reel saves, but the feeling that the game isn’t over just because the other team has the puck and we’re racking up penalty minutes like there’s a reward for it. It’s the belief that, with the right person in net, there’s always a chance. Price gave Canadiens fans that feeling for years, and Roy did it before him. Fowler is only beginning to build his own story, and the comparisons are fun because they give us a way to talk about the qualities we’re seeing, but he doesn’t need to become either of them to be special. He just needs to keep being Jacob Fowler. For now, the kid is doing a pretty good job of that, and if he keeps making 40-plus saves a night and getting the “W,” my scouting career might actually have legs. Just don’t ask me to explain the Reverse VH technique.

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Monday Habs Headlines: Carey Price at home among the game’s greats

Montreal Canadiens news and notes * Carey Price, the man, may have felt out of place at the Hockey Hall of Fame celebrations, but Carey Price, the player, was right where he belonged. [RDS] * Price wanted to make sure his Indigenous heritage was featured of his Hall of Fame plaque. [Journal de Montreal] * Price received a big cheer as he was introduced at Scotiabank Arena as part of the Hockey Hall of Fame celebrations. [Journal de Montreal] * Price says Brad Marchand was his his most hated rival. [NHL.com] * Nick Suzuki could be the next Canadiens player to get into the HHoF. [The Athletic] * Patrice Bergeron says he’s enjoying the growth of Fraser Minten as a hockey player, but mentioned Suzuki and Phillip Danault as some of his favourite players in the game. [Journal de Montreal] * Elliotte Friedman reports that the Canadiens aren’t interested in turning Michael Hage and Alexander Zharovsky into trade chips, fully expecting them on the NHL roster at the end of the season. [TVA Sports] Around the league and elsewhere * Connor Hellebuyck won’t get the start when the New Jersey Devils visit the Winnipeg Jets on Tuesday. [Sportsnet] * The Chicago Blackhawks held a players-only meeting after a 9-2 loss to the Carolina Hurricanes on Saturday. [NHL.com] * Chicago plans to stick with Jeff Blashill as head coach. [The Athletic] * Calgary Flames defenceman Kevin Bahl’s season if over after he sustained a torn Achilles. [TSN] * Brayden Point “might miss some time” with an injury. [NHL.com] * Brock Faber is practising with the Minnesota Wild as he recovered from a fractured skull sustained in pre-season. [NHL.com] * Logan Stanley was handed a maximum fine for slashing Nico Hischier. [NHL.com] * Five players who are avoiding a sophomore slump. [The Athletic] * As Mark Walter continues to sell of his sports assets to replace money removed from insurance accounts, there are questions about what that means for the PWHL, which he started with some of those funds. [Radio-Canada]

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Bottom Six Minutes: The Xhekaj tax on full display in Toronto

Despite having another scare with a lead in the third period, the Montreal Canadiens were able to hold on for a Saturday night win while visiting their historic rivals in the Toronto Maple Leafs. With their top line mostly held in check, the Habs relied on clutch markers from Chris Kreider, Zachary Bolduc, and a pair from Mr. Game Seven, Alex Newhook. Jacob Fowler didn’t exactly need to steal this one in net, but he too was a factor in giving nothing easy to the Leafs until a third period flurry saw them turn a three-goal deficit into just one. How that flurry was started, however, is somewhat important to address. We shouldn’t have to talk about this following a win, but the palpable bias of NHL officials against Arber Xhekaj is getting absurd at this point. Absolutely insane that they’re only taking Xhekaj out of this. Ridiculous. https://t.co/VbWnIxL7Ye— Matt Drake (@DrakeMT) November 8, 2026 This happened with the Habs up 3-0 in the third period, and opened the door for the Leafs to make it 3-1. There is certainly an aspect of score game management at play with them looking to penalize the visitors in this situation, but it isn’t remotely justifiable when you watch the entire sequence. Xhekaj follows his shot to the net, and Oliver Ekman-Larsson gets in the way, as both are perfectly entitled to do in that situation. In the ensuing scrum, Kirby Dach has his helmet punched off while taking shots from two different Leafs players, but the end result in the eyes on the officials is that this warrants nothing more than two minutes to Xhekaj for unsportsmanlike conduct. Not interference, not roughing, but unsportsmanlike conduct. This suggests that they either felt his mere presence was an affront, or he said something in the scrum that they didn’t like. How words, or reputation, can be worth a penalty when half a dozen gloved punches weren’t, is nonsensical. This was a classic even-up situation where the logical result is for the officials to take one player per side and move along. If Arber Xhekaj wasn’t involved, it is probably what they would have done, but we have enough evidence at this point that any time he is, they’re going to find a reason to give him the extra. The sad part in all of this is that outside of a few needless penalties, Xhekaj has mostly minded his Ps and Qs this season. He hasn’t even fought very much. He seems to be doing his level best to provide toughness and physicality without doing anything to hurt his team, and yet when a simple situation like this arises, the officials are targeting him anyways. I don’t know what the answer is at this point. Geoff Molson could offer to cover the fine and let Martin St-Louis sound off on the officials publicly, but that could easily bruise their egos and exacerbate the situation before it yields any semblance of fair treatment for his defenceman. We hear a lot about taxes in the NHL; where they’re lower, where they’re higher, and how it affects the decisions of NHL players when they’re determining where they want to call home. Meanwhile, a sinister tax, entirely imposed by the officials, is being charged to the Habs, seemingly at random. The Xhekaj tax didn’t end up costing them this recent game, but if things keep going this way, it’ll be more than just a footnote on a win before long. Click the play button below to listen to your full Bottom Six Minutes, also available wherever you get your podcasts. We’ll be back on Tuesday night, when the Habs will host the Minnesota Wild.

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Sunday Habs Headlines: Questions emerging over Ivan Demidov’s injury

Montreal Canadiens news and notes * The Canadiens are being tight-lipped about Ivan Demidov’s injury. [Montreal Gazette] * Getting used to life after hockey, former Canadien Mike Weaver says the “transition into normal everyday life is very difficult.” [Montreal Gazette] * Former Canadien Torrey Mitchell shares stories about what it was like having Kent Hughes as an agent. [Hockey Inside/Out] * Geoff Molson put an end to the rumours about purchasing CF Montréal soccer club. [Journal de Montreal] * Looking for their first divisional win heading into Saturday’s matchup, the Toronto Maple Leafs knew they were going up against a “great, complete team.” [TSN] * Heading to the Hockey Hall of Fame on Monday, Carey Price said he’s grateful for everything he learned along the way “not only in hockey but in life.” [Sportsnet] * Price addressed the media on Saturday ahead of his induction into the Hockey Hall of Fame. [Canadiens] Around the league and elsewhere * Pittsburgh Penguins GM Kyle Dubas is reportedly ready to sell and trades could happen “pretty quickly.” [Pittsburgh Hockey Now] * The Nashville Predators honor Dolly Parton on their Hometown Remix jerseys. [NHL] * While the IIHF disagrees with the ruling from the Court of Arbitration for Sport to reinstate Russia to international hockey competitions, steps are being taken for possible reimplementation. [Sportsnet] * Tampa Bay Lightning forward Jake Guentzel returned to his roots on Friday, celebrating the retirement of his college jersey. [NHL] * Brock Faber returned to the ice for practice with the Minnesota Wild after recovering from a skull fracture sustained during preseason. [NHL] * James Reimer’s stint with the New York Rangers is already over. [Sportsnet] * Winnipeg Jets prospect Alexander Command has the potential to become a valuable middle-six forward. [NHL]

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Canadiens @ Maple Leafs Top Six Minutes: Montreal locks down Toronto’s comeback bid

First period * Alexandre Texier gets the first good chance of the game as the Leafs don’t pick him up at the bottom of the right circle. He cuts across the crease, but Sergei Bobrovsky stops him. * A fourth line of Alex Newhook, Oliver Kapanen, and Kirby Dach pressure Gavin McKenna into a defensive-zone giveaway, and continues the intense shift to get Bobrovsky swimming in his crease. The goalie goes right, the puck goes left, and the shot from Alex Newhook that was heading wide ends up deflecting off his foot and going in. * The Canadiens already got burned once this season by attacking William Nylander near the blue line, and they almost did again. William Carrier got sidestepped by Toronto’s most-skilled player, allowing him to walk in and a shot far-side that went off the post. * Toronto is not dealing with the forechecking pressure from Montreal well at all. But it doesn’t tend to last for long stretches. * Montreal wins a series of puck battles in the offensive zone and ends up getting rewarded. A point shot from Kaiden Guhle gets tips by Alex Newhook and goes through the legs of Bobrovsky. We have a Twohook sighting 13 minutes into the game. * A set play off a Montreal icing leaves Auston Matthews all alone in front of Fowler, but the goalie makes a sensational pad save to deny Toronto’s top scorer. * The puck ends up deep in in the Leafs zone at the end of the shift. Troy Stecher makes a preemptive attempt to stop a cycle before it starts, but ends up hitting Cole Caufield from behind into the boards before the puck had arrived. It’s a Montreal power play. * Toronto ends up with two scoring chances in the dying seconds. * Montreal carried the play, but it felt like every shot the Maple Leafs had was a dangerous one requiring Fowler’s best. the stats support that theory, with Toronto credited with more expected goals. It’s a little bit easier for Fowler in terms of quantity, but not quality as the defence is still giving up too many opportunities with him in the net. Second period * It’s a shooting gallery for Montreal following an opening missed shot from Matthews. All of Nick Suzuki, Lane Hutson, and Texier had high-danger scoring chances on the same shift. * Alexandre Carrier tries to box out on Colton Sissons, but his stick ends up on his jaw rather than his shoulder. Toronto’s potent power play goes to work. * Montreal deals with the kill, but Toronto has an extended shift in Montreal’s zone with their top players on. After about 1:45, William Nylander speeds toward the net with the puck, and fires off off the shaft of Fowler’s stick to deflect off the crossbar and out. * Again, they don’t play like this with Jakub Dobeš in the net. * McKenna skates the puck past Hutson to gain the zone, but bails hard on the puck when Xhekaj lines him up in the corner. * It’s just typical holding-a-two-goal-lead play from Montreal right now, tempting fate to see how long it will last. * Another giveaway from McKenna on a pass back to the blue line springs Chris Kreider, and the Canadiens have found someone who can score on a breakaway. Gavin McKenna with a great assist to Chris Krieder, and he makes it 3-0 #Habs pic.twitter.com/CXvRTKKWZm— Matt Drake (@DrakeMT) November 8, 2026 * Fowler follows a pass into the slot perfectly and is sitting right in front of the puck when Nick Paul fires it, right into his glove. * The broadcast is starting to question what the Maple Leafs are doing in the game. You can thank Fowler for that. * The Canadiens will take a big lead into the third period. They don’t really deserve to be up three goals after getting outshot 10-7 in that frame, but it would be really nice if they didn’t feel the need to hand the goals back. Third period * Chris Tanev intercepts a pass on what would have been an easy goal for Caufield. * Dach and Xhekaj go to the net after a shot, get mugged by the Leafs and Dach takes several punches from Teddy Blueger in the scrum. End result: power play Toronto as Arber gets the hidden rule of two minutes for being a Xhekaj. Sometimes it’s not the Canadiens who spoil their leads. * The ref’s plan works. Fowler’s shutout bid is spoiled as William Nylander scores on the power play. * The momentum has shifted as the Canadiens once again struggle to deal with getting scored on. Gavin McKenna scores Toronto’s second goal. * Caufield gets three chances in as many seconds to restore the two-goal lead, but Bobrovsky stops two and Caufield flubs the final one. * They have recovered well after the second one to get the puck into Toronto’s zone more. Martin St-Louis might have to start using his timeout anytime a Fowler shutout bid gets spoiled. * Stecher hooks Phillip Danault in too obvious a fashion for the refs to ignore, and the Canadiens will receive a power play. * The two-goal lead is restored, one-timer from Zachary Bolduc off a pass from Hutson. Lane Hutson tees up Zachary Bolduc, and he goes short side to make it 4-2 #Habs pic.twitter.com/1d4zsuFYye— Matt Drake (@DrakeMT) November 8, 2026 * “Olé!” resounds throughout Scotiabank Arena. * Another failed stick lift from Slafkovský in the offensive zone is penalized, this one a double-minor with 3:33 to play that knocked some of Jack Roslovic’s teeth loose. Just when things were looking a little more secure. * Evans has a chance to seal the game on a breakaway, but couldn’t get any elevation on the backhand. * Bobrovsky heads to the bench. * Guhle’s stick breaks again on the penalty kill. * Now Noah Dobson’s stick snaps in half. * They survive with two stickless defenders as the Leafs clear the puck out themselves. * That was the final moment of danger as the Habs maintain their 4-2 edge for a second consecutive victory, and a 10-game point streak. With that, they sit tied with the Boston Bruins for the Atlantic Division lead. * Next up: the Minnesota Wild on Tuesday at the Bell Centre. EOTP 3 Stars 3) I don’t know why they bother 2) It might not be all that close 1) You know it’s bad when the Sportsnet broadcasters disagree with a call

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Canadiens @ Maple Leafs: Game thread, lines, and how to watch

