Game 11: Montreal Canadiens @ Seattle Kraken Start time: 10:30 PM EDT / 7:30 PM PDT In the Canadiens region: TSN2 (English), RDS (French) In the Kraken region: Kraken Hockey Network, KONG Streaming: ESPN+, TSN Live The Montreal Canadiens have seven wins in their first 10 games, something that they haven’t accomplished (Covid season aside) since the heady days of Carey Price’s prime. Furthermore, they’ve done this despite inconsistent goaltending, a hit-or-miss power play, and injuries to Kaiden Guhle, Kirby Dach, and Patrik Laine. The key to the Canadiens’ season early on has been star power. Over the last decade, Montreal fans have witnessed on countless occasions a superlative effort by the CH rendered meaningless by a few flashes of opposition brilliance. Now, the Canadiens have the potential to put the shoe on the other foot. Thirty-plus minutes of controlling the play by the Vancouver Canucks? Gone in the span of two power plays thanks to Nick Suzuki and Ivan Demidov. That’s not to say that the Habs should rely on being bailed out by their superstars, but it’s very nice to finally have the possibility for a change. Tale of the Tape .tg {border-collapse:collapse;border-spacing:0;} .tg td{border-color:black;border-style:solid;border-width:1px;font-family:Arial, sans-serif;font-size:14px; overflow:hidden;padding:10px 5px;word-break:normal;} .tg th{border-color:black;border-style:solid;border-width:1px;font-family:Arial, sans-serif;font-size:14px; font-weight:normal;overflow:hidden;padding:10px 5px;word-break:normal;} .tg .tg-ymce{background-color:#BE2F37;color:#FFF;font-weight:bold;text-align:center;vertical-align:bottom} .tg .tg-8d8j{text-align:center;vertical-align:bottom} Canadiens Statistics Kraken 7-3-0 Record 5-2-2 47.7% (22nd) Expected-goal share 44.4% (30th) 3.60 (8th) Goals per game 2.78 (25th) 3.00 (15th) Goals against per game 2.67 (11th) 23.3% (11th) PP% 19.2% (19th) 75.0% (18th) PK% 69.6% (26th) 1-0-0 Head-to-Head Record 0-0-1 Cole Caufield (7) Most goals Eberle/Schwartz (4) Nick Suzuki (11) Most assists Matty Beniers (5) Nick Suzuki (13) Most points Eberle/Schwartz (8) The last time the Canadiens met the Seattle Kraken, it was at the Bell Centre for Montreal’s home-opener. The Habs took that one, a see-saw affair that witnessed four separate one-goal leads — three for the home side and one for the visitors — get cancelled out before Cole Caufield snuck a puck above Joey Daccord’s shoulder for the overtime winner. Given how close that game was, it’s perhaps not surprising that the two clubs have shared similar fates since then. The Kraken greet the Canadiens with a 5-2-2 record after celebrating their return to Climate Pledge Arena with a win over a short-handed Edmonton Oilers team missing their two best assets. Seattle is undefeated at home this season, and has yet to allow more than two goals in a game. That said, they’ve also yet to score more than three, and this perhaps highlights a bigger issue. The team has only scored more than three goals within regulation time on one occasion this season: October 14, at the Bell Centre, against Montreal. Both the Kraken and the Canadiens are relatively unchanged from their first meeting. Seattle’s biggest loss is Jared McCann, who has not played since the team’s fifth game of the season and was placed on IR prior to their matchup with the Oilers. His loss is Berkly Catton’s gain, as head coach Lane Lambert has given an opportunity to the eighth overall selection in 2024. Catton, for his part, has responded with two points in four games. Montreal’s lineup will still be missing Laine and Guhle, which means Jayden Struble and Joe Veleno will face off against the Kraken for the first time. In net, Seattle will probably turn once again to Daccord, who has played seven out of nine possible games so far. Montreal’s goaltending situation is less clear. Jakub Dobeš has clearly outplayed Samuel Montembeault so far, but the Canadiens will likely continue rotating the two in order to give their de facto starter a chance to play himself out of this slump. So far this season, the Kraken have relied on three things: disciplined defending, resolute goaltending, and opportunistic offence. The last time they met, Montreal managed to secure two points by breaking down two of the three. Can the Habs turn the trick again and finish off their Western road trip on a successful note?

