Marc Dumont
Updated:
Here are the Montreal Canadiens and NHL news items you may have missed on Wednesday.
Montreal Canadiens News
- If the Canadiens want to create more second-chance scoring opportunities, not to mention more chaos near the Sabres crease, they may want to consider reinserting veteran Brendan Gallagher into the lineup. [The Canadiens Could Use Another Solid Veteran In The Lineup]
- The Habs have managed to outshoot the Sabres in the first four games of the series, and they’ve also outscored them by a wide margin at 5v5. Special teams will play a key part in the final three games, but it’s safe to say the Habs are in a relatively healthy situation, despite the Game 4 loss. [Canadiens Hold Destiny In Their Hands Versus Sabres]
- Buffalo Sabres head coach Lindy Ruff remarked there were some instances of Canadiens players falling a little too easy in Game 4. Canadiens head coach Martin St-Louis responded by asking if he was talking about the Sabres as well. In all honesty, the Canadiens may have gotten a few calls in their favour in Game 4, but it’s also fair to say the Sabres had the same discipline of a bunch of drunken pirates that finally broke into the rum store on a ship that is lost somewhere in the middle of the Atlantic Ocean. High-sticking players every few shifts makes life very easy on the referees. There’s no debate involved, they were, for the most part, blatant and useless penalties.
Prior to leaving Montreal this morning, #LetsGoBuffalo head coach Lindy Ruff was about the officiating in GM4 & said he thinks #Habs players were going down easy…#GoHabsGo Martin St-Louis was asked about Ruff's comment: "is he talking about his team too?" he said with a smirk.
— Priyanta Emrith (@HabsInHighHeels) May 13, 2026
- New York Islanders defenceman Matthew Schaefer took home the Calder Trophy, beating Canadiens rookie Ivan Demidov in the process. It’s not a surprising result given that Schaefer is an 18-year-old defenceman who scored 23 goals, but it must be said that Demidov had a very solid freshman season nonetheless. He led all rookies in scoring, with 62 points in 82 games. This led to Demidov finishing second in voting. Netminder Jakub Dobes finished fourth. [Two Canadiens Among Top Four Calder Votes]
- Rather than practicing in Brossard, the Habs decided to cancel their morning skate. They simply made their way to Buffalo a little earlier than expected instead.
#Habs have cancelled practice that had been scheduled for Wednesday morning in Brossard. Instead it will just be a travel day with the team flying to Buffalo in afternoon for Game 5 Thursday (7 pm, CBC, SN, TVA Sports)
— Stu Cowan (@StuCowan1) May 13, 2026
- There are still three games left to play in the series, but it must be said that Montreal’s results are quite confusing. The team that scored at will during the regular playoffs is having a hard time finding the back of the net, while their usual shambolic defence has become a stalwart presence. It’s a complete reversal of their usual strengths. Sports!
Team Rating for the Montréal Canadiens pic.twitter.com/MurIlOG672
— HockeyStatCards (@hockeystatcards) May 13, 2026
Sportsnaut Network
- Sunny Mehta poached his former club—the Florida Panthers—when making his first hire within the New Jersey Devils. Mehta’s adding significant experience and championship pedigree to his hockey operations department, announcing the hiring of Braden Birch as assistant general manager. [New Jersey Devils]
- New Toronto Maple Leafs hockey executives John Chayka & Mats Sundin spent several hours chatting with head coach Craig Berube this past weekend. And coming out of it, all signs pointed to Berube surviving as Leafs coach, at least for a bit longer. But Wednesday morning, the team dropped the hammer, firing the head coach after a two-year run. [Toronto Maple Leafs]
- With the Carolina Hurricanes’ historic sweep over the Philadelphia Flyers, they earned themselves a spot in the Eastern Conference Final for the third time in four years. However, as they look at potentially 10 days off straight, it leaves time to wonder and contemplate whether they have what it takes to make the push past the round they’ve gone 1-16 in for the past 15 years. [Carolina Hurricanes]