How to watch Game 17: Montreal Canadiens @ Toronto Maple Leafs Start time: 7:00 PM EST / 5:00 PM PDT In Canada: Sportsnet (English), TVA Sports (French) Streaming: Sportsnet+, TVA Sports+ (Canada), ESPN+ (USA) Montreal rebounded from a loss that was the talk of the league for a couple of days with a comeback victory of their own on Thursday night. In the grand scheme of things, that blown four-goal lead to the Winnipeg Jets is just one of the nine consecutive games in which they’ve claimed a point. The team may have rebounded from the shocking loss, but tonight will be Jacob Fowler’s turn to get back in the win column himself after that result snapped a personal seven-game winning streak. Montreal held a Utah Mammoth team that generates a lot of shots to just 20 shots despite handing them five power plays, and Fowler would appreciate getting such a defensive performance, about half of what he’s typically faced in his past few games. The Canadiens won’t have Josh Anderson in the lineup this evening as he’s away for personal reasons, so one of the team’s top performers versus the rival Leafs will be unavailable. Owen Beck steps back into the lineup for this one, looking to continue the good play he was showing before Nick Suzuki returned to the lineup and Kirby Dach took a turn in his stead on Thursday. The Leafs are a top-heavy team with stars who will require the most attention, so Beck can help Montreal gain an advantage with its superior forward depth in those bottom-six minutes. Montreal Canadiens projected lineup .tg {border-collapse:collapse;border-spacing:0;} .tg td{border-color:black;border-style:solid;border-width:0px;font-family:Arial, sans-serif;font-size:14px; overflow:hidden;padding:10px 5px;word-break:normal;} .tg th{border-color:black;border-style:solid;border-width:0px;font-family:Arial, sans-serif;font-size:14px; font-weight:normal;overflow:hidden;padding:10px 5px;word-break:normal;} .tg .tg-hqqs{background-color:#BE2F37;border-width:1px;color:#FFF;font-weight:bold;text-align:center;vertical-align:bottom} .tg .tg-zsd7{border-width:1px;text-align:center;vertical-align:bottom} Left Wing Centre Right Wing #13 Cole Caufield #14 Nick Suzuki #20 Juraj Slafkovský #76 Zachary Bolduc #24 Phillip Danault #85 Alexandre Texier #22 Chris Kreider #71 Jake Evans #77 Kirby Dach #91 Oliver Kapanen #15 Alex Newhook #62 Owen Beck .tg {border-collapse:collapse;border-spacing:0;} .tg td{border-color:black;border-style:solid;border-width:0px;font-family:Arial, sans-serif;font-size:14px; overflow:hidden;padding:10px 5px;word-break:normal;} .tg th{border-color:black;border-style:solid;border-width:0px;font-family:Arial, sans-serif;font-size:14px; font-weight:normal;overflow:hidden;padding:10px 5px;word-break:normal;} .tg .tg-2rkt{background-color:#21386F;border-width:1px;color:#FFF;font-weight:bold;text-align:center;vertical-align:bottom} .tg .tg-zsd7{border-width:1px;text-align:center;vertical-align:bottom} Left Defence Right Defence #48 Lane Hutson #53 Noah Dobson #21 Kaiden Guhle #45 Alexandre Carrier #72 Arber Xhekaj #42 Adam Engström .tg {border-collapse:collapse;border-spacing:0;} .tg td{border-color:black;border-style:solid;border-width:0px;font-family:Arial, sans-serif;font-size:14px; overflow:hidden;padding:10px 5px;word-break:normal;} .tg th{border-color:black;border-style:solid;border-width:0px;font-family:Arial, sans-serif;font-size:14px; font-weight:normal;overflow:hidden;padding:10px 5px;word-break:normal;} .tg .tg-fx6j{background-color:#FFF;border-width:1px;font-weight:bold;text-align:center;vertical-align:bottom} .tg .tg-zsd7{border-width:1px;text-align:center;vertical-align:bottom} Starter Backup #32 Jacob Fowler #75 Jakub Dobeš Injured: Ivan Demidov, Mike Matheson, Samuel Montembeault Leave: Josh Anderson Scratched: Florian Xhekaj Toronto Maple Leafs projected lineup .tg {border-collapse:collapse;border-spacing:0;} .tg td{border-color:black;border-style:solid;border-width:0px;font-family:Arial, sans-serif;font-size:14px; overflow:hidden;padding:10px 5px;word-break:normal;} .tg th{border-color:black;border-style:solid;border-width:0px;font-family:Arial, sans-serif;font-size:14px; font-weight:normal;overflow:hidden;padding:10px 5px;word-break:normal;} .tg .tg-sezu{border-width:1px;font-weight:bold;text-align:center;vertical-align:bottom} .tg .tg-bmkl{border-width:1px;text-align:center;vertical-align:middle} .tg .tg-zsd7{border-width:1px;text-align:center;vertical-align:bottom} Left Wing Centre Right Wing Easton Cowan Auston Matthews Jack Roslovic John Tavares Nick Paul William Nylander Dakota Joshua Colton Sissons Gavin McKenna Brandon Duhaime Teddy Blueger Zack MacEwen .tg {border-collapse:collapse;border-spacing:0;} .tg td{border-color:black;border-style:solid;border-width:0px;font-family:Arial, sans-serif;font-size:14px; overflow:hidden;padding:10px 5px;word-break:normal;} .tg th{border-color:black;border-style:solid;border-width:0px;font-family:Arial, sans-serif;font-size:14px; font-weight:normal;overflow:hidden;padding:10px 5px;word-break:normal;} .tg .tg-sezu{border-width:1px;font-weight:bold;text-align:center;vertical-align:bottom} .tg .tg-zsd7{border-width:1px;text-align:center;vertical-align:bottom} Left Defence Right Defence Jake McCabe Darren Raddysh Morgan Rielly Chris Tanev Oliver Ekman-Larsson Troy Stecher .tg {border-collapse:collapse;border-spacing:0;} .tg td{border-color:black;border-style:solid;border-width:0px;font-family:Arial, sans-serif;font-size:14px; overflow:hidden;padding:10px 5px;word-break:normal;} .tg th{border-color:black;border-style:solid;border-width:0px;font-family:Arial, sans-serif;font-size:14px; font-weight:normal;overflow:hidden;padding:10px 5px;word-break:normal;} .tg .tg-sezu{border-width:1px;font-weight:bold;text-align:center;vertical-align:bottom} .tg .tg-zsd7{border-width:1px;text-align:center;vertical-align:bottom} Starter Backup Sergei Bobrovsky Anthony Stolarz

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Canadiens @ Maple Leafs: Game preview, start time, Tale of the Tape, and how to watch

How to watch Game 17: Montreal Canadiens @ Toronto Maple Leafs Start time: 7:00 PM EST / 5:00 PM PDT In Canada: Sportsnet (English), TVA Sports (French) Streaming: Sportsnet+, TVA Sports+ (Canada), ESPN+ (USA) The Toronto Maple Leafs had a hot stretch from October 19 to 24 that saw them outscore opponents 21-9 over a four-game winning streak that got a lot of people excited about how far the team can go this year. Since then they’ve settled back down to their early-season form of accumulating more losses than wins, and that’s about what was expected of them this season. They currently sit just outside the Eastern Conference’s second-wild spot, probably around where they will finish this season. A Leafs team that has seen quite a few changes from last season has scored 64 goals in 17 games while giving up an Atlantic Division-high 56. It’s high-event hockey being provided, although not as much in front of the home fans. They rank second in the league with 4.50 goals per game on the road, but are 22nd among home teams. Toronto’s possession numbers aren’t strong, slightly below average by just about any metric. A significant portion of Toronto’s offence is generated on its power play, which is currently operating at 25%. It’s not on the same level as the Utah Mammoth’s man advantage that went into Montreal ranked second in the league and scored three goals to vault to first, but it has scored 15 times in 17 games so far. The gameplan once again needs to be limiting the opponent’s power plays — or maybe having to go one step further and avoiding any contact that could be perceived as a penalty. Tale of the Tape .tg {border-collapse:collapse;border-spacing:0;} .tg td{border-color:black;border-style:solid;border-width:0px;font-family:Arial, sans-serif;font-size:14px; overflow:hidden;padding:10px 5px;word-break:normal;} .tg th{border-color:black;border-style:solid;border-width:0px;font-family:Arial, sans-serif;font-size:14px; font-weight:normal;overflow:hidden;padding:10px 5px;word-break:normal;} .tg .tg-hqqs{background-color:#BE2F37;border-width:1px;color:#FFF;font-weight:bold;text-align:center;vertical-align:bottom} .tg .tg-zsd7{border-width:1px;text-align:center;vertical-align:bottom} Canadiens Statistics Maple Leafs 10-3-3 Record 8-7-2 50.1% (17th) Expected-goal share 47.3% (24th) 3.44 (12th) Goals per game 3.65 (7th) 3.19 (17th) Goals against per game 3.24 (18th) 10.0% (30th) Net PP% 25.0% (5th) 80.0% (16th) Net PK% 89.8% (7th) 1-0-0 Head-to-Head Record 0-1-0 Cole Caufield (11) Most goals Auston Matthews (11) Lane Hutson (13) Most assists Auston Matthews (15) Lane Hutson (16) Most points Auston Matthews (26) This will be the Canadiens’ first intradivision game since October 17. That night they ran their record to 4-0 versus fellow teams in what is by far the most competitive section in the league. Every team holds at least a .500 points percentage, and the Canadiens are one of five teams north of .600. So far it’s just the three under that latter mark that Montreal has played. There is starting to be some separation, and Toronto and the Detroit Red Wings risk falling behind. The Habs will want to do their part to maintain that gap and reduce the number of teams competing for division spots at the end of the season. Montreal goes into the game with a chance to extend its point streak to double digits, one that started with that match versus Buffalo three weeks ago. Going into that night, the Canadiens were a .500 team themselves, not even in a wild-card spot. With a win tonight, they would catch the Boston Bruins at 25 points in the same number of games played, tying for the top spot in the Atlantic. A meeting with Boston next week could have that position on the line, but there is still a lot of work to do to get to that point, including what will be a very difficult matchup with the Minnesota Wild on Tuesday. Montreal first needs to focus on the game ahead of them because the Maple Leafs have the firepower to bite them if they look beyond this contest. The Canadiens are 5-1-1 on the road this year, second in the NHL just like they were a season ago. They tend to play their most stable game on the road, which is what they need versus a team heavily skewed toward offence.

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Laval vs. Cleveland recap & highlights: An offensive storm by the Rocket bests the Monsters

After falling short on their comeback effort on Wednesday night, the Laval Rocket were again on home ice with a chance to get back in the win column on Friday as they squared off with the Cleveland Monsters. Following their loss to Lehigh Valley where the Rocket battled back to tie the game, only to lose on a poor showing in overtime, they were very much out for blood against a division rival. Samuel Poulin was back in the lineup after missing time due to an upper-body injury, and in net they turned back to Kaapo Kähkönen after Kevin Mandolese got the nod on Wednesday. It was also a homecoming night with Luke Tuch returning to face the Rocket for the first time after being traded in the off-season. A strong start for the Rocket sent them to a power play just over two-and-a-half minutes into the contest, with Roman Ahcan taking a seat for tripping inside his own offensive zone. The top unit remained as dangerous as ever, shifting the puck around with ease but being unable to sneak a shot by Pheonix Copley on their two-minute advantage. The pressure from their advantage did carry over to even strength as the Rocket sought the game’s opening goal. After a four-on-one rush failed to even get a shot on net, the Rocket took their turn in the box as Alex Belzile caught Max McCue up high with his stick, leaving Laval without a key penalty-killer for two minutes. Cleveland’s power play threatened early against the Rocket with Boston Buckberger hammering a clean slapshot off the crossbar behind Kähkönen and an Emil Andrae shot fluttering around the crease without a clean follow-up by the Monsters. Belzile was sprung from the box, allowing the Rocket to go back to work, and a deflection by Tyler Thorpe just missed the far corner The Rocket’s continued offensive-zone pressure broke the deadlock through a pair of unexpected contributors. David Reinbacher freed up Braden Haché for a clean look on net. The rebound off his shot fell to the skates of Hunter McKown, who despite having his stick tied up, was able to kick the puck free to the front of net. Wide-open was Josh Nadeau who easily slid home the shot for his third goal of the year, and a Rocket lead in the first period. As the Rocket pushed for a second goal, they drew their second advantage of the period, with Jordan Dumais getting dinged for holding, again inside the offensive zone. It took all of 19 seconds for the Rocket to double their lead with Belzile feeding Laurent Dauphin behind the net, and Dauphin walking uncontested to the front of goal to score his third of the season for a 2-0 lead. Two Rocket goals was enough to secure the lead for the home side heading into the first intermission, with the defence having allowed just seven total shots in the opening frame. With a two-goal lead, the Rocket were well-positioned to build on a strong first period, but instead cut their own lead in half just 19 seconds into the second period. A weak clearing effort by Dillan Bentley never exited the zone and Luca Pinelli walked in unopposed, ripping a shot over the shoulder of Kähkönen to make it a 2-1 contest. The Rocket response to Pinelli’s goal was instant. They sent wave after wave into the offensive zone and pressed Copley on every single shift, passing the 20-shot mark in no time flat. After his earlier mistake led to a goal, it was Bentley who restored the Rocket lead, with a cut to the netfront and a wicked snapshot while falling over that made it a 3-1 contest. In the aftermath of Bentley’s goal, Roman Ahcan roughed up Xavier Simoneau behind the play and put a dangerous Rocket power play back on the ice with a chance to increase the lead further. The incredible pads of Copley were the only reason the game wasn’t almost instantly 4-1, as he denied Samuel Poulin multiple times on the power play, giving the Monsters a chance to battle back. That missed opportunity immediately came back to bite the Rocket as the Monsters turned around and cut the lead down to a single goal again. Pinelli worked the puck around Sasha Pastujov at the point, freeing up Owen Sillinger down the wing, and the Cleveland captain ripped a low shot by Kähkönen to make it a 3-2 contest. Tempers boiled over as Ahcan buried Bentley with a clean hit, drawing a response from Tyler Thorpe who threw him into the boards from behind and sent Cleveland back to the power play. Laval’s penalty kill was smothering as Cleveland looked to tie the game, and Thorpe’s transgression didn’t bring further punishment as he left the box with a one-goal lead still intact. Then everything began to come unglued as Copley was drawn out of his cage trying to collect a loose puck, but McKown wasn’t able to slot the puck into the empty cage, leaving the Rocket still trying to wrestle control of the game back from the Monsters. Then, with no time left in the period it was McKown striking against his former club with a goal of the year candidate. Nadeau broke up a play in the offensive zone, freeing up McKown to kick the puck to his stick, spin around the poke check of Copley, and then finish between his legs to make it a 4-2 game as the second period ended. McKown’s goal again sent the Rocket to the intermission with a two-goal lead, and a tough third period still ahead of them at Place Bell. That tough third period got off to a much better start for the Rocket than the second period, as Brett Berard sped by the Monsters’ defence and clanged a shot off the right post. Berard didn’t have to wait long for another chance however, with Reilly Walsh’s shot bouncing over to him deep in the offensive zone. Berard corralled the puck, and while spinning on his back foot, he roofed a shot to the upper right corner to make it a 5-2 game. Berard doubled down as the period began to tick away. He deftly knocked a puck out of the air, then quickly cut toward the Cleveland net. His first shot was saved by Copley, but he collected the rebound and managed to fake Copley out just enough to sweep his shot under the pad and into the net. Then, as these games often do, things got out of hand as the tempers continued to boil over in a blowout contest. Owen Protz caught Owen Sillinger up high with his stick, leading to a double-minor. Before the play could finish, Sillinger went after Protz, kicking off a mass kerfuffle that saw Simoneau sent to the box and multiple players piling on the two Owens. Cleveland’s four-minute power play was set to run out almost all the time left on the clock if the Rocket were able to fend off the advantage. With half the penalty time killed off the Rocket were well in control of not letting the Monsters have any late momentum, with Kähkönen flashing his glove to stonewall the few chances he did see. In the end, the Monsters weren’t able to muster anything to cut down the Rocket lead as the final horn sounded. Final Score: Laval 6, Cleveland 2 After a heated affair on Friday night, the temperature won’t have long to cool down as Cleveland will be back at Place Bell on Saturday, with puck drop set for 3pm ET.

