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NHL: Stanley Cup Playoffs-Tampa Bay Lightning at Montreal Canadiens
Credit: David Kirouac-Imagn Images

MONTREAL — It feels like every hour features more Montreal Canadiens news, and we’re all bound to miss a story or two. On Sundays, we always recap the relevant NHL news you may have missed, to help you stay in the Canadiens loop.

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Montreal Canadiens News And Notes

  • Elliotte Friedman chimed in on the officiating in the first-round series between the Habs and the Lightning. Or more accurately, he quickly discussed one penalty, which seemed to be phantom call at first, but was actually a legitimate penalty on Oliver Kapanen. I’d argue the issue, in this particular case, is that the referee’s hand did not go up until Dominic James oversold the contact a few moments later. Either way, the Canadiens can’t focus on officiating in this series, because it’s a factor they simply cannot control.
  • Even though the on-ice results at 5v5 have been less than ideal, Lane Hutson has done a great job when tasked with defending star players 1v1.
  • Lost in the shuffle on the weekend, the Canadiens re-assigned defenceman David Reinbacher to the Laval Rocket (AHL). The Rocket’s playoff push gets underway on Wednesday, with a series versus the Toronto Marlies on the menu.
  • Alexandre Texier, Alex Newhook, and head coach Martin St-Louis were among the members of the organization that met with the media on Monday.
  • The Habs are now one game away from advancing to the second round of the NHL Playoffs. Veteran Brendan Gallagher was reinserted into the lineup, and quickly made an impact by scoring the opening goal of the game. Kirby Dach, as well as Alexandre Texier, provided the other goals in the crucial 3-2 win. [Canadiens Highlights: Gallagher Leads Way In Huge Win]
  • Rookie netminder Jakub Dobes was great, stopping 38 of the 40 shots sent his way, including almost 10 high-danger saves.
  • Lost in the excitement, defenceman Lane Hutson had yet another excellent game. It should also be noted that he’s maintained his ridiculous production rate in the playoffs. In 10 career games, the phenom has registered his name on the scoresheet 10 times.
  • While the Canadiens were gaining a series advantage versus the Lightning, the Laval Rocket were busy doing the same in the AHL. Laval beat the Toronto Marlies 3-1 on Wednesday, taking a 1-0 lead in the series. Florian Xhekaj, Joshua Roy, and Samuel Blais scored for the Rocket, while Kaapo Kähkönen made 20 saves to secure the win.
  • The entertainment factor is through the roof when it comes to this Lightning fan’s crash out.
  • It’s no longer the case, but there was a time when some doubted whether Lane Hutson‘s impressive production would translate to the NCAA. And then they questioned whether he could do it at the World Championship. And the World Juniors. In the NHL. And eventually, the playoffs. At this (very early) point of his career, there’s very little left to prove.
  • Sniper Cole Caufield is among the finalists for the Lady Byng Memorial Trophy, awarded annually to the player in the league deemed to have exhibited the best type of sportsmanship throughout the season. In 81 games played, Caufield only accumulated 14 penalty minutes. [Caufield Among Finalists For Lady Byng Memorial Trophy]
  • The French call of Alexandre Texier’s game-winning goal is absolutely fantastic.
  • Veteran Brendan Gallagher had his mother on his mind as he was reinserted into the lineup on Wednesday. Given how much he’s sacrificed for the franchise, it was a fitting start to his playoff run from the always under-appreciated forward.
  • Unfortunately for the organization, the Laval Rocket also dropped their playoff game, losing 6-2 to the Toronto Marlies. Laval actually established a 2-0 lead midway through the first period, but four powerplay goals from the Marlies was simply too much to handle. [AHL]
  • One of the main reasons the Canadiens have managed to keep pace with the Lightning is the play of the team’s third line. Or is it their fourth line? Either way, Alexandre Texier, Kirby Dach, and Zachary Bolduc are scoring at a first-line pace. [Caufield Among Finalists For Lady Byng Memorial Trophy]
  • Caufield, one of the players who has struggled at 5v5, was quick to send praise their way.
  • Speaking of Bolduc, he’s one of the many young players in the province who was inspired by veteran Brendan Gallagher.
  • Gallagher is quite appreciative of the support he’s received since being returned to the lineup.
  • With all due respect to Henrik Lundqvist, there’s clearly a lack of respect for Jakub Dobes in play. Sure, he’s a rookie, but you could argue he’s done as good as veteran Andrei Vasilevskiy.
  • Le Gros Bill truly epitomized what it meant to be a member of the Montreal Canadiens.
  • Noah Dobson skated on Friday, and from all accounts, it seems like he’s as close as possible to returning to the lineup. There were even some whispers that he was almost cleared to play in Game 6.
  • Juraj Slafkovsky decided to take a shot at Max Crozier, who was left out of the lineup for Game 6.
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By Marc Dumont
Marc has been covering the Habs for over a decade. He previously worked for Journal Metro, The Athletic, The ... More about Marc Dumont

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