Montreal Canadiens News and Notes * Ivan Demidov has arrived. [Montreal Gazette] * Demidov’s skill draws comparisons to some of hockey’ greats. [Sportsnet] * Demidov, Montemeault, and other topics. [The Athletic] * Jakub Dobeš might have the hot hand right now, but St-Louis isn’t worried about Montembeault. [TVA Sports] * Kris Letang knew what he was talking about when he said Mike Matheson was Montreal’s number one defenseman. [TVA Sports] * The Habs are young, but experience and resilience have served them well in their somewhat surprising hot start. [TVA Sports] Around the League and Elsewhere * Rickard Rakell, William Nylander, and Quinn Hughes are among a number of notable injured players around the league. [NHL] * The Leafs are very glad to have Joseph Woll back with the team. [NHL | TSN] * The Hurricanes have been struck with a storm of injuries that have presented both difficulties and opportunities. [TSN] * The Flames woke up with a vengeance. [TSN]

The Montreal Canadiens are heating up with a strong 3-1 record last week, and now they’re set for another game vs the Seattle Kraken! In this PuckTalk Preview, Kosta breaks down how the Habs have found their groove early in a tough week, what’s driving their success, and what they need to do to keep it rolling against a tough Kraken squad and finish their western road trip on a high note.. We’ll look at Nick Suzuki’s leadership, Cole Caufield’s scoring, Ivan Demidov’s impact, and Juraj Slafkovsky’s development, plus how Martin St. Louis has the Canadiens playing fast, confident hockey. On the other side, we break down the Seattle Kraken’s key players, including Matty Beniers, Jordan Ebelre, the impact of the injury to Jared McCann, and how they’ll look to extend their current winnign streak. Whether you’re a Montreal Canadiens fan, Seattle Kraken fan, or passionate NHL hockey fan, this preview has you covered with analysis, predictions, and insight before puck drop! Smash LIKE, comment your game predictions, and SUBSCRIBE for more PuckTalk previews, post-game recaps, and NHL content every week! 0:00 - Show Start 1:43 - The Good, the Bad and The Ugly From The Habs' Last Week 18:22 - Looking Ahead To Another game Versus The Seattle Kraken #GoHabsGo #MontrealCanadiens #SeattleKraken #PuckTalk #NHL #Habs #HockeyTalk #HabsFans #KrakenFans #NHLHighlights #CanadiensVsKraken #HockeyCommunity #HabsNation #NHLFans #MontrealHockey #CH #HockeyVLog In every episode, Kosta Papoulias takes a deep dive into the latest Montreal Canadiens news involving Ivan Demidov, Patrik Laine, Juraj Slafkovsky, Josh Anderson, Cole Caufield, Nick Suzuki, Kirby Dach, Joe Veleno, Jake Evans, Zach Bolduc, Brendan Gallagher, Alex Newhook, Oliver Kapanen, Habs Defencemen, Arber Xhekaj, Kaiden Guhle, Sam Montembeault, Lane Hutson, Jayden Struble, Alex Carrier, Mike Matheson, Noah Dobson, Jakub Dobes, Jacob Fowler, Kent Hughes, Martin St Louis. Dans chaque épisode, Kosta Papoulias analyse en profondeur les dernières nouvelles des Canadiens de Montréal concernant Ivan Demidov, Patrik Laine, Juraj Slafkovsky, Josh Anderson, Cole Caufield, Nick Suzuki, Kirby Dach, Joe Veleno, Jake Evans, Zach Bolduc, Brendan Gallagher, Alex Newhook, Oliver Kapanen, Habs Defencemen, Arber Xhekaj, Kaiden Guhle, Sam Montembeault, Lane Hutson, Jayden Struble, Alex Carrier, Mike Matheson, Noah Dobson, Jakub Dobes, Jacob Fowler, Kent Hughes et Martin St Louis. Please Click to Subscribe / Veuillez cliquer pour vous abonner: https://bit.ly/mtlhockeytalk