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Saturday Habs Headlines: Ivan Demidov making progress in injury recovery

Montreal Canadiens news and notes * Ivan Demidov is making progress from his injury, though recovery is taking longer than originally projected. [Sportsnet] * Special teams have been a problem for Montreal. [La Presse] * Cole Caufield is now firmly established as one of the game’s elite goal-scorers. [Journal de Montreal] * He’s also the game’s best finisher. [Journal de Montreal] * The Canadiens got the best version of Juraj Slafkovský on Thursday. [The Athletic] * Arber’s Xhekaj launched the hardest shot for a goal in the NHL this season. [NHL.com] * The players answer fan questions. [Canadiens.com] * Montreal is sixth in the latest power rankings. [The Athletic] * How Nikita Kucherov’s contract could pay him more money playing for Montreal than the Tampa Bay Lightning. [Journal de Montreal] * José Théodore says Carey Price absolutely deserves to be in the Hockey Hall of Fame. [RDS] * P.K. Subban says Price’s off-ice example was as important as his play. [NHL.com] * Price was inspired by the Canadiens’ legends during his career. [NHL.com] Around the league and elsewhere * John Tavares is expected back in the Toronto Maple Leafs’ lineup tonight versus Montreal. [NHL.com] * Dylan Larkin’s agent has no intentions of expanding his player’s trade list beyond the current 10 teams. [RG.org] * Wayne Gretzky is in awe of what Connor McDavid has done to start this season. [Sportsnet] * Cutter Gauthier is on an Anaheim Ducks team-record goal-scoring spree. [NHL.com] * Elias Pettersson is looking more like his former self. [Sportsnet] * Zayne Parekh is starting to feel comfortable in the NHL. [Sportsnet] * The German ice hockey federation is trying to figure out how to handle a Men’s World Championship with several nations refusing to play versus a team representing Russia. [La Presse]

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Friday Habs Headlines: Hands off the panic button

Montreal Canadiens news and notes * The history-making defeat to the Winnipeg Jets is not cause for alarm, says Antoine Roussel. [Journal de Montreal] * Could the Habs be an outside contender for the Cup? [Daily Faceoff] * Trevor Timmins still remembers the first time he saw Carey Price. [RDS] * Five early frontrunners for NHL rookie of the year, including Jacob Fowler. [Sportsnet] * The story of this great Canadian of the 1950s had to be told one day, and that is what Matthew Vachon has undertaken to do. [La Presse] Around the league and elsewhere * The left knee injury Florida Panthers forward Brad Marchand suffered during a game in early October had him initially concerned that his season or even his career could be in jeopardy. [Sportsnet] * In the midst of a three-game losing streak, the San Jose Sharks held a players-only meeting after a blowout 7-2 loss to the Los Angeles Kings. [TSN] * The PWHL announced several rule changes for the upcoming season, including a provision to allow pucks to be played with a high stick. [PWHL] * How aggressively should each team pursue Nikita Kucherov? [The Athletic] * Where could Kucherov end up? [ESPN] * Five veteran NHL forwards on big contracts who might need changes of scenery. [Daily Faceoff] * Minnesota Wild defenseman Brock Faber returned to practice, moving closer to making his regular season debut that was delayed by a fractured skull. [TSN] * Women’s hockey star Hayley Wickenheiser, longtime women’s coach and general manager Melody Davidson and former Para hockey captain Todd Nicholson have been named to the Order of Hockey in Canada. [CBC]

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Canadiens vs. Mammoth Top Six Minutes: Habs overpower Utah’s man advantage

* Those were the best anthems the Bell Centre has heard since Ginette Reno used to sing them. First period * Another matchup of two teams wearing dark jerseys. Everything sounds and looks great so far, now what about the hockey? * Logan Cooley skates around Adam Engström, Jakub Dobeš only covered the near post, and a move to the backhand allows the Mammoth to open the scoring. * That’s six goals for opponents at the Bell Centre in the span of 8:51 since Tyrel Bauer started Winnipeg’s comeback on Tuesday. * Nick Suzuki reads a pass at his blue line perfectly, gets the puck to Lane Hutson at the last second before getting hit. Hutson goes in on a breakaway and … Montreal remains at a 0% conversion rate in those one-on-one situations. * Josh Anderson steps into Jack McBain as he skates to the net, twisting him sideways. McBain goes on to take a shot and then falls down. The ref calls Anderson for tripping. * Cooley gets sent in on a breakaway as he gets behind the defence. He does convert, and it’s 2-0. * It’s pure panic in the defensive zone as the Canadiens players are just slapping at the puck trying to clear it away. * On the bright side at least Nick Suzuki is looking good in his return. * And while I was typing that, he took a great cross-seam pass at the back door from Juraj Slafkovský and makes it a one-goal game. Great pass from Juraj Slafkovsky to the back door, where Nick Suzuki scores in his first game back. #Habs cut the deficit to one. pic.twitter.com/vN8Do2V4tH— Matt Drake (@DrakeMT) November 6, 2026 * Slafkovský has made some nice passes the past few games, so maybe he’s starting to find his form. * Arber Xhekaj winds up a slapshot from the point, and Oliver Kapanen is very glad that it misses his screen to find mesh and not flesh. The game is tied. Bomb from Arber Xhekaj ties this game at two. pic.twitter.com/d30HucynJ5— Matt Drake (@DrakeMT) November 6, 2026 * Liam O’Brien must have watched the games versus the Winnipeg Jets, and immediately invited Xhekaj to a fight off the centre-ice whistle. Xhekaj scores the takedown after a long bout. * Alexandre Texier leads a three-on-two, but gets stripped of the puck as he goes to make a pass. You may have heard this story before, because he tries to hard to make up for the mistake by chasing a man through the neutral zone and ends up with a holding the stick call. * The Canadiens recovered well from a dreadful start, but they will have to contend with 1:19 of time for the Mammoth’s power play in period two. Second period * There was great movement on the Mammoth power play as they zipped the puck around, but Montreal survives. Dobeš deals with a nervous moment just as the penalty expires to stop a chance created off a turnover. * The Canadiens are playing much better at five-on-five now, and it’s the Mammoth scrambling around a bit trying to defend. * Juraj Slafkovský gets the puck near the net and sends a far-side shot glancing off the post. * The top line is generating a scoring chance on every shift now. * Chris Kreider taps at the leg of Dmitri Simashev as he goes around the net. Simashev falls down. That’s called tripping, too. We’ll see how long this power play lasts before the makeup call comes. * Phillip Danault’s stick breaks on the shift PK shift. Xhekaj’s does on the next shift, Danault’s gives his up and is again defending without one. * A spectacular lunging toe saves denies a mid-range shot from the Mammoth. * On a penalty kill they shouldn’t have had, Kaiden Guhle sends the puck over the glass late, and the Mammoth will remain a man up after a very brief five-on-three. * The Canadiens get a short-handed two-on-one as the Mammoth change, but again can’t score. * With nine seconds remaining in the back-to-back penalty calls, Cooley nets his second on the power play to finish off his hat trick. * The refs find something to call Utah for at five-on-five — Andrew Peeke holding Texier’s stick — but their damage is already done. * Utah stands up at the blue line and the Canadiens struggle to get across it. * Kirby Dach takes a high stick in the face, so the Canadiens will get another crack at the power play. * Cossa made two saves versus the top unit, but I don’t think he saw either on of them. * Lots of scoring chances in those two minutes, but Montreal still trails by a goal. * Utah plays the puck over the glass from their own end, and now it’s time for the power play to come through with a goal. * Cossa makes another save that he reacted to after the puck had hit him. * They’ll have to make it happen on the 1:35 that will carry over to the third. * Though Utah spend a quarter of the period on the power play, they end with eight shots to Montreal’s 15. The phantom trip made the difference for the Mammoth to take the lead. Third period * Cole Caufield gets a minor for interference along the wall to let Lane Hutson get the puck, and the refs have finally called one of Utah’s dives. It will stay at five-on-four. * Cossa again has no idea where the shot goes, but this time it sits behind him, and Dach pounces to tie the game. Kirby Dach gets his first of the season, and we're all tied up at three. pic.twitter.com/pXZRL7jT7g— Matt Drake (@DrakeMT) November 6, 2026 * Utah almost immediately takes a lead as Dobeš slides way too far to challenge Peeke, but the shot goes well wide on the opposite side. * Cooley gets stripped of the puck in the neutral zone and superman dives to the ice trying to get a call. It was so bad I don’t think anyone else on the ice actually thought that’s what happened. * Slafkovský tries to lift the stick of Mikhail Sergachev and hits him in the face. He argues about it, but that was a penalty, and another one in the offensive zone. * Guhle’s stick breaks behind the net, and moments later Nick Schmaltz makes it 4-3 on Utah’s third power-play goal. * O’Brien blocks Xhekaj from getting to the puck along the wall, and he will go to the box by himself for this coming together. * Slafkovský’s stick beaks off the faceoff, and I think that’s half a dozen for Montreal tonight. * Lots of looks yet again. The last couple of power plays have been encouraging. * Engström glides into the zone to follow up the entry, accepts a pass from Jake Evans, walks it to the slot, and rips home his first NHL goal. Adam Engstrom's first NHL goal ties this game at four! pic.twitter.com/wzPtr2ua2i— Matt Drake (@DrakeMT) November 6, 2026 * Alex Newhook gets caught up with Stenlund in the offensive zone. Stenlund ends up shoving him to the ice. The ref doesn’t want Stendlund to yell at him again like he did after the diving call, and sends off both players. * The whistle sounds, and the Canadiens have run their point streak to nine games. A solid effort after going down two goals early. Overtime * It takes 30 seconds for Caufield to get the puck. He comes down on the wing, fakes a slapshot to get Cossa down, and then shoots the puck top corner to claim the second point. Cole Caufield calls game in OT. #Habs win pic.twitter.com/hNIFegLOwQ— Matt Drake (@DrakeMT) November 6, 2026 * A fitting end to the game given how Montreal played, and they run their season record to 10-3-3, now a 121-point pace. * Next up: another team reliant on its power play, the Toronto Maple Leafs on Saturday night. EOTP 3 Stars 3) Thank you 2) He’s making some nice passes when he looks to see where they’re going 1) Xhekaj has been on a consistent run

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Canadiens vs. Mammoth: Game thread, lines, and how to watch

How to watch Game 16: Montreal Canadiens vs. Utah Mammoth Start time: 7:00 PM EST / 5:00 PM PDT In the Canadiens region: TSN2 (English), RDS (French) In the Mammoth region: Utah16, Mammoth+ Streaming: RDS, TSN+ (Canada), ESPN+ (USA) After missing six games in what was first reported to be an absence of two to four weeks, Nick Suzuki will make his way back into the lineup. He’s been lobbying to make his return for a couple of games now, and after a shocking loss on Tuesday and a tough opponent at the Bell Centre tonight, the medical staff has granted his wish. Montreal went 5-0-1 without its captain, and a two-game point streak the team was on when he got injured has been extended to eight, with the last regulation loss coming October 14 versus the Washington Capitals. The Canadiens continue to accumulate points following a disappointing start when they were leaving a few on the table, and currently rank second in the Atlantic Division, third in the Eastern Conference, and sixth in the NHL. Tonight’s opponent is the team that ranks 10th in the overall order, though recent results haven’t been as kind to the Utah Mammoth as at the start of the season. Opponents have claimed at least a point off them five times in the past six games, and the three losses have all come in regulation. They’ve alternated wins and losses for the past couple of weeks, so following Utah’s loss in Toronto on the third game of six consecutive on the road, it’s time for the Canadiens to regroup and keep that pattern going. Montreal Canadiens projected lineup .tg {border-collapse:collapse;border-spacing:0;} .tg td{border-color:black;border-style:solid;border-width:0px;font-family:Arial, sans-serif;font-size:14px; overflow:hidden;padding:10px 5px;word-break:normal;} .tg th{border-color:black;border-style:solid;border-width:0px;font-family:Arial, sans-serif;font-size:14px; font-weight:normal;overflow:hidden;padding:10px 5px;word-break:normal;} .tg .tg-hqqs{background-color:#BE2F37;border-width:1px;color:#FFF;font-weight:bold;text-align:center;vertical-align:bottom} .tg .tg-zsd7{border-width:1px;text-align:center;vertical-align:bottom} Left Wing Centre Right Wing #13 Cole Caufield #14 Nick Suzuki #20 Juraj Slafkovský #76 Zachary Bolduc #24 Phillip Danault #85 Alexandre Texier #22 Chris Kreider #71 Jake Evans #17 Josh Anderson #91 Oliver Kapanen #15 Alex Newhook #77 Kirby Dach .tg {border-collapse:collapse;border-spacing:0;} .tg td{border-color:black;border-style:solid;border-width:0px;font-family:Arial, sans-serif;font-size:14px; overflow:hidden;padding:10px 5px;word-break:normal;} .tg th{border-color:black;border-style:solid;border-width:0px;font-family:Arial, sans-serif;font-size:14px; font-weight:normal;overflow:hidden;padding:10px 5px;word-break:normal;} .tg .tg-2rkt{background-color:#21386F;border-width:1px;color:#FFF;font-weight:bold;text-align:center;vertical-align:bottom} .tg .tg-zsd7{border-width:1px;text-align:center;vertical-align:bottom} Left Defence Right Defence #48 Lane Hutson #53 Noah Dobson #21 Kaiden Guhle #45 Alexandre Carrier #72 Arber Xhekaj #42 Adam Engström .tg {border-collapse:collapse;border-spacing:0;} .tg td{border-color:black;border-style:solid;border-width:0px;font-family:Arial, sans-serif;font-size:14px; overflow:hidden;padding:10px 5px;word-break:normal;} .tg th{border-color:black;border-style:solid;border-width:0px;font-family:Arial, sans-serif;font-size:14px; font-weight:normal;overflow:hidden;padding:10px 5px;word-break:normal;} .tg .tg-fx6j{background-color:#FFF;border-width:1px;font-weight:bold;text-align:center;vertical-align:bottom} .tg .tg-zsd7{border-width:1px;text-align:center;vertical-align:bottom} Starter Backup #75 Jakub Dobeš #32 Jacob Fowler Injured: Ivan Demidov, Mike Matheson, Samuel Montembeault Scratched: Owen Beck, Florian Xhekaj Utah Mammoth projected lineup .tg {border-collapse:collapse;border-spacing:0;} .tg td{border-color:black;border-style:solid;border-width:0px;font-family:Arial, sans-serif;font-size:14px; overflow:hidden;padding:10px 5px;word-break:normal;} .tg th{border-color:black;border-style:solid;border-width:0px;font-family:Arial, sans-serif;font-size:14px; font-weight:normal;overflow:hidden;padding:10px 5px;word-break:normal;} .tg .tg-sezu{border-width:1px;font-weight:bold;text-align:center;vertical-align:bottom} .tg .tg-bmkl{border-width:1px;text-align:center;vertical-align:middle} .tg .tg-zsd7{border-width:1px;text-align:center;vertical-align:bottom} Left Wing Centre Right Wing Clayton Keller Barrett Hayton Anders Lee Logan Cooley Vincent Trocheck Lawson Crouse Nick Schmaltz Jack McBain Dylan Guenther Michael Carcone Kevin Stenlund Liam O’Brien .tg {border-collapse:collapse;border-spacing:0;} .tg td{border-color:black;border-style:solid;border-width:0px;font-family:Arial, sans-serif;font-size:14px; overflow:hidden;padding:10px 5px;word-break:normal;} .tg th{border-color:black;border-style:solid;border-width:0px;font-family:Arial, sans-serif;font-size:14px; font-weight:normal;overflow:hidden;padding:10px 5px;word-break:normal;} .tg .tg-sezu{border-width:1px;font-weight:bold;text-align:center;vertical-align:bottom} .tg .tg-zsd7{border-width:1px;text-align:center;vertical-align:bottom} Left Defence Right Defence Mikhail Sergachiev MacKenzie Weegar Nate Schmidt Andrew Peake Dmitri Simashev Nick DeSimone .tg {border-collapse:collapse;border-spacing:0;} .tg td{border-color:black;border-style:solid;border-width:0px;font-family:Arial, sans-serif;font-size:14px; overflow:hidden;padding:10px 5px;word-break:normal;} .tg th{border-color:black;border-style:solid;border-width:0px;font-family:Arial, sans-serif;font-size:14px; font-weight:normal;overflow:hidden;padding:10px 5px;word-break:normal;} .tg .tg-sezu{border-width:1px;font-weight:bold;text-align:center;vertical-align:bottom} .tg .tg-zsd7{border-width:1px;text-align:center;vertical-align:bottom} Starter Backup Sebastian Cossa Karel Vejmelka

