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NHL: Calgary Flames at Montreal Canadiens
Credit: Eric Bolte-Imagn Images

MONTREAL — Every day leads to Montreal Canadiens news, and we’re all bound to miss a story or two. On Sundays, we recap the relevant NHL news you may have missed, to help you stay in the Habs loop.

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Montreal Canadiens News And Notes

One of the top Habs prospects continued his exciting scoring ways on the weekend, as Bryce Pickford reached the 43-goal mark for the Medicine Hat Tigers. Remember, Pickford is a defenceman, and he missed a considerable stretch of the season, which means he’s scored 43 goals in just 51 games, a truly impressive feat. If Pickford scores one more goal, he’ll enter into a tie for the lead league in goals. [Canadiens Top 20 Prospects: No.7 – Extraordinary Pickford]

There are 20 games left to play for the Canadiens this season, which means it’s the perfect time to delve into their ever-changing playoff odds. As it stands, Montreal’s is in a healthy situation, but the vast majority of the remaining games will be against teams that are also vying for a playoff spot in the Eastern Conference. [Updated Canadiens And Eastern Conference Playoff Odds]

Nick Suzuki epitomizes consistent improvements, which is rather difficult to do in a sports league that is tied to forced parity.

The Canadiens ran with a different second line at practice on Monday, with Alex Newhook taking over as the centreman, and Joe Veleno jumping on the left wing. Before anyone loses too much sleep, it was a therapy day for Oliver Kapanen, therefore there are decent chances the second line will return to normal by the time the puck drops versus the Toronto Maple Leafs on Tuesday night.

The players were quite loose at practice, to the point that they had time to, well, I’m not quite sure what Ivan Demidov, Juraj Slafkovsky, Suzuki, and others were doing, but it looked fun.

Not only is Habs sniper Cole Caufield one of the best goalscorers in the league, he’s also among the clutchiest clutchers who have ever provided a clutch effort in the NHL.

Jake Evans, Phillip Danault, and Oliver Kapanen provided the goals, while Jakub Dobes secured the win by stopping 17 of the 18 shots sent his way versus the Toronto Maple Leafs. All things considered, it was a solid win by the Habs, even if the commentary throughout the game was a little confusing. [Habs Highlights: Canadiens Drop Leafs, Pick Up Points]

Elliotte Friedman believes there was a little truth behind the rumour that the Habs and Leafs discussed a potential trade involving Matthew Knies. At the very least, he implied there was some semblance of veritas in the mix.

Shockingly, or not, Lane Hutson was the first guy on the ice at practice on Tuesday.

With 20 goals in the bank, Kapanen secured a $250,000 bonus on Tuesday night. An encouraging day at the office for the 22-year-old Finn, to say the least.

Jacob Fowler was recalled prior to the game versus the Ottawa Senators, which did not give him much time to prepare, but that didn’t stop the rookie netminder from making his mark. He saved 32 of the 34 shots sent his way to secure the win, while Juraj Slafkovsky, Alex Texier, and Ivan Demidov provided the offence. [Canadiens Highlights: Fowler Excels, Young Stars Secure Win]

Top Habs prospect Michael Hage enjoyed another fantastic night in the NCAA for the University of Michigan. The 19-year-old centre registered four points as the Wolverines dominated Notre Dame 6-1, advancing to the Big Ten semifinals in the process. Hage was rightfully voted as the No. 1 ranked Canadiens prospect in our annual fan-driven rankings. [Hage Takes No. 1 Spot In Canadiens Prospect Rankings]

Even though the NHL Trade Deadline is in the rearview mirror, the rumours linking the Canadiens to various players continue to flow. According to Darren Dreger, Kent Hughes and Company were interested in a potential trade involving Calgary Flames defenceman Zach Whitecloud.

Chris Johnston, on the other hand, thinks the Habs were focused on forwards, but neither Nazem Kadri nor Robert Thomas were strongly considered beyond the typical due diligence. As per usual, we have to take every rumour with a grain of salt, especially since the Canadiens are known to inquire about the potential cost of acquisition of almost every player available for trade.

By scoring 164 points before turning 22, Slafkovsky set a new franchise record for the Canadiens.

Head coach Martin St-Louis had nothing but good things to say about Jacob Fowler’s play versus the Ottawa Senators. All things considered, the narrative that Fowler stole the game was a little exaggerated, as the Canadiens created more high-danger chances than the Senators, but there’s no doubt that he provided a calm, confident approach, which is always a bonus in professional sports. [Canadiens Top 20 Prospects – No. 2 Stoic Fowler]

Alex Texier did a great job replacing Cole Caufield in a pinch, however, you could argue that Texier deserves to be in the lineup, regardless of whether Caufield is available. The numbers point to a player who has done everything possible to earn more ice time with his new team. [Canadiens Analysis: Texier Impressive Impact Impossible To Ignore]

I’ll be honest, I haven’t kept a close eye on the NHL “Super 16” rankings this season, but it seems like they’ve caught on that the Canadiens keep finding ways to win, despite being the youngest team in the NHL.

Speaking of the NHL, they also sent some praise Bryce Pickford’s way. In case you’ve somehow missed it, Pickford is just one goal off the league lead, while having missed some games this season. Oh, and he’s a defenceman.

Hmmm, I’m not sure, but I would guess the bigger playoff threat is the team that is actually on track to make the playoffs.

The Canadiens made a trade implicating three minor-league players on Friday afternoon, and while none of the players included will feature in an NHL game this year, the fact that Montreal acquired an AHL goaltender is clear-cut sign that Jacob Fowler is not heading back to the Laval Rocket any time soon. It’s the ultimate vote of confidence in the young netminder. [Canadiens Make Minor League Trade With Major Implications]

While most of the attention has been sent Fowler’s way, it’s impossible to forget he’s essentially replacing veteran netminder Samuel Montembeault. Despite this, Montembeault has been nothing short of excellent when it comes to supporting his goaltending counterparts in Montreal.

The Habs are scoring more often, and much of the credit must be given to the team’s top forwards, however, the increased production has mostly come on the powerplay, and there’s no doubt both Lane Hutson and Noah Dobson have been a godsend in that regard. [Canadiens Analysis: Evaluating Montreal’s Improved Production]

In other news, seventh-round pick Luke Mittelstadt was signed to an entry-level contract, putting an end to his four-year tenure with the University of Minnesota (NCAA). Mittelstadt served as one of the Gophers’ captains this season, earning three goals and 19 assists in 36 games, the highest output of his NCAA career.

Even though Alexander Texier has done great things in his limited ice time with the Habs, including scoring a crucial goal versus the Senators while replacing Cole Caufield, it does not appear he will be in uniform on Saturday as the Habs face the San Jose Sharks. Texier practiced alongside the third line, as an extra, while Patrik Laine took some rushes on the second, and Joe Veleno was the odd-man out on the fourth line. [Canadiens Analysis: Texier Impact Impossible To Ignore]

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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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