Marc Dumont
Here are the Montreal Canadiens news items, stories, and content you may have missed on Saturday.
Montreal Canadiens News
Tampa Bay’s strategy of running players, taunting goalies, and punching opponents in every scrum is backfiring spectacularly. In fact, on top of having a series lead, the Canadiens have actually landed more hits than their opponents through three games. [Tampa Bay’s Strategy Is Backfiring In Series Versus Canadiens]
The discrepancy in high-danger shots in the series is hard to ignore. In fact, after three games, the Canadiens held a 75% advantage in high-danger scoring chances at 5v5, the highest mark of all teams in the NHL playoffs.
For fun, here's the HDCF% from the various teams in the playoffs after three games. This represents the share of high-danger scoring chances a team will generate.
— Montreal Hockey Now (@MTLhockeynow) April 25, 2026
The #GoHabsGo are leading the league by a rather wide margin, at 75%. https://t.co/vtaVVh8y3G pic.twitter.com/1XZdiqMTul
Beyond the physical battle, which the Habs are winning, there are several other reasons why the Canadiens have managed to establish a series lead, including the excellent play of the third pairing, featuring Arber Xhekaj and Jayden Struble. [Top 3 Reasons The Canadiens Have A Series Lead]
Believe it or not, Xhekaj leads the entire NHL in expected goal share, with an impressive 83.8%. [NST]
Kirby Dach discussed the support from head coach Martin St-Louis as he navigated the seemingly endless list of injuries in recent seasons.
Kirby Dach yesterday on getting the vote of confidence from Habs coach Marty St. Louis:
— /r/Habs (@HabsOnReddit) April 25, 2026
“I think as a competitor, you want a chance to respond. You want to be able to go out there and prove your worth. This game is hard, there are a lot of mistakes out there, it’s not like… pic.twitter.com/uYFCvEuOqz
This is clearly trolling, but it’s quality trolling, relatively speaking. Besides, given that Brady Tkachuk seems to be one of the worst leaders in the league, it’s probably time his position in the Senators organization comes under scrutiny. Or maybe he’s a great leader that never seems to have any semblance of luck when it comes to leadership. Hard to say.
Arber Xhekaj has more points than Brady Tkachuk in the playoffs. pic.twitter.com/t1j569ZKzS
— Alex (@ivandemigoal) April 25, 2026
The clip embedded below doesn’t have anything to do with the Habs, but it’s hard not to roll your eyes when a dirtbag like Ridley Greig starts punching a player who is being held down. That’s pure cowardice.
Ce geste vicieux de Ridly Greig sera-t-il sanctionné par la LNH?🤔 pic.twitter.com/drSzZb6KrY
— TVA Sports (@TVASports) April 25, 2026
Sportsnaut Network
Sunny Mehta already has an option to pick up the phone and negotiate a potential New Jersey Devils trade and improve their top-six. After failing to make the playoffs for the 10th season in a row, the Detroit Red Wings are now the longest-tenured team to miss the postseason after the Buffalo Sabres finally punched their ticket this spring. [New Jersey Devils]
Maybe it’s the rivalry factor. The Pittsburgh Penguins and Philadelphia Flyers have a history of contentious meetings, and that has factored into their ongoing first-round games. Or maybe it’s the chance to see the Penguins’ big three — Sidney Crosby, Evgeni Malkin and Kris Letang — back in the playoffs after a three-year hiatus. Perhaps it’s a continuation of an interest in hockey around the United States following the Winter Olympics and the American gold medal. [Pittsburgh Penguins]
Just one week ago, the Senators were filled with hope as they entered their first round series against the Hurricanes. Flash forward to Saturday, and the Senators are the first team in the NHL to be eliminated, losing their first-round series 4-0. [Ottawa Senators]