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Canadiens vs. Mammoth: Game preview, start time, Tale of the Tape, and how to watch

How to watch Game 16: Montreal Canadiens vs. Utah Mammoth Start time: 7:00 PM EST / 5:00 PM PDT In the Canadiens region: TSN2 (English), RDS (French) In the Mammoth region: Utah16, Mammoth+ Streaming: RDS, TSN+ (Canada), ESPN+ (USA) The Montreal Canadiens were dealt an awful loss on Tuesday, and every fan, player, and coach agrees. Never before in the history of the NHL had a four-goal lead with under three minutes remaining turned into a loss, and now that’s going to be something this group will see referenced for a long time. As embarrassing as the loss was, there were still some positives to cling to. The fact that Montreal allowed four unanswered goals and still took a point from the game was thanks to their own offensive output throughout the game, and they’ve remained productive without one-third of the top six. The other bit of good news is that Jacob Fowler was the reason the Canadiens’ still had a four-goal lead to give up so late, as the Winnipeg Jets could have easily had four in each period if not for his play. The team might be starting to lean on the rookie netminder too much, however. Montreal has allowed more than 30 shots in a game just four times this season. Three of them have come with Fowler in net, and it’s not because he’s leaving rebounds for second chances. Tuesday was the second time he’s faced 46 or more shots after doing so in St. Louis last week, the difference is this time he wasn’t able to withstand the barrage for 60 minutes. Montreal recently spent a decade playing bad hockey and getting dragged to contention by its goaltender, and they can’t slip into that style of play just because they have a potential star in the crease once again. They’ve proven that they can play a commanding style, and Jakub Dobeš’s last start versus the Stanley Cup-hopeful Dallas Stars was the last example. If the loss does get everyone playing a good possession game like the one in the match last Thursday, it wouldn’t be as bad an outcome as it felt at the time. Tale of the Tape .tg {border-collapse:collapse;border-spacing:0;} .tg td{border-color:black;border-style:solid;border-width:0px;font-family:Arial, sans-serif;font-size:14px; overflow:hidden;padding:10px 5px;word-break:normal;} .tg th{border-color:black;border-style:solid;border-width:0px;font-family:Arial, sans-serif;font-size:14px; font-weight:normal;overflow:hidden;padding:10px 5px;word-break:normal;} .tg .tg-hqqs{background-color:#BE2F37;border-width:1px;color:#FFF;font-weight:bold;text-align:center;vertical-align:bottom} .tg .tg-zsd7{border-width:1px;text-align:center;vertical-align:bottom} Canadiens Statistics Mammoth 9-3-3 Record 10-6-0 50.6% (15th) Expected-goal share 60.6% (1st) 3.33 (13th) Goals per game 3.56 (8th) 3.13 (15th) Goals against per game 3.38 (23rd) 8.7% (30th) Net PP% 34.5% (2nd) 83.3% (12th) Net PK% 72.0% (26th) 2-0-0 Head-to-Head Record 25-26 0-2-0 Cole Caufield (10) Most goals Schmaltz/Cooley (8) Lane Hutson (11) Most assists Clayton Keller (17) Caufield/Hutson (14) Most points Clayton Keller (21) The Jets probably aren’t going to finish high in the Central Division, but tonight’s opponent, the Utah Mammoth, appears to be the fourth contender in the section. They join the Minnesota Wild, Dallas Stars, and Colorado Avalanche as the four teams with positive goal differentials — four of only six teams in the Western Conference to hold one — and currently rank second in the group with 20 points through 16 games. Utah leads the league in expected goal share at 60.6%, indicating the quality of their overall game to create such dangerous chances. However, they don’t have the goals to show for that domination, an average five-on-five team with 31 goals scored. Instead, they make their hay on one of the league’s most lethal power plays. They receive lots of practice versus four defenders; the 4.4 penalties they draw per 60 minutes rank fourth in the league. On only five occasions has their power play been held off the scoresheet, and eight times it has netted multiple goals. Their 19 tallies at five-on-four lead the league, and they also pace the other 31 clubs with four extra-attacker goals when they call their netminder to the bench. Clayton Keller has factored in on 14 of the 19 power-play goals, getting two-thirds of his offence in that situation. There are three other members of the Mammoth’s top power-play unit a point away from joining him with double digits. Discipline is something the Canadiens continue to struggle with. Only the Florida Panthers are getting called for penalties more often this season. It was ultimately on the penalty kill that the four-goal lead was completely erased when Kyle Connor was left all alone on the right side of the ice; the most dangerous player on the opposing team completely unmarked in the final minute of the game. The only defensive intervention was a perfect tip of the shot by Noah Dobson. The penalty woes have needed to be addressed for a while now, but it’s crucial versus Utah tonight. The likely result is that Keller and co. will still score one anyway, so the challenge is to limit their opportunities to play with an extra attacker. This will be one of the toughest tests the Canadiens have faced so far, and hopefully last game’s result has snapped everyone to attention.

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Phantoms @ Rocket recap: Filip Mesar’s pair of goals not enough as Laval falls in overtime

The Laval Rocket faced off with the Lehigh Valley Phantoms for their first of two matchups. Laval looked to carry the momentum from its Halloween victory at the Saddledome while the visitors hoped to get back on the right foot after losing 8-0 against the Providence Bruins on Sunday. At forward, Jared Davidson got placed on the second line with Laurent Dauphin and Brett Berard, while Bradley Nadeau took his spot on the fourth line with Hunter McKown and Vincent Arseneau. On the back end, Owen Protz slid back into the lineup while Ethan Samson sat out. Kevin Mandolese got his fourth start of the season and faced off against Carson Bjarnason. Neither side was dominant in the opening minutes, but at the four-minute mark, Laval got its first extended shift in the offensive zone. Some strong cycle play by Luke Mittelstadt and Xavier Simoneau allowed David Reinbacher to collect the puck at the blue line, where he wristed one through traffic to trickle past the Phantoms goalie and put the home team up by one. Bents fait dire que c’est bien Reino qui a marqué! Bents says it was definitely Reino who scored! https://t.co/3PYdrfoVvZ pic.twitter.com/9YBtJTTO24— Rocket de Laval (@RocketLaval) November 5, 2026 The Rocket hoped to double their lead with two consecutive power plays, but despite some aggressive pressure off the opening draws, they couldn’t move the puck effectively on the re-entries to set up any dangerous chances. The successful penalty kill seemed to energize the Phantoms, and their pressure led to Mittelstadt being sent to the box for holding. Laval’s short-handed play excelled at applying pressure to keep the puck near the perimeter and getting in shooting lanes to block shots. The Phantoms entered the first intermission up 10-5 shots but still trailing 1-0 thanks to some key saves by Mandolese. The second period started with some chippy energy from both teams. A post-whistle scrum sent Reilly Walsh and Alex Bump to the box and set the stage for some four-on-four play. Laval looked as though they were on the PK, being hemmed in their own zone. A one-timer chance from Helge Grans was saved, but Zach Aston-Reese got his stick on the puck first to pot the rebound and put his team up on the board. Laval had trouble settling the play and the momentum had shifted to Lehigh Valley, but Mandolese steadied the ship and the Rocket called a timeout to try to correct course. Daniel Jacob’s decision to take a breather paid off as the home team showed a level of poise and precision that they were lacking in the opening four minutes. Minutes later, Laval was back in control of the offensive zone. A strong forecheck by Filip Mešár freed the puck, Dauphin collected it at the faceoff dot and made a slick pass back to Mešár, who skated to the crease and backhanded a shot short side to put the Rocket back in the lead. Mes du revers! Mes with the backhand 🚨 https://t.co/ddMX0qcvAp pic.twitter.com/N6nsevlTKw— Rocket de Laval (@RocketLaval) November 5, 2026 The goal advantage did not last long. A successful board battle on a dump-and-chase by the Phantoms on the ensuing faceoff led to Noah Powell having enough time and space in front of the net to fire one from up close and tie the game before the halfway point of the period. Laval attempted to copy its opponent by peppering Bjarnason with shots, but he sealed the net and kept the game tied. Another post-freeze scrum put the teams back at four apiece, but Laval’s second go-around with the extra space was a reversal of their earlier effort as they used their skill to dominate play. An offensive-zone penalty to Davidson did little to hamper Laval’s momentum, with the home team earning multiple scoring chances short-handed. The play on both sides looked like it was slowing down heading into the second intermission but with 90 seconds left on the clock, Dauphin collected the puck at the half wall from Xavier Simoneau and patiently crept through the faceoff circle, where he sniped one under the glove to put the Rocket in the lead. DAUPH 🎯 https://t.co/GVVZNAuZak pic.twitter.com/rrfwqJrZkj— Rocket de Laval (@RocketLaval) November 5, 2026 The Rocket couldn’t help themselves from getting another offensive-zone penalty as Sasha Pastujov headed to the box for hooking. Mandolese made a strong save on a deflected shot to send his team to the locker room with the lead intact but another 80 seconds of short-handed play awaited Laval on the other end. Laval managed to kill the remainder of the penalty but not the next dozen seconds. The penalty-killers could not properly adjust to the return of Pastujov and some discombobulated play allowed Spencer Gill to fire a shot from the point and beat Mandolese to even the score. There seemed an eagerness across the board to pull ahead, leading to some of the quickest back-and-forth play of the night, with both sides finishing their checks, making quick passes, and launching rapid counterattacks in the neutral zone. Lehigh Valley rang one off the post, and moments later a scary turnover by Reinbacher gave them a prime chance in the slot, forcing the defenceman into a high-sticking penalty to kill the play. Laval lost puck possession on a short-handed clearing attempt and a cross-slot pass went to Alex Bump, whose shot hit the twine before Mandolese could get across. Laval was trailing for the first time of the night and had 12 minutes to tie the game. Approaching the midway point of the period, Dauphin chipped the puck in deep, Mešár used his body on the forecheck to disrupt a clear, and Simoneau intercepted the pass in the slot before making a backhand pass back to Mešár, who rifled one off and beat Bjarnason to tie the game withe exactly 10 minutes remaining. De Simmer à Mešár 🚨 https://t.co/fDvqbfmTFa pic.twitter.com/Ln5loWKAsj— Rocket de Laval (@RocketLaval) November 5, 2026 The game’s pendulum energy continued throughout the rest of the period as both sides pressed for the lead. Mandolese made a key save on the goal line with under two minutes left to help his team reach overtime and secure a point. Both teams rallied at three-on-three, with the puck changing hands but neither team able to get a shot on net. At the one-minute mark, the Phantoms entered the Rocket’s zone and took advantage of some poor defensive coverage to fire a shot from the high slot to beat Mandolese and send the home team off the ice without the extra point. Final score: Phantoms 5, Rocket 4 The Rocket are hoping to recapture some of their early-season magic and get back to closing off games in the win column. They have their first game of a weekend double-header on Friday at 7 PM ET against the Cleveland Monsters.

