Montreal Canadiens news and notes
Cole Caufield can become the Montreal player to hit the 50-goal milestone since 1990. [ NHL.com ]
Four years after Martin St-Louis took over as head coach, Habs players now understand exactly what he expects from them. [ Montreal Gazette ]
The Habs are turning to Arber Xhekaj to fill-in for Alexandre Carrier. [ Sportsnet | La Presse ]
A look at the Canadiens’ potential first-round opponents. [ The Hockey Writers ]
Montreal’s goaltend...
First period
This is an encouraging start from Montreal. They’re quickly moving the puck with support to get out of the defensive zone, and have gotten out to a 3-0 shot advantage in the opening couple of minutes.
Jayden Struble loses body position and reaches out to give himself a boost to correct that. The referee is 20 feet away to see it and call the holding penalty.
Tampa Bay uses the power play to take the lead in shots, but the game remains 0-0. That’s the type of urgen...
Game 74: Montreal Canadiens @ Tampa Bay Lightning
Start time: 7:00 PM EDT / 4:00 PM PDT In the Canadiens region: TSN2 (English), RDS (French) In the Lightning region: The Spot Streaming: ESPN+, RDS, TSN+
For much of the 2025-26 season, the Montreal Canadiens have won games despite their goaltending, getting impressive performances on offence to outproduce what they were giving up. They may currently be on their longest winning streak of the season at five games, but now they’re...
The Montreal Canadiens have recalled defenceman Adam Engström from the Laval Rocket on Monday, the team announced.
Les Canadiens ont rappelé le défenseur Adam Engstrom du Rocket de Laval. The Canadiens have recalled defenseman Adam Engstrom from the Laval Rocket. #GoHabsGo pic.twitter.com/gfUinQLG1P — Canadiens Montréal (@CanadiensMTL) March 30, 2026
UPDATE (9am Eastern, March 31): We now have more context on why the Montreal Canadiens recalled Engström, announcing on Tuesd...
Game 74: Montreal Canadiens @ Tampa Bay Lightning
Start time: 7:00 PM EDT / 4:00 PM PDT In the Canadiens region: TSN2 (English), RDS (French) In the Lightning region: The Spot Streaming: ESPN+, RDS, TSN+
The Tampa Bay Lightning were in a serious slump when the NHL schedule resumed after the Olympics, going 3-7-0 in the next 10 games, and the three wins were versus a shockingly bad Toronto Maple Leafs team which has since fired its GM, and the free-falling Detroit Red Wings. With two...
Montreal Canadiens News and Notes
Nick Suzuki and Cole Caufield are the best goal scoring duo Montreal has had since Pierre Turgeron and Vinny Damphousse. [ TVA Sports ]
Caufield could become the first Canadien to hit 50 goals since 1990. He’s got 9 games to score 9 goals. [ NHL ]
Breaking down what makes Suzuki such a powerhouse. [ Canadiens ]
How Ivan Demidov’s family built a star. [ The Athletic ]
The Habs have hit 94 points only twice, in the past 33 years, inclu...
The Montreal Canadiens have recalled defenceman Adam Engström from the Laval Rocket on Monday, the team announced.
Les Canadiens ont rappelé le défenseur Adam Engstrom du Rocket de Laval. The Canadiens have recalled defenseman Adam Engstrom from the Laval Rocket. #GoHabsGo pic.twitter.com/gfUinQLG1P — Canadiens Montréal (@CanadiensMTL) March 30, 2026
Engström has played 11 NHL games this season, still in search for his first point. He has played 45 games for the Rocket, sco...
For the second time in a week, the Montreal Canadiens found themselves taking on a top team in the Eastern Conference in the form of the Carolina Hurricanes. This time, they would have to do it in Carolina’s barn, and would have to do so on very little rest, having just won a game in Nashville that started less than 24 hours prior to this one. In both games against the Hurricanes, the Habs struggled to spend much time in the offensive zone, and yet for the second time, they found a way to get ...