Montreal Canadiens news and notes * “Hope they don’t solve you,” is Lane Hutson’s advice to other NHL teams on their strategy for stopping a power-play unit with Nick Suzuki and Ivan Demidov. [TVA Sports] * Nick Suzuki says everyone knew the plan would be to get Demidov on the top unit at some point. [The Athletic] * The Canadiens were favoured to win the Calder Trophy before the season began, but now they have three viable candidates for the award. [TVA Sports] * Jakub Dobeš is off to the same 5-0 start as last season. The difference is that he’s improved his game since last December’s debut. [TVA Sports] * The Canadiens’ seven-win start in seven stats. [La Presse] * Kent Hughes says his own contract negotiation took 15 minutes. He’s more than happy to get the chance to see through the vision he started. [Journal de Montreal] Around the league and elsewhere * The NHL has suspended Washington Capitals assistant coach Mitch Love for the remainder of the season. After initially placing him on leave, the Capitals fired him once the decision was made. [Sportsnet] * Rickard Rakell of the Pittsburgh Penguins will miss six to eight weeks with a hand injury. [Sportsnet] * A fan of the New York Islanders all his life, Marshall Warren made his debut with the team on Saturday. [NHL.com] * Brantford Bulldogs head coach Jay McKee is trying to convince 2026 NHL Draft prospect Vladimir Dravecky not to spend so much time on the ice. [The Athletic]

Montreal Canadiens news and notes * “Hope they don’t solve you,” is Lane Hutson’s advice to other NHL teams on their strategy for stopping a power-play unit with Nick Suzuki and Ivan Demidov. [TVA Sports] * Nick Suzuki says everyone knew the plan would be to get Demidov on the top unit at some point. [The Athletic] * The Canadiens were favoured to win the Calder Trophy before the season began, but now they have three viable candidates for the award. [TVA Sports] * Jakub Dobeš is off to the same 5-0 start as last season. The difference is that he’s improved his game since last December’s debut. [TVA Sports] * The Canadiens’ seven-win start in seven stats. [La Presse] * Kent Hughes says his own contract negotiation took 15 minutes. He’s more than happy to get the chance to see through the vision he started. [Journal de Montreal] Around the league and elsewhere * The NHL has suspended Washington Capitals assistant coach Mitch Love for the remainder of the season. After initially placing him on leave, the Capitals fired him once the decision was made. [Sportsnet] * Rickard Rakell of the Pittsburgh Penguins will miss six to eight weeks with a hand injury. [Sportsnet] * A fan of the New York Islanders all his life, Marshall Warren made his debut with the team on Saturday. [NHL.com] * Brantford Bulldogs head coach Jay McKee is trying to convince 2026 NHL Draft prospect Vladimir Dravecky not to spend so much time on the ice. [The Athletic]

Reeling from the debacle that was their last game in Edmonton, the Montreal Canadiens travelled farther west to meet the Vancouver Canucks and try to get back in the win column. It wasn’t the prettiest at times, but they got the job done, and remain atop the Atlantic division as of this writing. What was quite pretty was the play of a certain Ivan Demidov, who put himself in the driver’s seat for the Habs and took over that game. De Demidov à Suzuki. On va entendre ça longtemps. pic.twitter.com/HHATKab4Uk— TVA Sports (@TVASports) October 26, 2025 Perhaps the most important development, and one that the fan base has been clamouring for since the season began, is how good he looks on the top power play unit. He set up the Nick Suzuki goal above, another for Juraj Slafkovsky later in the game, and both goals were extremely easy for their respective scorers to finish with how well he moves the puck. They can use Demidov just about anywhere on that unit, and he makes it infinitely more dangerous than it was in the games they played without him. Whatever else happens moving forward, he absolutely cannot be removed from that unit. The Canucks had the edge in five-on-five play for most of the night, but the Habs’ skill, particularly that of Demidov, allowed them to overcome. You won’t be able to dominate even-strength stats every night in the NHL, and when you can’t, you need your skill players to step up like he did. We also saw something else from him that hasn’t quite been a focus yet this season. PARDON DEMIDOV??? 😮‍💨😮‍💨😮‍💨 pic.twitter.com/M7rk2ccyp1— TVA Sports (@TVASports) October 26, 2025 Anyone who followed his season in the KHL last year knows that his shot is a formidable weapon. If he can start doing this more often, it will be a massive boost for an already potent offensive team. There’s a lot of excitement around the Habs right now, and what we’re seeing from the young Russian is a big part of why people think this team is headed for big things. Don’t forget that he’s still a teenager, and he’s just getting started in this league. Click the play button below to listen to your full Bottom Six Minutes, also available wherever you get your podcasts. We’ll be back after an incredibly late game this Tuesday night, when the Habs will be in Seattle to visit the Kraken.