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Thursday Habs Headlines: Moving forward after historic collapse

Montreal Canadiens news and notes * As embarrassing and hard to comprehend as Tuesday’s loss to the Winnipeg Jets is, the Habs can’t let it define what’s next for them. [TSN] * The big concern is what kind of impact such an epic meltdown might have on the team and Jacob Fowler. [Montreal Gazette] * After the stunning collapse, the Canadiens are reminded that the game isn’t over until the final buzzer sounds. [TSN] * Before the tables turned on Tuesday night, the big story was the actions of Arber and Florian Xhekaj. [Montreal Gazette] * After extending his hot streak, Alexander Zharovsky is heading to Russia for the Future Cup. [Journal de Montreal] * Fowler has partnered with local Francophone outerwear brand Quartz Co. [Journal de Montreal] Around the league and elsewhere * What to know ahead of Friday’s puck drop at the 2026 IIHF Women’s World Championship. [CBC] * Team Canada has yet to see their uniforms for the women’s hockey world championship. [Sportsnet] * As his suspension from the Detroit Red Wings nears the one-week mark, Dylan Larkin holds steady with his 10 approved teams. [TSN] * Ryan Nugent-Hopkins felt the love from his teammates when he gained bragging rights for most games played as an Edmonton Oiler. [NHL] * Connor Hellebuyck posted a “Letter to Jets Fans” to express his gratitude and explain his trade request. [NHL] * Canada dismissed concerns that barring Russian players from the world junior hockey championship in Alberta could hurt the country’s chances of hosting future international events. [Sportsnet] * Hockey Canada puts the finishing touches on their new advisory group. [Sportsnet] * Chilliwack will soon be home to a WHL team once again. [Richmond News] * How shifting NCAA and AHL rules are changing the path from junior hockey to the professional ranks. [CBC]

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Bottom Six Minutes: The Habs embarrass themselves on home ice

Despite being doubled up on the shot clock, the Montreal Canadiens took a commanding 3-0 lead into the third period against the Winnipeg Jets on Tuesday night. Once they extended that lead to four goals, the rest of the game felt like a mere formality. Jacob Fowler was turning in yet another stellar performance in net, and even when his shutout was broken in the final few minutes, the odds overwhelmingly favoured his team extending their win streak to six games. But then came arguably the worst regular-season collapse we’ve ever seen from this team. Four straight goals from the Jets in under three minutes pushed the game to overtime, where the shellshocked Habs didn’t have any of their usual swagger during three-on-three play. The chorus of fans downplaying this loss; “relax,” “it’s just one game,” “they won five straight,” is hopefully something that is not extending into that locker room. It isn’t just one game. We’ve seen them melt with leads too many times for this to be an isolated incident. They need to rip this out, root and stem, as fast as humanly possible. The excuses of “immaturity,” and “it’s a young team,” are also nearing, if not passing their expiration dates. Their best player in this game was their rookie goaltender, so this can’t simply be shrugged off as growing pains for a young team. This group should be figuring out how to close games, not getting worse at it. Now, the narrative for this game will be the Jets’ comeback, the blown lead, the collapse of the Montreal Canadiens. I realize I’m contributing to that here, but I’d be remiss not to point out that they were fortunate to have Jacob Fowler steering them to a lead in the third period at all with the way they played. Still, when a contending team finds themselves in a position they don’t necessarily deserve to be in, they’ll find a way to close that game out. If the Habs want to be in conversations with the contenders of this league, they need to be capable of that. They need to prove that they won’t depend on their rookie goaltender to do it alone on their behalf. Just look at the Atlantic division this season. Nobody can afford to be snatching defeat from the jaws of victory. It hasn’t hurt their standing yet, but it will if this continues to be a problem. Click the play button below to listen to your full Bottom Six Minutes, also available wherever you get your podcasts. We’ll be back on Thursday night, and hopefully, so will the Montreal Canadiens.

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Montreal Canadiens North American Prospects Report: Michael Hage and Brayden Klimpke come out of the gate running

CHL/BCHL J.-S. Daigneault LD – North Bay Battalion (OHL) Daigneault played four of the Brantford Bulldogs’ first eight games to start the season, registering an assist to go along with a +3 rating. He was then dealt to the North Bay Battalion on October 9. Brantford Bulldogs President of Hockey Operations and General Manager Spencer Hyman had this to say regarding the transaction: “J.-S. is a great kid, and we’re grateful for his time with the Bulldogs. This move gives him more opportunity to play and continue his development. We wish him nothing but success in North Bay.” The start with his new team in North Bay has been rocky, suiting up in nine games while registering no points and a -5 rating. His most recent game did show some promise, as he posted a +2 rating and looked far more comfortable on the ice. This could be a sign of better things to come as he adapts to his new role and home. Tyler Deakos C – Penticton Vees (WHL) Deakos has had a fantastic start to his season with the Vees. He has been heavily depended on by the team, and he is making good on his opportunity, tallying 15 points (5G, 10A) through the team’s first 16 games with a +4 rating. What a goal by Deakos! pic.twitter.com/pa4YiULsmv— Penticton Vees (@PentictonVees) October 11, 2026 Deakos finished the month of October on a heater, racking up seven points over a four-game stretch with a +8 rating. He currently owns a faceoff percentage of 43.8%, but has been steadily improving in the draw as the season has progressed. He has been a pleasant surprise for a player drafted with the final pick (#224) of the 2026 NHL Entry Draft. Brayden Klimpke LD – Saskatoon Blades (WHL) The Saskatoon Blades’ team captain racked up 19 points (5G, 14A) in 14 games in October, tying him for eighth in the WHL. He has in all situations, with his best work coming on the power play, where 10 of his points (2G, 8A) came from. He started his season off on an offensive note, and has shown no signs of slowing down. For his efforts he was named our North American prospect of the month for October. THAT'S how you score a first of the season 😍@CanadiensMTL pic.twitter.com/Lpmdzb0Bs0— Saskatoon Blades (@BladesHockey) September 19, 2026 Andrew MacNiel RD – Kitchener Rangers (OHL) The newly named captain of the Kitchener Rangers wasted little time making his presence known in the first game of the season, as he dropped the gloves and finished the game with a total of nine PIMs. MacNiel had been a steady presence for the Rangers, owning a +6 rating through the team’s first seven games, until injury struck. He sustained what is being called a lower-body injury, and has missed the Rangers’ past nine games. He was listed as week-to-week, but has now missed a full calendar month. Arseni Radkov G – Val-d’Or Foreurs (QMJHL) Radkov and the Foreurs are off to an incredible start, with the team holding a record of 14-1-1 to sit atop the QMJHL standings. Radkov has been splitting starts for Val-d’Or, as they currently boast the best tandem in the league. Through nine appearances he owns a record of 6-1, with a .916 save percentage and a 2.36 goal-against average. That places him in the top four statistically amongst goaltender’s league-wide. Wesley Royston RW – Owen Sound Attack (OHL) Royston has five points (3G, 2A) through 16 games to start the season with the Attack. Three of those points have come on special teams, with two on the power play and one while short-handed. Royston had a four-game point streak to start the month of October, but has gone the past eight games with no points and a -8 rating. Although his -12 this season may raise some eyebrows, it is important to note that on a struggling Owen Sound team, only one player on the entire roster holds a positive plus/minus. Parker Trottier LW – Regina Pats (WHL) Trottier’s start with the Pats has had a little bit of everything. It was a rough first couple of games for him, as he opened the season with a -4 rating in a 7-4 loss, and owned a combined -5 rating over both games. He then followed that up with a breakout game, scoring two power-play goals and adding an assist in a 6-2 win for the Pats. Unfortunately, Trottier was injured during the fourth game of the season, and has been out with a lower-body injury. Mikus Vecvanags G – Victoria Grizzlies (BCHL) Vecvanags has been a brick wall for the Victoria Grizzlies to open the season. The Grizzlies have been relying on him heavily, starting him in 14 of the team’s 15 games. He has responded with a .926 Sv% and 2.38 GAA, third and fifth league-wide, respectively, with a record of 9-5 and one shutout (39 saves). He has played more games than any other goaltender, and double that of the league leaders. It is still too early into the season to declare, but it appears Vecvanags may be a step above this competition level. NCAA Cooper Cleaves RD – Dartmouth Big Green (ECAC) Cleaves and Dartmouth have only played two games to start the season. He has registered no points with a +1 rating. Alexis Cournoyer G – Wisconsin Badgers (Big Ten) Cournoyer is picking up where he left off last season with his new team. He has played in three of the Badgers’ six games, winning all three with a staggering .949 Sv% and 1.00 GAA to go with one shutout. Emmett Croteau G – Dartmouth Big Green (ECAC) Croteau started both games for Big Green to open the season against Alaska Fairbanks, posting shutouts on back-to-back nights, stopping a combined 41 shots. This earned him ECAC goalie of the week honours. Player of the Week! Emmett Croteau has been named MAC ECAC Goalie of the Week! Croteau made 41 saves and had back-to-back shutouts against Alaska Fairbanks. #GoBigGreen | #TheWoods🌲 pic.twitter.com/4P9ZPkUkf3— Dartmouth Men's Hockey (@Dartmouth_MIH) November 2, 2026 Michael Hage C – Michigan Wolverines (Big Ten) When Michael Hage made the decision to play another year at Michigan, he said it was due to some unfinished business. With the Wolverines’ season under way, it’s safe to say he means business. His 20 points (4G, 16A) through nine games lead the NCAA, to go along with +14 rating. To kick off the month of November, Hage had a massive five-point (1G, 4A) game to lead the Wolverines over Ohio State, factoring in on all of his team’s goals in the 5-4 overtime win. The most notable improvement to his game has been in the faceoff dot, where he is operating at a 59.6% clip. His improvement in the faceoff circle bodes well for him being a centre at the NHL level. Malcolm Spence set up beautifully by Michael Hage pic.twitter.com/l1Rh5D4GPt— Michigan Hockey (@umichhockey) November 2, 2026 Michael Hage has Michigan back on top pic.twitter.com/ZpmQgCfmSk— Michigan Hockey (@umichhockey) November 2, 2026 Sam Harris LW – Denver Pioneers (NCHC) The steady and reliable Denver senior has tallied seven points (4G, 3A) through eight games to start the season, with a +2 rating. There is reason to believe he earns a contract after this season, and joins the Laval Rocket in the AHL for the post-season. Ben Merrill RW – Boston Terriers (Hockey East) Merrill has had a solid start to his season on a deep Terriers team. He has been shifted to the wing, where he has produced five points (2G, 3A) through eight games with a +4 rating. With BU, Merrill has the opportunity to show more of his offensive game. Benny's second goal in as many games made it 3-0 just 1:29 in! Watch on ESPN+: https://t.co/0bGsEjotjO@hockey_east | @NESN | @espn pic.twitter.com/cwb3pRWFqb— BU Men's Hockey (@TerrierHockey) October 30, 2026 Quentin Miller G – Western Michigan Broncos (NCHC) Miller has started all seven games for the Broncos to start the season. He has a record of 6-1, with a .928 Sv% and a 1.57 GAA to go with one shutout. L.J. Mooney C – Minnesota Golden Gophers (Big Ten) Mooney has not had the start many were hoping to see. Through six games with the Gophers he has just two points (1G, 1A), an even plus/minus, and has won 40% of his draws. However, in the Gophers’ most recent game against Penn State, he did this: MONEY MOONEY FOR THE OVERTIME DUB! 💰 📺: FOX9+ & B1G+ pic.twitter.com/ppxcbC3H7q— Minnesota Men’s Hockey (@GopherHockey) November 1, 2026 That might just be the kickstart Mooney needed. Hayden Paupanekis C – St. Cloud State Huskies (NCHC) Paupanekis has had a bit of a slow start to his first NCAA season as he finds his footing with St. Cloud State. He has suited up in six of the Huskies’ seven games, scoring two goals with a -3 rating. He is operating at 48.6% in the faceoff dot. Hayden Paupanekis from the doorstep just 14 seconds into the game🔥#GoHuskies | #HuskyHockey 🏒 pic.twitter.com/d7p6tLUJul— St. Cloud State Men's Hockey (@SCSUHuskies_MH) October 31, 2026 Timofei Runtso RD – Miami RedHawks (NCHC) Runtso was out of the lineup for the RedHawks’ first four games to start the season, but has suited up for the team’s past four, registering a goal with a +4 rating. Runtso is being eased into the team, and it is still unknown what his full role will be as the season progresses. Timmy Runtso puts Miami first on the board‼️#RiseUpRedHawks pic.twitter.com/8AbrxzgdOt— Miami Hockey (@MiamiOH_Hockey) October 30, 2026 Logan Sawyer LW – Providence Friars (Hockey East) Sawyer is off to a strong start with his new team. He leads the Friars with eight points (1G, 7A) through six games, and has a +3 rating. He is being leaned on heavily by the team, and taking advantage of the minutes. Maxon Vig LD – Bemidji Beavers (CCHA) Vig has had a good beginning to his sophomore season with Bemidji State, tallied four points (1G, 3A) with an even plus/minus. The offence to start the season has been particularly notable given that he had a total of just seven points through 36 games last season. He earned the CCHA defenceman of the week honours to close out the month of October. Maxon Vig ties the game for Beavers!! assisted by Rylan Gould and Luca D'Amato.#GoBeavers #BeaverTerritory pic.twitter.com/17Os4j8Vag— Bemidji State Men’s Hockey (@BSUBeaversMHKY) November 1, 2026

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Wednesday Habs Headlines: Stepping up at centre

Montreal Canadiens news and notes * Phillip Danault and Jake Evans have been brilliant in making up for Nick Suzuki’s absence. [RDS] * Ivan Demidov is testing the condition of his injured foot. [RDS] * Despite the competition, Montreal Canadiens goaltenders Jacob Fowler and Jakub Dobes seem to be enjoying a real “bromance”. [Journal de Montreal] * Laval Rocket goaltender Kevin Mandolese is coming to grips with the loss of his father. [Montreal Gazette] * Luke Mittelstadt is named AHL Rookie of the Month for October. [Journal de Montreal] * The Canadiens announced their 2026 Hockey Fights Cancer initiatives. [Montreal Canadiens] Around the league and elsewhere * Calgary Flames legend Jarome Iginla is battling chronic health issues. [Sportsnet] * Taking stock of the early NHL playoff picture. [Sportsnet] * How Canada’s new time zones are impacting NHL teams. [The Athletic] * A robust market is forming for Nikita Kucherov despite a rumoured six-year, $20M AAV ask on his next deal. [TSN] * Who are the most intriguing fits for Kucherov? [Daily Faceoff] * The government of Canada will not permit a Russian or Belarusian national team to participate at the upcoming World Junior Championships in Edmonton and Red Deer. [Sportsnet | The Athletic] * The Swedish, Finnish, Czech, Norwegian, Latvian, and Danish ice hockey federations announced that their teams will not play against Russia or Belarus. [ESPN | The Athletic] * The cities of Turku and Tampere, scheduled to host the 2028 World Junior Championships, announced that they will not host Russian or Belarusian teams and are prepared to withdraw as host cities. [MTV (Finnish)] * Is 2033 the target date for a downtown arena for the Ottawa Senators? [Radio-Canada] * Pekka Rinne evolved from a long-shot NHL prospect to a Hockey Hall of Famer. [NHL.com] * As the first NHL stars of the internet age reach the twilight years of their careers, how has fame changed? [Daily Faceoff]

