After a wildly disappointing effort at home on Tuesday night, the Montreal Canadiens hit the road for a Thursday night matchup with the Pittsburgh Penguins. Before hitting the road – in fact, immediately following the aforementioned debacle against Tampa – they called up some reinforcements from Laval, looking to shake things up in search of a win.
The most notable lineup change saw them give a first NHL start to Jacob Fowler in goal, and their top goaltending prospect didn’t disappoint. ...
about 5 hours ago
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Montreal Canadiens news and notes
What to expect from Jacob Fowler. [ Sportsnet ]
As with any young goalie, patience is called for. Just look at Carey Price’s early years. [ La Presse ]
The Habs are reportedly not looking at the goalie market yet. [ The Hockey Writers | TSN ]
Owen Beck has another chance to crack the Canadiens lineup. [ Montreal Gazette ]
Quentin Miller never stopped believing, even when he had to go to Chilliwack to get a chance. [ RDS ]
Arou...
about 10 hours ago
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There’s a delay to allow people to get to the rink. Jacob Fowler’s NHL debut will wait another 30 minutes.
First period
Owen Beck puts enough pressure on Kris Letang at the end of a long shift for the veteran defenceman to create a turnover. Alexandre Texier collects the puck and fires it off the far-side elbow of the net and in to open the scoring. Beck won’t get a point on the play, but it doesn’t happen without him.
Sidney Crosby tries to tip the puck in in f...
about 16 hours ago
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Game 30: Montreal Canadiens @ Pittsburgh Penguins
Start time: 7:00 PM EST / 4:00 PM PST In the Canadiens region: TSN2 (English), RDS (French) In the Penguins region: Sportsnet Pittsburgh Streaming: ESPN+, RDS, TSN+
With both goalies struggling, the Montreal Canadiens have turned to their goaltender of the future for at least one start. Jacob Fowler will make his NHL debut this evening for a team that has lost a couple of games in a row, having issues preventing dangerous chance...
about 20 hours ago
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Game 30: Montreal Canadiens @ Pittsburgh Penguins
Start time: 7:00 PM EST / 4:00 PM PST In the Canadiens region: TSN2 (English), RDS (French) In the Penguins region: Sportsnet Pittsburgh Streaming: ESPN+, RDS, TSN+
“I can’t keep having to answer the same question over again,” a slightly agitated Sidney Crosby said as training camp was opening this summer. The Pittsburgh Penguins had failed to make the playoffs the last three seasons, and the most valuable asset the team has to begin...
1 day ago
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Montreal Canadiens news and notes
Desperate times may call for desperate measures, but the Canadiens made the right choice calling up Jacob Fowler. [ Montreal Gazette ]
Fowler’s recall isn’t as risky as it may seem. [ Sportsnet ]
Martin St. Louis’s goal is to see where Fowler is in his development, not to bring him in as some kind of saviour. [ Journal de Montreal ]
It will be interesting to see whether Fowler can give the Canadiens the boost they need when he gets his fi...
1 day ago
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The Montreal Canadiens barely showed up for their game against the Tampa Bay Lightning last night. Outskated, outplayed, and outscored rather soundly by their divisional rivals, one could be forgiven for assuming it was the Habs, and not the Lightning who had played the night prior in Toronto. It was a truly atrocious performance in front of their home fans, many of whom left early in the third period to beat the traffic.
Management obviously took notice as well, as there would be some tr...
2 days ago
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Montreal Canadiens news and notes
Profiling Zachary Bolduc. [ La Presse ]
Alexandre Texier embraces a fresh start with the Habs. [ Montreal Gazette | RDS ]
Florian Xhekaj is eager for a second bite of the NHL sundae. [ Montreal Gazette ]
Andrei Markov’s former teammates salute the General. [ Montreal Canadiens ]
Bryce Pickford is lighting it up to start the season. [ The Hockey Writers ]
Jared Davidson’s journey to the NHL. [ The Hockey Writers ]
Where does...
2 days ago
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With a two-game road trip coming up for the Montreal Canadiens, they’ve dipped into their minor-league depth and recalled a player at every position. Owen Beck has received his second recall of the season, Adam Engström is back after joining the team for the previous road trip, and Jacob Fowler will join the NHL team for the first time.