Montreal Canadiens news and notes
Michigan won with Michael Hage playing as the 13th forward while nursing an injury, and will advance to the Frozen Four. [ La Presse ]
Nick Suzuki is happy with the commitment the Canadiens have shown to closing out games during their five-game regulation winning streak. [ RDS ]
Around the league and elsewhere
Bruce Cassidy has been fired by the Vegas Golden Knights with eight games remaining in the regular season. John Tortorella wil...
Josh Anderson is unable to play with his illness, so Arber Xhekaj comes into today’s game. Not as a defenceman, but as a fourth-line forward.
First period
The Hurricanes have come out as the better team, so it seems the Habs didn’t learn anything from the previous meeting. They might give up more than 16 shots at this rate.
Five minutes in, the Canadiens haven’t won a single puck battle. How do they go from last night’s performance to this?
The puck has barely been out ...
Game 73: Montreal Canadiens @ Carolina Hurricanes
Start time: **5:00 PM EDT / 2:00 PM PDT** In the Canadiens region: TSN2 (English), RDS (French) In the Hurricanes region: FanDuel Sports Network South Streaming: ESPN+, RDS, TSN+
Ivan Demidov had the best performance of his NHL career to date last night, a force in all three zone as he quickly turned possessions for the Nashville Predators into scoring chances for the Canadiens. The result was the 14th multi-point game of his ro...
Game 73: Montreal Canadiens @ Carolina Hurricanes
Start time: **5:00 PM EDT / 2:00 PM PDT** In the Canadiens region: TSN2 (English), RDS (French) In the Hurricanes region: FanDuel Sports Network South Streaming: ESPN+, RDS, TSN+
The Carolina Hurricanes had an almost ideal performance in the first game of a back-to-back on Saturday, outshooting the New Jersey Devils 34-19 and winning 5-2. The Montreal Canadiens put in a similar effort versus the Nashville Predators, bringing an end t...
While 77 points would barely have a team out of the basement in the Eastern Conference, for the Nashville Predators, it is currently enough for a wild card spot. Battling to hold on to their spot, they hosted the Montreal Canadiens on Saturday night, a team embroiled in their own heated battle, and theirs being in the most competitive division in hockey right now. The Habs outclassed their hosts for most of the game, opening up a 4-0 lead, and nearly earning a shutout for Jacob Fowler if not f...
The Montreal Victoire scored three third period goals to defeat the New York Sirens 3-1 on Saturday afternoon at Little Caesars Arena in Detroit.
The win extends Montreal’s point streak to 11 games, tying Toronto’s league record from the inaugural season. Montreal won nine of the games, with two overtime wins and two losses in extra time.
It did not start off well for the Victoire, who started the game with perhaps their worst period of the season. The team took three minor penaties ...
It has been rare for the Laval Rocket under Pascal Vincent to have sustained losing streaks, especially when the pressure is at its highest. However, riding a two-game skid entering Saturday ramped up the pressure for Laval as they tried to pare down their magic number just a little bit more against the Wilkes-Barre/Scranton Penguins.
It was a first Rocket start for Hunter Shepard, who was acquired at the AHL trade deadline, while Vincent Arseneau rejoined the lineup in place of Will Dine...
Montreal Canadiens news and notes
“I didn’t feel like I had much to do,” Jacob Fowler offered up as compliment for how the players worked for all 60 minutes in last night’s game. [ Journal de Montreal ]
Fowler was also wearing a new mask, trading in his Florida license plate for a Quebec one. [ Journal de Montreal ]
The change of goalie coach has made a big difference for Jakub Dobeš, who has been among the league’s best netminders since Marco Marciano was promoted. [ Journal ...
It shouldn’t be a surprise that they could find a good singer in Nashville, but the anthems tonight were quite pleasant to listen to.
First period
After 16 shots against on Tuesday and 13 on Thursday, what can the Canadiens do in this opening period?