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Canadiens vs. Jets Top Six Minutes: Habs blow a 4-0 lead in final three minutes

First period * I full attire with this jersey looks pretty good. I’m just not sure why the logo needed to be white. * I’m seeing the Canadiens waving their stick at the puck trying to knock it away while maintaining body positioning. It’s been several players on several lines, so maybe something they worked in with a couple of days off. * The fourth line, or the OOF line as it was named last game, picks up where it left off. A relentless forecheck gets the puck to the net on several occasions, and finally it’s Owen Beck who scores, with the Xhekaj brothers claiming the assists. Great sequence in the OZ from the #Habs ends with a laser from Owen Beck, 1-0. pic.twitter.com/N8C9pZmw27— Matt Drake (@DrakeMT) November 4, 2026 * Montreal gets a little too cute at the offensive blue line and the Jets counter. That’s how Winnipeg draws the game’s first penalty, a hook of Gabe Vilardi by Noah Dobson. * The Canadiens survive the kill, but the Jets looked dangerous for those two minutes. * The shots were 4-1 Montreal when Beck scored, but they’re now 9-4 Winnipeg. The Canadiens need to get back in gear. * Zachary Bolduc goes to the net in case Alexandre Texier’s shot left a rebound. Though he was a good 15 feet from the net he got mugged by two Jets players, and one of them, Neal Pionk, will go to the box for roughing. * Significantly less dangerous than the Jets power play. They struggled to even get set up. * Josh Anderson swoops in as Chris Kreider takes the puck near the boards. Anderson powers to the slot while shielding off a defender, gets in front of a screen, and backhands the puck to the far-side top corner. Two goals on seven shots for Montreal. Sneeeeeeaky backhand from Josh Anderson makes it 2-0 #Habs pic.twitter.com/8V6E48fwF0— Matt Drake (@DrakeMT) November 4, 2026 * That was among the worst periods the Canadiens have played all season, and yet they have a multi-goal lead in an 11th of 15 games, and have now done so eight games in a row. Two intense shifts were the difference. Second period * Phillip Danault tries to shadow a defenceman going behind the Jets’ net, but he gets taken down by Elias Salomonsson. The Canadiens go to their second power play. * Cole Caufield whips a pass to the back post for Alex Newhook, but he can’t handle the pace. * With 45 seconds gone, Morgan Barron joins Salomonsson in the penalty box on another interference call. * Martin St-Louis is drawing something up at the bench. A goal here versus a team that struggled to score would be huge. * For about a minute it looked like they were only going to pass, but then a sequence of shots created a rebound out to Caufield, and Stuart Skinner probably knew as soon as he saw it heading to his right that the third goal was imminent. Dobson's rebound goes straight to Cole Caufield, and it is 3-0 #Habs pic.twitter.com/VSZMKlg3OK— Matt Drake (@DrakeMT) November 4, 2026 * Barron gets the puck just as he steps out of the box. Jacob Fowler makes the pad stop, freezes the puck, and tells Barron he’ll have to do better than that to score. * Hutson goes off for tripping as he turned around and stuck his stick in the feet of Dawson Mercer with Dobson back to defend. The Canadiens do that a lot. * Fowler shifts over with the puck and sits right in front of a one-timer from Mark Scheifele to deflect the puck to the corner. * At the end of the power play, Kaiden Guhle just shoves his man down along the wall and steals the puck, and that’s the end of the danger. * Fowler is a busy man right now as Winnipeg racks up the shot count. * The crowd boos as the ref announces Arber Xhekaj has a tripping penalty. There’s a second stage to the boo when he says ” number 12.” * The penalty is killed, and Fowler gets a huge cheer, followed by a chant of his name. * I think what we’re seeing here is this lineup missing not just three star players but two guys who play big minutes is everyone is starting to run out of steam. If they’ve been holding out Suzuki versus a couple of weaker teams, I think we’ll see him in the lineup on Thursday. Third period * St-Louis starts the Jake Evans line in the third, and it’s a wise choice as Anderson immediately draws a tripping call from Scheifele. * It’s been a while since we saw that, but Caufield just banked a shot in off the head of Skinner to make it 4-0. Stuart Skinner gives Cole Caufield more than he needs, and there's his second of the night. 4-0 #Habs pic.twitter.com/AqBgRdMV3X— Matt Drake (@DrakeMT) November 4, 2026 * Two power-play goals in one game. * St-Louis is joking with Slafkovský and Caufield on the bench, probably something like, “why don’t you do that every time?” * Some great work from the Danault line almost results in a fifth goal. A critical intervention from Mario Ferraro on Zachary Bolduc’s shot likely prevented it. * The fans spend the intermission sending a wave around the Bell Centre. * Arber and Tyrel Bauer drop the gloves for a fight. They’re both too tough to go down, and they get separated after landed several punches each. * Guhle takes a hit to the head from Haydn Fleury, but that’s fine in a 4-0 game apparently. * The Jets are now frustrated by Hutson’s dangles at the blue line and they go after him on a couple of occasions to open things up lower in the zone. * Florian tries to goad Dylan Samberg into a fight to join his brother in the box. He’ll have to settle for a two-minute family visit as he’s off for roughing instead. * Out of the box, younger brother gets his wish versus Adam Lowry, but steps on a stick at the start of the fight and goes down. This time he gets sent directly to the dressing room with a two and a five, putting his team on a penalty kill as the bid to hold the Jets at zero goals is threatened. * Fowler makes a huge glove save . Cole Perfetti hangs his head, the crowd stands up to cheer. They want to have a look at the shot in Toronto, but it’s a quick review to see that Fowler’s glove was above the goal line when the stop was made. * The shutout bid gets spoiled by Bauer after the power play had ended. * Now Morgan Barron added a second goal, and no one is singing any longer. * Kyle Connor is left alone on the right side, and his one-timer makes it 4-3. * Anderson ices the puck looking for an empty-netter with 37.4 to play. * Carrier goes off tripping on the next faceoff. The game will finish at six-on-four. * Connor makes it 4-4 as Noah Dobson tips a shot over Fowler’s pad. * Four goals in 2:06. * The crowd doesn’t know what reaction to have as the horn sounds at the end of the third period. The regulation winning streak will end at five, but they still have a shot at the second point. Overtime * The Jets take the opening possession. * A well-timed poke from Hutson on Scheifele wins the puck for Montreal. * Slafkovský does well to get away from Scheifele to start a breakout, but sends the pass off the target for icing. * Fowler denies Barron, and then again as Alex Newhook doesn’t pick up the rebound. * The puck gets turned over inside the Canadiens’ zone, Caufield isn’t close enough to Samberg and the defenceman completes the epic comeback. * For much of the night the poor effort was covered up by the goal-scoring and Fowler’s play in the net, but this will now go down as an embarrassing defeat for the Canadiens when they had two points in the bag. * It might them a while to get over this loss, but if it brings an end to the loose play they’ve shown in the past two games, it will have its benefits. * They will need to be a lot better versus Utah on Thursday, and every player will want to do better to erase this game from their memory as soon as possible. EOTP 3 Stars 3) Can’t argue with that. It did nothing to help the team. 2) Anderson to the Winnipeg Jets franchise: 1) At least it happened at a good time

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Canadiens vs. Jets: Game thread, lines, and how to watch

How to watch Game 15: Montreal Canadiens vs. Winnipeg Jets Start time: 7:00 PM EST / 5:00 PM PDT In the Canadiens region: TSN2 (English), RDS (French) In the Jets region: TSN3 Streaming: RDS, TSN+ (Canada), ESPN+ (USA) The Canadiens are moving closer to the top of the Atlantic Division standings, but every other team in the section is following closely. After the Detroit Red Wings’ win last night, Atlantic teams occupy the top five spots in the wild-card race, and every one of the eight has more points than the third seed in the Metropolitan Division. It was expected to be a competitive group, but each team currently ranks among the top 17 in the NHL standings. That’s the pressure Montreal is under to continue playing well, so it can’t afford to take its foot off the gas even if it is playing a Winnipeg Jets team that has sputtered along since the Heritage Classic last Sunday. Montreal should comfortably win the matchups among the bottom three lines, so it’s a matter of limiting Winnipeg’s top players, as they did in the first meeting to hold them to a single goal. The Jets will be hard-pressed to score three times in the game, something they’ve done only seven times so far. There are two points readily available in this game, and the Habs need to hold them at the end of the night. Montreal Canadiens projected lineup .tg {border-collapse:collapse;border-spacing:0;} .tg td{border-color:black;border-style:solid;border-width:0px;font-family:Arial, sans-serif;font-size:14px; overflow:hidden;padding:10px 5px;word-break:normal;} .tg th{border-color:black;border-style:solid;border-width:0px;font-family:Arial, sans-serif;font-size:14px; font-weight:normal;overflow:hidden;padding:10px 5px;word-break:normal;} .tg .tg-hqqs{background-color:#BE2F37;border-width:1px;color:#FFF;font-weight:bold;text-align:center;vertical-align:bottom} .tg .tg-zsd7{border-width:1px;text-align:center;vertical-align:bottom} Left Wing Centre Right Wing #13 Cole Caufield #15 Alex Newhook #20 Juraj Slafkovský #76 Zachary Bolduc #24 Phillip Danault #85 Alexandre Texier #22 Chris Kreider #71 Jake Evans #17 Josh Anderson #63 Florian Xhekaj #91 Oliver Kapanen #62 Owen Beck .tg {border-collapse:collapse;border-spacing:0;} .tg td{border-color:black;border-style:solid;border-width:0px;font-family:Arial, sans-serif;font-size:14px; overflow:hidden;padding:10px 5px;word-break:normal;} .tg th{border-color:black;border-style:solid;border-width:0px;font-family:Arial, sans-serif;font-size:14px; font-weight:normal;overflow:hidden;padding:10px 5px;word-break:normal;} .tg .tg-2rkt{background-color:#21386F;border-width:1px;color:#FFF;font-weight:bold;text-align:center;vertical-align:bottom} .tg .tg-zsd7{border-width:1px;text-align:center;vertical-align:bottom} Left Defence Right Defence #48 Lane Hutson #53 Noah Dobson #21 Kaiden Guhle #45 Alexandre Carrier #72 Arber Xhekaj #42 Adam Engström .tg {border-collapse:collapse;border-spacing:0;} .tg td{border-color:black;border-style:solid;border-width:0px;font-family:Arial, sans-serif;font-size:14px; overflow:hidden;padding:10px 5px;word-break:normal;} .tg th{border-color:black;border-style:solid;border-width:0px;font-family:Arial, sans-serif;font-size:14px; font-weight:normal;overflow:hidden;padding:10px 5px;word-break:normal;} .tg .tg-fx6j{background-color:#FFF;border-width:1px;font-weight:bold;text-align:center;vertical-align:bottom} .tg .tg-zsd7{border-width:1px;text-align:center;vertical-align:bottom} Starter Backup #32 Jacob Fowler #75 Jakub Dobeš Injured: Ivan Demidov, Mike Matheson, Samuel Montembeault, Nick Suzuki Scratched: Kirby Dach Winnipeg Jets projected lineup .tg {border-collapse:collapse;border-spacing:0;} .tg td{border-color:black;border-style:solid;border-width:0px;font-family:Arial, sans-serif;font-size:14px; overflow:hidden;padding:10px 5px;word-break:normal;} .tg th{border-color:black;border-style:solid;border-width:0px;font-family:Arial, sans-serif;font-size:14px; font-weight:normal;overflow:hidden;padding:10px 5px;word-break:normal;} .tg .tg-sezu{border-width:1px;font-weight:bold;text-align:center;vertical-align:bottom} .tg .tg-bmkl{border-width:1px;text-align:center;vertical-align:middle} .tg .tg-zsd7{border-width:1px;text-align:center;vertical-align:bottom} Left Wing Centre Right Wing Kyle Connor Mark Scheifele Gabe Vilardi Cole Perfetti Adam Lowry Alex Iafallo Dawson Mercer Morgan Barron Viggo Björck Cole Koepke Brad Lambert Isak Rosen .tg {border-collapse:collapse;border-spacing:0;} .tg td{border-color:black;border-style:solid;border-width:0px;font-family:Arial, sans-serif;font-size:14px; overflow:hidden;padding:10px 5px;word-break:normal;} .tg th{border-color:black;border-style:solid;border-width:0px;font-family:Arial, sans-serif;font-size:14px; font-weight:normal;overflow:hidden;padding:10px 5px;word-break:normal;} .tg .tg-sezu{border-width:1px;font-weight:bold;text-align:center;vertical-align:bottom} .tg .tg-zsd7{border-width:1px;text-align:center;vertical-align:bottom} Left Defence Right Defence Dylan Samberg Neal Pionk Mario Ferraro Elias Salomonsson Haydn Fleury Dylan DeMelo .tg {border-collapse:collapse;border-spacing:0;} .tg td{border-color:black;border-style:solid;border-width:0px;font-family:Arial, sans-serif;font-size:14px; overflow:hidden;padding:10px 5px;word-break:normal;} .tg th{border-color:black;border-style:solid;border-width:0px;font-family:Arial, sans-serif;font-size:14px; font-weight:normal;overflow:hidden;padding:10px 5px;word-break:normal;} .tg .tg-sezu{border-width:1px;font-weight:bold;text-align:center;vertical-align:bottom} .tg .tg-zsd7{border-width:1px;text-align:center;vertical-align:bottom} Starter Backup Stuart Skinner Clay Stevenson

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The Graves of the Montreal Canadiens, Part IV