Les Canadiens ont rappelé Owen Beck, Adam Engstrom et Jacob Fowler du Rocket de Laval. The Canadiens have recalled Owen Beck, Adam Engstrom and Jacob Fowl...
3 days ago
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Well for anyone worried the Canadiens wouldn’t be up for this game, Brendan Gallagher is sparring with Zemgus Girgensons before the opening puck drop.
First period
It’s still a surprise how quickly the top line can create chances out of seemingly nothing. They just turned a contested puck at the goal line into two point-blank chances, with Juraj Slafkovský again doing the hardest work.
The second line hits the ice and puts together something similar.
All that, and it’s ...
3 days ago
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Game 29: Montreal Canadiens vs. Tampa Bay Lightning
Start time: 7:00 PM EST / 4:00 PM PST In the Canadiens region: TSN2 (English), RDS (French) In the Lightning region: The Spot Streaming: ESPN+, RDS, TSN+
The Montreal Canadiens will play the first of four games versus the Tampa Bay Lightning this season, a series that could potentially determine which of the teams qualifies for the playoffs. The Atlantic Division remains tight, with the Detroit Red Wings jumping from fourth to firs...
3 days ago
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Game 29: Montreal Canadiens vs. Tampa Bay Lightning
Start time: 7:00 PM EST / 4:00 PM PST In the Canadiens region: TSN2 (English), RDS (French) In the Lightning region: The Spot Streaming: ESPN+, RDS, TSN+
It looked like this was going to be the year that the Tampa Bay Lightning’s run as a perennial playoff team would come to an end. They began the season 1-4-2 to sit in last place in the Eastern Conference. Then they rattled off five wins a row.
It’s been a season of wild mome...
3 days ago
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Montreal Canadiens News and Notes
Andrei Markov’s actions (and teammates) did all the talking needed. [ Canadiens ]
Maturing is the goal, and that doesn’t happen overnight or without hiccups. [ The Athletic ]
The Habs goal scorers are propelling them to levels they have not reached in 30 years. [ TVA ]
Pascal Vincent and Owen Beck have a plan for the latter’s development. [ TVA Sports ]
Around the League and Elsewhere
Hockey at the Olympics will be played on...
3 days ago
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A day after a shootout thriller in Toronto, the Montreal Canadiens were right back in action, this time against the St. Louis Blues at the Bell Centre. With two-straight shootout wins on the books, they had a chance to stretch their win streak to three, but came up short with a disappointing 4-3 loss in front of their home crowd.
Earlier in the day we found out that Samuel Montembeault would miss the game due to illness. With how inconsistent the Habs were defensively, one could easily wo...
4 days ago
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We have a new series here at Eyes On The Prize ! Each week, I’ll be selecting three stars from the Habs and one player from the Laval Rocket. A new staple in your Monday morning routine.
The Montreal Canadiens went 2-2-0 in the first week of December, now sitting at 15-10-3 on the season and third in the Atlantic Division. It was a week of ups and downs, featuring a resilient, if imperfect, performance against the Maple Leafs that saw the Canadiens snap an 11-game losing streak at Scotiab...
4 days ago
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Montreal Canadiens news and notes
Cole Caufield hasn’t only evolved his goal-scoring game by moving closer to the net, but is becoming a more dangerous passer. [ RDS ]
With some of Team USA’s locks already being smaller players, the team’s management may be too afraid to add Caufield despite his solid 200-foot game. [ The Athletic ]
Nick Suzuki is a unanimous addition to Team Canada by The Athletic ‘s panel. [ The Athletic ]
Juraj Slafkovský says the top line is trying to...
4 days ago
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Jakub Dobeš is going back-to-back. The defence needs to be good tonight.
First period
Juraj Slafkovský decides he wants the puck more than Colton Parayko and just takes it was from him, setting up Cole Caufield for Montreal’s first chance.
Brendan Gallagher decides he wants the puck more than Jordan Binnington, and that turnover leads to a chance for the third line.