The first line gets stuck in its own zone (maybe more fitting to say the top pairing did), but the second one gets some zone time and a shot.
A better job from the top line on the next shift when Nick Suzuki knocks the puck...
Game 72: Montreal Canadiens @ Nashville Predators
Start time: 7:00 PM EDT / 4:00 PM PDT In Canada: CityTV, Sportsnet East (English), TVA Sports (French) In the Predators region: FanDuel Sports Network South Streaming: ESPN+, Sportsnet+
The Canadiens play their first match of a five-game road trip, and also their last one versus a Western Conference opponent this season, in Nashville versus the Predators, seeking to run their winning streak to four. After Jakub Dobeš claimed the...
Game 72: Montreal Canadiens @ Nashville Predators
Start time: 7:00 PM EDT / 4:00 PM PDT In Canada: CityTV, Sportsnet East (English), TVA Sports (French) In the Predators region: FanDuel Sports Network South Streaming: ESPN+, Sportsnet+
The Nashville Predators made headlines for their moves in summer of 2024, but all the commentary last season focused on how much of a disappointment the team that looked so good on paper turned out to be once the games started. They ended up in 3...
As the Laval Rocket prepare for what is expected to be a deep playoff run, the focus has shifted from standings to development. With several important prospects in the lineup and a few new additions arriving, the final stretch of the season is becoming a critical evaluation period for the Montreal Canadiens. Will Shoukri joined to the podcast once more as we went through the prospects in Laval.
Luke Mittelstadt
Mittelstadt has arrived as a classic depth defenceman: steady, intelligen...
On the heels of a disappointing loss on home ice on Wednesday night, the Laval Rocket hit the road to try to bounce back in their quest for a North Division title. In front of them on Friday evening were the Bridgeport Islanders, a squad soon moving to familiar ground in Hamilton, Ontario.
Pascal Vincent shuffled his forward lines after the team managed just a single goal against the North’s worst club, with Will Dineen slotting in for Vincent Arseneau on the fourth line. On the third lin...
Montreal Canadiens news and notes
Five game on the road might seem like a daunting schedule for the Canadiens, but that’s where Lane Hutson does his best work. [ TVA Sports ]
An easier schedule than those of their competitors might provide the Canadiens the opportunity to go for home-ice advantage in the opening round. [ La Presse ]
Montreal’s top line has become too productive to split up in an attempt to spread the wealth. [ TVA Sports ]
The Canadiens are building towar...
The Montreal Canadiens have signed defence prospect Owen Protz to his three-year entry-level contract. The deal will begin in the 2026-27 season.
The Canadiens have agreed to terms on a three-year, entry-level contract (2026-27 to 2028-29) with defenseman Owen Protz. News release ↓ #GoHabsGo https://t.co/l4rvU5BvDC — Canadiens Montréal (@CanadiensMTL) March 27, 2026
Protz just completed the OHL’s regular-season schedule, helping the Brantford Bulldogs claim the best record in t...
The majority of the remaining games for the Montreal Canadiens are against playoff, or playoff-hopeful teams, and Thursday night was no different. To finish their three-game home stand before hitting the road, they hosted the Columbus Blue Jackets, who have been major risers in the Metropolitan division of late. Once again overcoming a lethargic start to the game, the Habs took a very close 2-1 victory, allowing them to head off for their road trip on a high note.
A third period marker fr...
Montreal Canadiens news and notes
Michael Hage is one of the exciting NHL prospects competing in the NCAA tournament. [ Sportsnet ]
Logan Sawyer and Emmett Croteau’s seasons are over, after being eliminated from the NCAA tournament in the first round. [ RDS ]
Could Martin St-Louis have given Cole Caufield a crack at an empty net as the winger strives for 50? [ Journal de Montreal ]
Is the head coach in line for a new contract during the offseason? [ RDS ]
Has Jayden ...