Graveyards are places of introspection and opportunities to discover the stories of those who rest there. Every year I travel around Canada, and in those travels I take the time to visit the resting place of those who trailblazed the path that we all travel on as fans of the Montreal Canadiens. In invoking our fandom, we should not only enjoy the present and the promise of the future, but we should also pay respect to the past and the people who made the Canadiens the most successful franchise of all time in any professional sport. This is the fourth year of the series, and my passion for uncovering forgotten stories of Canadiens departed has not tempered one bit. I find a certain calm when I walk around cemeteries, a stillness that gives me a chance to breathe. God willing, I will continue to have the opportunity to keep visiting cemeteries and bringing back into conversation players from the past. If you missed the previous editions of this series: * Graves of the Montreal Canadiens, pt. 1 (Jean Beliveau, Maurice Richard, Doug Harvey, plus more) * Graves of the Montreal Canadiens, pt. 2 (Dick Irwin, George Mantha, John Quilty, plus more) * Graves of the Montreal Canadiens, pt. 3 (Joe Hall, George Vezina, Jean-Claude Tremblay, plus more) Evariste Payer Evariste Payer was a star for the Rockland Hockey Club of the Lower Ottawa Hockey Association when Adolphe Lecours, manager of the Montreal Canadiens, came calling in January 1911. George Kennedy’s new franchise was still in its embryonic stage, having taken over the mantle of the French-Canadian team in the National Hockey Association from Ambrose O’Brien’s singular season, and was still looking to round out its roster. Lecours already had established stars in Newsy Lalonde, Jack Laviolette, and Didier Pitre, as well as a pretty hot rookie goaltender in George Vezina, but needed some substitute players. When they signed Payer mid-season, the Canadiens played him over Hector Dallaire, another rookie who started the season with the Canadiens, having high hopes that Payer’s success with Rockland would translate over to the NHA, but in his first game with the Canadiens, Payer was replaced by Dallaire by the second period due to his shaky play, and he never regained a regular spot on the roster that season. The following season he started with Hochelaga of the Montreal Hockey Association, but returned to the Canadiens mid-season as a substitute for Pitre. Payer returned one more time, this time during the inaugural National Hockey League season in 1917-18 for a single game on January 5, 1918, at the age of 30. Payer passed away in 1963 and is buried in Notre-Dame Cemetery in Gatineau. George Patterson George Patterson may not be a household name, but he is the answer to the trivia question “who scored the first goal in the history of the Toronto Maple Leafs?” In 1927, the Toronto St. Pats went through a rebranding, and Patterson owns the stat for the newly-minted team’s first goal. Patterson did not last long with the Leafs, however, finding himself in the minors at the start of 1928, which is where Canadiens’ manager Cecil Hart bought his rights. Patterson had an honest run as a substitute for the Canadiens, but was sold to the Boston Bruins in the summer of 1929. He totalled 10 points over 60 regular-season games with the Canadiens, and he’s notably remarkable for his zero penalty minutes in 19 games for the Canadiens in 1928, a very rare feat indeed. He is buried at the Cataraqui Cemetery in Kingston, Ontario, a few steps away from the final resting place of Canada’s first Prime Minister, Sir John A. Macdonald. Harold Starr Not everyone who played for the Canadiens was a household name or had remarkable careers with the team. But everyone does have a story to tell, even the role players, and they too should have the opportunity to be remembered in this series. Harold Starr was a popular defenceman on the Ottawa Senators when he was traded to the Canadiens in February 1933 along with Leo Bourgault for the temporary services of defenseman Marty Burke. The Canadiens were hoping to add some toughness with the trade, but Starr never really established himself as a long-term solution for the Habs, especially with Sylvio Mantha and Albert Leduc being a force on the blueline. In October 1933, Starr was assigned to the Windsor Bulldogs of the International Hockey League by Canadiens coach Newsy Lalonde, where he quickly regained the popularity from his Ottawa days, not just by his defensive prowess and scoring touch, but by moonlighting as a professional wrestler in the Windsor area. The Canadiens sold his rights to the Montreal Maroons in March of 1934, who then recalled him immediately back to the National Hockey League. Starr passed away in 1981 and is buried at Beechwood Cemetery in Ottawa. Wildor Larochelle Joseph Omer Wildor Larochelle made his debut with the Montreal Canadiens in 1925, as part of Leo Dandurand’s makeover of the team following the purchase of the team in 1921 from the widow of George Kennedy. Dandurand’s makeover brought over such players as Howie Morenz, Billy Boucher, Aurele Joliat, and Sylvio Mantha, culminating quickly in a Stanley Cup victory in 1924. Larochelle acted as a substitute player to the top forward line for many seasons, with his most frequent linemates being Pit Lépine and Armand Mondou, dubbed the “Old Boys Line”. His biggest goal came in the 1930 Stanley Cup finals when he scored the Cup-winning goal against the Boston Bruins, one of his two Stanley Cups. When Morenz was traded in 1934 to the Chicago Black Hawks, Larochelle was finally given a chance on the top line with Joliat and Johnny Gagnon for a brief stint, but his career was winding down. Larochelle played 405 regular-season games with the Canadiens over 11 seasons until December 1935, when he was sold to Chicago, following in the footsteps of the man whose spot he took on the top line a season earlier. Larochelle passed away in 1964 after a long battle with tuberculosis, which required hospitalization for over 10 years. He is buried in Des Saints-Anges Cemetery in his hometown of Sorel-Tracy. Claude Mouton There was no more prominent voice of the Canadiens in the 70s and 80s than Claude Mouton, the man who did it all behind the scenes, from in-house announcer to media relations. When you rewatch YouTube clips of the great 1970s Canadiens dynasty, it’s Mouton’s voice heard announcing the scorers. Following in Rene Lecavalier’s footsteps, Mouton would MC all the pre-game ceremonies, including introducing the Montreal Canadiens “Dream Team” during their 75th anniversary ceremony in 1984. When Mouton passed away from pancreatic cancer in 1993, two people were required to take his place, so large was his presence. Donald Beauchamp was named head of media relations, and Michel Lacroix became the voice of the Canadiens, a role he holds to this day. Mouton was cremated, and his remains rest at Le Repos Saint-François d’Assise in Montreal. Sylvio Mantha Sylvio Mantha is one of the core members of Canadiens lore for the 1920s and 1930s, starting in 1923 as a substitute player for Sprague Cleghorn and Billy Coutu on defense, Mantha quickly rose in position to become one of the best two-way defencemen of the era. He won the Stanley Cup with the Canadiens in 1924, the franchise’s second, along with Howie Morenz, Aurele Joliat, and George Vezina. Although he is generally credited with being the second-longest serving captain in Canadiens history (1926-1936, minus 1932-33), recent studies disprove this notion. Regardless of this, he was certainly viewed as one of the leaders on the team. In 1935, Mantha was named coach of the Canadiens, but dismal results led to his firing at season’s end. He finished off his career by playing four games with the Bruins in 1937. He continued coaching in various leagues around Montreal, notably putting Bernie Geoffrion on the Canadiens’ radar with his performances for Mantha’s Montreal Concordias in 1946-47. Mantha was elected to the Hockey Hall of Fame in 1960, and passed away in August 1974. He is buried at Cimetière Sainte-Claire-d’Assise in Rivière-Beaudette, east of Montreal. Albert “Battleship” Leduc Joseph Albert Florimond Leduc is the owner of my favourite hockey player nickname: Battleship. He got this nickname due to his clunky skating style, but if he hit you, you’re probably not getting up. Leduc played eight seasons as a defenceman with the Canadiens, starting in 1925 as part of Leo Dandurand’s rebuild, phasing out older defencemen like Sprague Cleghorn and Billy Coutu. Leduc would anchor the blueline with Mantha for two Stanley Cup championships in 1930 and 1931. In October 1933, he was sold to the Ottawa Senators, who quickly flipped him to the New York Rangers for the remainder of the 1933-34 season. Leduc retired at the conclusion of the season to start a career in coaching. However, the Canadiens reached out to Leduc to help them in a late playoff push in February 1935, playing four games to wrap up his professional playing career. Leduc went on to coach various Canadiens farm teams, notably the Providence Reds in 1936-37, where he had to play one game as a goaltender when his regular goalie fell ill prior to the game with a case of influenza. Leduc passed away in 1990 and is buried at Valleyfield Catholic Cemetery in Salaberry-de-Valleyfield. Bobby Boucher From Ottawa’s first family of professional hockey, Robert “Bobby” Boucher was the youngest brother of Billy, Georges (aka “Buck”), and Frank Boucher. Each of his brothers had tremendous careers in professional hockey, but Bobby just couldn’t quite crack the big time. He did play 12 games for the Montreal Canadiens in 1923-24 and has his name engraved on the Stanley Cup, but the emergence of Howie Morenz, Aurel Joliat, and Billy Boucher as the premier line in hockey, with Odie Cleghorn and Billy Bell filling the substitute roles, limited opportunities for Bobby. After the 1923-24 season, Bobby never played in the NHL again, his playing rights traded by Dandurand to the Vancouver Maroons for cash and Charlie Cotch. Cotch never played for the Canadiens, failing to impress at the 1924 training camp and was released. Prior to leaving for Vancouver, Boucher’s family staged an exhibition game between themselves and the Senators on March 31, 1924. Bobby played with his three brothers and special guest Aurele Joliat to defeat the Ottawans 8-4. Bobby had two goals for his team. Bobby retired in 1929 due to illness, and in 1931, at the age of 27 years old, passed away from tuberculosis. He was buried at Notre Dame Cemetery in Ottawa. Unfortunately, all that remains today of his final resting spot is the foundation stone, with the gravestone gone. A harsh reminder that unless we continue to watch over the deceased, memory of them will likely fade over time. Tommy Gorman Tommy Gorman etched a storied career in professional hockey as an executive, with his work tracing back to the birth of the National Hockey League in 1917, when, as a representative of the Ottawa Senators, he was part of the group of executives who voted to suspend the National Hockey Association and create a new hockey league. Gorman helped the Senators win three Stanley Cups in 1920, 1921, and 1923. He sold his share of the Senators in 1925 and took on a manager-coach role with the New York Americans, the first professional hockey team in the Big Apple. In 1933, he joined the Chicago Black Hawks, earning the team’s first Stanley Cup in 1934. Soon after the Cup victory, he split from Chicago following a dispute with the team owner and moved his managerial services to the Montreal Maroons, winning yet another Stanley Cup in 1935. He became the first manager to win consecutive Stanley Cups with two different teams. In 1938, the Maroons folded, and Gorman eventually found employment with the Montreal Canadiens, where he helped the team rise from the ashes into a new golden age following a near-catastrophic collapse and relocation in the mid-30s. He signed such players as Emile “Butch” Bouchard, Elmer Lach, Ken Reardon, and Maurice Richard. He won two Stanley Cups with the Canadiens in 1944 and 1946. He retired in 1946 from the Canadiens, but would go on to win one more championship, the Allan Cup in 1949, as owner of the Ottawa Senators of the Quebec Senior Hockey League. Gorman passed away in 1961 from cancer, and is buried at Notre Dame Cemetery in Ottawa. He was posthumously inducted into the Hockey Hall of Fame in 1963. Eternal rest grant unto them, O Lord

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Canadiens vs. Jets: Game preview, start time, Tale of the Tape, and how to watch

How to watch Game 15: Montreal Canadiens vs. Winnipeg Jets Start time: 7:00 PM EST / 5:00 PM PDT In the Canadiens region: TSN2 (English), RDS (French) In the Jets region: TSN3 Streaming: RDS, TSN+ (Canada), ESPN+ (USA) The Winnipeg Jets are mired in an slump. After what was at the time a big intradivision win versus the Minnesota Wild on October 13, they haven’t won a game, going 0-7-2 over the past three weeks. For a time they could cling to hope that a turnaround could come at any moment; their loss to the Montreal Canadiens in the Heritage Classic was the fifth consecutive one-goal loss. But since hosting that marquee game, the results have been getting uglier. They lost 5-1 to the Florida Panthers, 6-4 to the Tampa Bay Lightning, 5-2 to the Panthers the next night, and most recently suffered a 7-0 obliteration by the Carolina Hurricanes. Not having three-time Vezina Trophy-winner Connor Hellebuyck around is beginning to be felt. Winnipeg has the ninth-lowest team save percentage in the NHL at .879. When you couple that with the fifth-most high-danger chances allowed per 60 minutes, it’s a recipe for some big numbers on the opponent’s side of the scoreboard. Tale of the Tape .tg {border-collapse:collapse;border-spacing:0;} .tg td{border-color:black;border-style:solid;border-width:0px;font-family:Arial, sans-serif;font-size:14px; overflow:hidden;padding:10px 5px;word-break:normal;} .tg th{border-color:black;border-style:solid;border-width:0px;font-family:Arial, sans-serif;font-size:14px; font-weight:normal;overflow:hidden;padding:10px 5px;word-break:normal;} .tg .tg-hqqs{background-color:#BE2F37;border-width:1px;color:#FFF;font-weight:bold;text-align:center;vertical-align:bottom} .tg .tg-zsd7{border-width:1px;text-align:center;vertical-align:bottom} Canadiens Statistics Jets 9-3-2 Record 4-8-3 51.3% (13th) Expected-goal share 46.9% (24th) 3.29 (14th) Goals per game 2.27 (30th) 3.00 (11th) Goals against per game 3.60 (28th) 4.8% (32nd) Net PP% 14.3% (24th) 83.6% (12th) Net PK% 72.7% (26th) 1-0-0 Head-to-Head Record 0-1-0 Cole Caufield (8) Most goals Kyle Connor (11) Lane Hutson (10) Most assists Mark Scheifele (10) Lane Hutson (13) Most points Kyle Connor (15) The important thing for the Canadiens as they seek a sixth win in a row is to ignore all of those numbers. They get in trouble when they get a bit nonchalant versus lower-ranked teams, like the San Jose Sharks whom they gifted four goals to lose, the St, Louis Blues who launched 46 shots at them, or, most recently, keeping the 26th-ranked Pittsburgh Penguins in the game with some loose defensive play. They did perform very well versus the Chicago Blackhawks and the Jets to begin this stretch without Nick Suzuki, and need to hold that same mentality. As ever, it’s the duo of Mark Scheifele and Kyle Connor that will pose the biggest threat to Montreal’s defence. This year they are joined by Cole Perfetti as a top offensive player, on pace to beat his career best of 50 points with 11 in 15 games already. Defenceman Neal Pionk joins the three forwards with a double-digit point haul, but fifth place on the scoring list has just six points. Depth offence has been a concern for a long time in Winnipeg, and it’s really been thrust into the spotlight with all the goals against. Depth at forward is how the Canadiens have weathered their current injury storm; you can imagine what the Jets would look like if they lost their top centreman for an extended period of time. Getting offence from the bottom six is still something the Canadiens are lacking a bit, but they found promising line combinations last game. Chris Kreider looked good versus Pittsburgh and had a goal to show for it, while the fourth line of Florian Xhekaj, Oliver Kapanen, and Owen Beck was creating chances and havoc all night long. It does need to do a better job of staying disciplined, but there’s no reason for the line to be broken up after how it played on the weekend.