Out comes the second line, and Logan Mailloux hooks Ivan Demidov to prevent the rookie from getting the p...
5 days ago
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Game 28: Montreal Canadiens vs. St. Louis Blues
Start time: 7:00 PM EST / 4:00 PM PST In the Canadiens region: TSN2 (English), RDS (French) In the Blue region: FanDuel Sports Network Midwest Streaming: ESPN+, RDS, TSN+
News came out before the game that Samuel Montembeault is dealing with an illness. That means that Jakub Dobeš, backed up tonight by Kaapo Kähkönen, will be thrust into a difficult situation of playing both games of a back-to-back, and likely also will be relied ...
5 days ago
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Game 28: Montreal Canadiens vs. St. Louis Blues
Start time: 7:00 PM EST / 4:00 PM PST In the Canadiens region: TSN2 (English), RDS (French) In the Blues region: FanDuel Sports Network Midwest Streaming: ESPN+, RDS, TSN+
The Montreal Canadiens and St. Louis Blues were the top stories of the final third of the season last year. Both teams picked up after the 4 Nations Face-Off well out of a playoff position, but they put together remarkable finishes to end up in the final wild-card sp...
5 days ago
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Leadership in sports can be loud—full of commanding voices and motivational speeches—and Erin Ambrose’s own voice can fill a room when it needs to. But for the Montreal Victoire’s veteran defender, leadership is just as much about the quieter, more intentional moments. It’s not the volume that matters— it’s the value.
“I think it’s just about being a good teammate,” she says simply. For Ambrose, leadership is defined not by authority, but by exchange. “It’s not just teaching things, it’s ...
5 days ago
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The Rocket returned to the rink in Belleville on Saturday night, looking to run their winning streak to a lucky seven games as they squared off with the Senators for the second time in 24 hours. Laval battled hard on Friday, with a pair of empty-net goals helping them en route to a 5-2 win that ensured Laval would end the weekend in first place in the North Division.
The Rocket entered the rematch on Saturday without captain Lucas Condotta. He was travelling in anticipation of the birth o...
5 days ago
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Montreal Canadiens news and notes
Martin St-Louis asks for patience with Zachary Bolduc, and notes that he is one of the younger players on the team. [ TVA Sports ]
Juraj Slafkovský is amazed by how Hutson is able — and willing — to play physically on defence. [ Sportsnet ]
The Heritage Classic in Winnipeg featuring the Jets and the Canadiens is now official. It will take place on October 25, 2026. [ Canadiens.com ]
Alexandre Texier says his shootout attempt went exactly ...
5 days ago
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The PA announcer tries to get a “Go Leafs Go!” chant going before the opening faceoff. It doesn’t work.
First period
The crowd isn’t in it, but the Leafs are, spending the opening few shifts in Montreal’s zone.
An icing call if the first reprieve for Montreal over three minutes in.
Montreal finally gets a shot on net, but then Noah Dobson gets caught trying to hold the puck in at the blue line, and Juraj Slafkovský has to hook Auston Matthews on the counter-attack to de...
6 days ago
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Game 27: Montreal Canadiens @ Toronto Maple Leafs
Start time: 7:00 PM EST / 4:00 PM PST In Canada: CBC, Sportsnet E/O/P (English), TVA Sports (French) Streaming: ESPN+, CBC Gem, Sportsnet+
The Montreal Canadiens’ opening third of the 2025-26 season is set to conclude with a critical battle against the Toronto Maple Leafs that could determine the overall success of the first 27 matches. A win tonight gives them a four-point edge in the standings; a loss evens the teams at 31 points w...
6 days ago
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Game 27: Montreal Canadiens @ Toronto Maple Leafs
Start time: 7:00 PM EST / 4:00 PM PST In Canada: CBC, Sportsnet E/O/P (English), TVA Sports (French) Streaming: ESPN+, CBC Gem, Sportsnet+
The Montreal Canadiens took arguably their easiest two points of the season when they played the Toronto Maple Leafs two weeks ago. There were some real concerns about how Jakub Dobeš would fare while he was in a sympathetic slump with Samuel Montembeault at the time, but the Leafs mustered v...
6 days ago
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