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Tuesday Habs Headlines: Fowler in His Happy Place

Montreal Canadiens News and Notes * Jacob Fowler awarded the Molson Cup for October. [Canadiens] * Hockey is Fowler’s happy place, but though he’s happy with the month, he’s also aware that there’s a lot of season left to play. [Montreal Gazette] * Alexandre Texier, Kaiden Guhle, Chris Kreider, and what is working for them and the team. [Sportsnet] * Nick Suzuki is back to full participation with the Habs. [TSN | TVA Sports | La Presse] * Suzuki returned to a line with Cole Caufield and Juraj Slafkovsky. [Radio-Canada] * Alex Newhook has proven to be a second-line center. [TVA Sports] * Texier, Phillip Danault, and Zachary Bolduc are still running hot. [TVA Sports] * Lane Hutson has become Montreal’s new McPLAYER. [TVA Sports] * Playing with a lead has helped the Habs. [The Athletic] * The downside of players performing means that hard decisions are approaching. [TVA Sports] * The Habs and Oilers lead the Canadian teams. [TSN] * Breaking down the Habs’ Hometown Remix jerseys. [Montreal Gazette | Canadiens | TVA Sports] * Why the Habs shouldn’t pursue Nikita Kucherov. [TVA Sports] * To use tablets or not use tablets? Players and coaches are split, and not necessarily along age lines. [La Presse] Around the League and Elsewhere * Nikita Kucherov says his trade request is a result of poor communication and lack of respect, not money. [TSN | NHL | ESPN | Radio-Canada | NBC Sports | TVA Sports] * The complications and logistics of a Kucherov trade. [TSN | Sportsnet] * Connor McDavid is now the fastest player to reach 30 assists in a season. [Sportsnet] * Shane Wright may not have requested a trade, but he was clearly looking for a new start. [Yahoo Sports] * Kucherov, Wright, McDavid, and more in the most recent 32 Thoughts. [Sportsnet] * Dylan Cozens could face further discipline after being ejected for a high hit on A.J. Greer. [TSN | * Greer placed on IR after the Senators game. [Sportsnet] * Patrick Kane is out with an injury. [TSN | NHL] * Brendan Gallagher brings a clear-sighted understanding of rebuilds, and the differences between what he witnessed in Montreal, and what is happening in Vancouver. [Sportsnet] * Hockey Canada hires a director of goaltending for the first time. [TSN] * Reviewing and ranking the NHL Remix jerseys. [Sportsnet | NHL | ESPN | The Athletic | The Athletic | NHL | La Presse] * The NHLers like the Hometown Remix jerseys. [NHL] * New Jersey and Edmonton have shown how quickly things can turn around. [Yahoo Sports] * Looking back at Pekka Rinne’s hall of fame career and personality. [NHL | NHL] * Sergei Bobrovsky can become the most winning non-North American goalie. [NHL] * Frustration rises as the Jets’ losing streak reaches nine. [TSN] * The Leafs intend to return to Sergei Bobrovsky against the Mammoth. [TSN] * Connor Hellebuyck has good things to say about his new teammates. [NHL] * There seems to be some disagreement between the Sharks players and coach about buy-in. [Yahoo Sports] * Finland continues to oppose Russia’s return to international competitions. [TVA Sports] * Ryan Nugent-Hopkins is about to become the owner of the Oilers’ record for the most games played. [Sportsnet] * Should the Caps take a big swing and land someone like Kucherov? [Sportsnet] * Establishing communication and team identity quickly is important. [NHL]

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Montreal Canadiens unveil alternate Hometown Remix jersey

After some leaks, the Montreal Canadiens have finally officially unveiled their Hometown Remix jersey on Monday, as part of a series with all 32 NHL teams. Voici Hometown Remix. La ville que vous connaissez et aimez, qui prend vie d’une façon que vous pouvez porter fièrement. Introducing Hometown Remix. The city you know and love, brought to life in a way you can wear proudly.#GoHabsGo pic.twitter.com/osz11jn1jK— Canadiens Montréal (@CanadiensMTL) November 2, 2026 The jersey is white with a white logo outlined in red. The team has been practicing in red helmets, gloves, and pants which indicates the team intends to lean into the rouge of bleu-blanc-rouge. On the sleeves there are several patches referencing Montreal’s flag and coat of arms, a nod to the city. “The design of our new Hometown Remix uniforms is a bold departure from our traditional designs, but that’s what makes it particularly exciting for us as an initiative,” said France Margaret Bélanger, President, Sports and Entertainment of Groupe CH.  “We look forward to showcasing this new look on several occasions throughout the season, and hope fans appreciate the care and creativity Fanatics has taken to integrate aspects of our city into our new jersey.” The team will wear the jerseys 10 times this season, starting with Tuesday’s game against the Winnipeg Jets. Tuesday, November 3, 2026 vs Winnipeg Jets Saturday, November 7, 2026 @ Toronto Maple Leafs Thursday, November 12, 2026 @ Boston Bruins Saturday, November 14, 2026 vs Colorado Avalanche Monday, November 23, 2026 vs Los Angeles Kings Tuesday, December 8, 2026 vs Vegas Golden Knights Sunday, December 27, 2026 vs Dallas Stars Wednesday, January 6, 2027 vs Boston Bruins Saturday, January 23, 2027 vs Calgary Flames Saturday, March 28, 2027 vs Detroit Red Wings From the NHL: Community takes on a different meaning when your city is steeped in history. The richness of cultures, past and present, is brought to the forefront in this physical tribute to Montréal. The Canadiens’ Hometown Remix jersey features white pine, fleur de lys, rose, thistle, and clover, each proudly adorning the sleeves. The Canadiens crest includes etched architectural detailing — a nod to the city’s iconic stonework and historic streets. The side panels feature a gradient inspired by Mount Royal. On the hem, four fleur de lys bookend the city name, grounding the jersey in Quebec pride. And completing the look is a new number system inspired by the iconography of Old Montréal. This jersey is a tribute to culture, community, and the city’s timeless spirit. An iconic and enduring interpretation for La Sainte Flanelle.

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Montreal Canadiens Organizational Players of October

NHL Player of the Month: Jacob Fowler When the Montreal Canadiens opened the season on September 29, Jacob Fowler wasn’t even on the NHL roster. It wasn’t until an injury to Samuel Montembeault in practice brought about Fowler’s recall from the AHL on October 7, and he got the start the next night versus the Nashville Predators. He lost in his season debut, allowing three goals. He didn’t lose again, finishing the month on a seven-game winning streak and going into November as the team’s starting goalie. He currently ranks third in the NHL in save percentage at .932, is tied for third with his seven wins, and is only behind Jake Oettinger in shutouts with two. He was second in goals saved above average (GSAA) after the games on Friday, and second to Yaroslav Askarov in goals saved above expected (GSAx). 46-save shutout to improve to 6-1-0. Just a reminder that Jacob Fowler is 21 years old. pic.twitter.com/Ba8WakLTFq— NHL (@NHL) October 28, 2026 The current discussion is about how he might be in the running for the Calder Trophy, just named the NHL’s rookie of October. His performance to place among the top netminders will also have him in the early conversation for the Vezina Trophy with one-sixth of a season played. Honourable mention: Lane Hutson This section probably would have been about Nick Suzuki had he not gotten injured, but with the biggest story of October being the five-game winning streak the team went on without its captain, someone who performed well all month long and during Suzuki’s absence will claim the distinction instead. Through 14 games, Lane Hutson is now the team’s point leader, just off a point-per-game pace with 13. He also leads the team in plus/minus, thanks to being a +4 in the game versus Pittsburgh on Halloween. While he may be relatively low on the defencemen scoring list, that should change when the Habs begin to score a few goals on the power play. — Justin Blades AHL Player of the Month: Luke Mittelstadt It is hard to overstate just how incredible the start has been for defenceman Luke Mittelstadt, doubly so for a player beginning his first full professional season. As October came to a close, the Laval Rocket found themselves leading the AHL’s North Division and Mittelstadt was alone atop the AHL scoring race. His 16 points (5G, 11A)  in 11 games is a pace that not even his staunchest supporters could have imagined. He has become a key cog in the AHL’s top-rated power play, able to find immediate synergy with Sasha Pastujov and Reilly Walsh as they sling the puck through the offensive zone with terrifying ease. Mittelstadt’s calm demeanour allows him to assess his options from the blue line and move the puck to either Walsh on the half wall or over to Pastujov in the faceoff circle for a shot. It’s not just him collecting easy assists either. He’s making plays happen and that has allowed head coach Daniel Jacob to deploy David Reinbacher and other blue-liners in more favourable matchups as well. Luke Mittelstadt with an incredible play to set up Sasha Pastujov for a power play goal2-1 Rocket!— Scott Matla (@callmescort.bsky.social) 2026-10-22T00:31:37.408Z Beyond the offensive output, Mittelstadt is also an incredibly reliable option in the defensive zone, eating up minutes alongside Reinbacher. His smooth skating allows him to cover plenty of ice and close down opponents, and also act as an outlet for Reinbacher on the breakout if need be. All in all, the Rocket are in first place thanks in part to Mittelstadt’s performance, but also the team does not have to solely lean on him either, a good spot to be in. With Jayden Struble traded off the NHL roster and rumours constantly swirling, one has to wonder if Mittelstadt might soon earn his first NHL reps with the Canadiens. — Scott Matla European Prospect of the Month: Vinzenz Rohrer With eight points (6G, 2A) in seven games, it was easy to pick the Austrian to be the European player of the month. Rohrer did everything in October: he scored on the power play, at five-on-five, and on the penalty kill. He has even had a wrestling match (which he won). In the last game of October he had an assist and a goal as Zug crushed Bern 8-1. Stone cold from #Habs Vinzenz Rohrer as he opens the scoring in Zug's refurbished arena after about a minute. #GoHabsGo His 10th point in 9 games pic.twitter.com/IdqhROOfFH— Patrik Bexell (@Zeb_Habs) October 23, 2026 Over the season, Zug has used Rohrer as a first-line centre and there are a few stats that stand out. His faceoff winning percentage hovers around 46% and his shooting percentage is north of 23%, something that will come down. However, he usually gets very open chances and takes shots from within the home plate area, which leads to a higher shooting percentage by default. It seems that he is being used against the opponent’s best line and he goes up against some very skilled players. His faceoff number is one you would hope will increase throughout the season. He has more points in the first 13 games than he had over the full season with Zürich last year. A Canadiens fan could not hope for better news coming out of Switzerland. As a side note, sources in Switzerland tell me all of the clubs in the National League were in on the Rohrer frenzy in the summer, and that drove his salary up to insane numbers with him holding a Swiss licence (due to having played Junior hockey in Switzerland). — Patrik Bexell North American Prospect of the Month: Brayden Klimpke Klimpke’s season could not have started any better, being named team captain and scoring an impressive 19 points (5G, 14A) through 14 games. He was also named the first WHL player of the week to start the season. The Saskatoon Blades defenceman became the 65th captain in team history. Previous captain Tyler Parr had this to say after Klimpke was anointed: “He’s an unbelievable player and unbelievable guy. He’s going to be there for you through whatever. Whether it’s hockey related or not, you can go to him.” This is the type of character and leadership that Canadiens management claims to covet, and we are seeing it this year. Klimpke has been a workhorse for the Blades, leading the way from the back end and playing in all situations. Most notably, he has been the power-play quarterback, racking up 10 points (2G, 8A) on the man advantage. He has registered points in all but four games this season, and has a +4 rating. His first goal of the season was a fantastic solo effort and demonstrated his skill, taking the puck into the zone down the left wall and cutting to the net with it, pulling it to the backhand for the far-side tuck. THAT'S how you score a first of the season 😍@CanadiensMTL pic.twitter.com/Lpmdzb0Bs0— Saskatoon Blades (@BladesHockey) September 19, 2026 Drafted in the fourth round (#117th), Klimpke is starting to feel like another shrewd pick by the Canadiens, one that may turn into another solid piece for the organization. He looks poised to skyrocket up the prospect rankings during the next edition of Top 25 Under 25. As Habs fans know all too well, you can never have too many left defencemen! — Drake Coulombe --- EOTP Players of the Month archive

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Monday Habs Headlines: Phillip Danault “proud” to reach 800 games

Montreal Canadiens news and notes * Phillip Danault said getting to 800 NHL games “makes me very proud,” even if he says most of that time has been spent backchecking. [Journal de Montreal] * Jacob Fowler was named the NHL’s rookie of the month for October. [NHL.com] * Martin St-Louis was happy with the play of the fourth line on Saturday. [Journal de Montreal] * It brought a different physical element than the bottom trio had been showing. [Montreal Gazette] * St-Louis also thinks Chris Kreider’s play was a sign he’s getting more comfortable with his new team. [Journal de Montreal] * Kreider says the team-first culture of the team is allowing them to play competitive hockey despite missing star players. [The Athletic] * That team-first approach might allow the Canadiens to avoid the trade requests that have become common in the league, while avoiding the type of players who are making them. [THDNSFH] * Jake Evans has stepped up in a big way in Nick Suzuki’s absence. [Sportsnet] * Alexander Zharovsky is heating up in the KHL, making plays like this: How about no-look pass by Alexander Zharovsky? pic.twitter.com/ZuDse7nSCy— KHL (@khl_eng) November 1, 2026 Around the league and elsewhere * Shane Wright was traded from the Seattle Kraken to the Nashville Predators. [Sportsnet] * The Washington Capitals acquired goaltender Remi Poirier from the New Jersey Devils. [Sportsnet] * Connor McDavid’s 35 points in 13 games led the NHL’s three stars of October. [NHL.com] * McDavid’s 30 assists in 15 games set a new NHL record. [Sportsnet] * Keith Tkachuk made it to the Hockey Hall of Fame by being one of the toughest players in a physical era. [NHL.com] * Scott Arniel isn’t worried about his job security amidst the Winnipeg Jets’ nine-game losing streak. [NHL.com] * New York Islanders defenceman Ryan Pulock will be out two to four weeks with an upper-body injury. [NHL.com] * Nikita Zadorov was fined $5000 for roughing Alex Vlasic. [NHL.com] * Niklas Lidstrom called the CAS ending Russia’s ban from international sports competition “incomprehensible.” [RG.org]

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