Montreal Canadiens news and notes * Rob Hutson compares himself to Arber Xhekaj when it comes to protecting son Lane’s well-being. [La Presse] * An injury to Patrik Laine will likely prevent him from making the needed impression to earn a contract extension in Montreal. [Sportsnet] * Kent Hughes believes his approach to maintain a relationship with his players rather than take all the emotion of out being the general manager will be a benefit in the Mike Matheson contract negotiations. [Journal de Montreal] * Nick Suzuki and Cole Caufield are putting in strong cases early to get added to their respective Olympic roster. [The Athletic] * Oliver Kapanen is Montreal’s biggest surprise to begin the year. [The Athletic] * Ivan Demidov is happy with the points, but says he didn’t play his best game last night. [TVA Sports] * Alexander Zharovsky is scoring at about the same pace as Demidov did in the KHL last season. [TVA Sports] * Noah Dobson’s PE teacher says the player has always had the instincts to play a defensive game, even in football. [Montreal Gazette] * Jared Davidson scored twice in the Laval Rocket’s 4-2 win over the Utica Comets. [La Presse] Around the league and elsewhere * The Vancouver Canucks remain interested in acquiring Pavel Zacha from the Boston Bruins. [Sportsnet] * The Calgary Flames have been relegated to seller status very quickly, but Nazem Kadri won’t be moved before he plays his 1000th game, which he’s on track to do in a couple of weeks. [Sportsnet] * With a favourable schedule to open the season, the Toronto Maple Leafs could have a hard time recovering from a poor start. [Sportsnet] * Brandon Montour wore a Cam Strong shirt as he returned to play following the loss of his brother to ALS. [NHL.com] * Anze Kopitar is set to resume his final NHL season after being activated off Injured Reserve. [Sportsnet] * Roman Josi is week-to-week with an upper-body injury. [TSN] * The Washington Capitals cosplayed as Alexander Ovechkin from his rap video ahead of the NHL all-time goals leader’s 1500th game. [NHL.com] * Nikita Kucherov reached 1000 points in he NHL. [NHL.com]

In this PuckTalk Post-Game, we break down the Montreal Canadiens’ thrilling 4-3 win over the Vancouver Canucks, led by an incredible performance from Ivan Demidov. The young star was electric all night, scoring the game-winning goal and making plays that lifted the Habs to another impressive victory. We’ll dive deep into Demidov’s 3-point performance, power play improvements, and tired Canadiens team managed this character win. Plus, we’ll analyze how the Canucks, led by Elias Pettersson and Quinn Hughes, pushed the Habs to their limits in a back-and-forth battle that had NHL fans on the edge of their seats. Whether you’re a Montreal Canadiens fan, Vancouver Canucks fan, or passionate hockey fan, this post-game breakdown delivers highlights, analysis, and honest reactions from around the rink. Drop your thoughts below — was this Demidov’s best game yet? Smash LIKE, leave a comment, and SUBSCRIBE for more Habs post-game recaps, NHL highlights, and hockey talk all season long! 0:00 - Show Start 2:04 - Game Highlights - A Back-And-Forth Affair...Again! 8:05 - What went right and wrong for the Habs versus the Canucks 17:07 - Patrik Laine 3-4 Months After Abdominal Surgery...and people are happy?!? #GoHabsGo #MontrealCanadiens #VancouverCanucks #IvanDemidov #PuckTalk #NHL #HockeyTalk #HabsFans #CanucksFans #NHLHighlights #HockeyCommunity #CanadiensVsCanucks #HabsNation #NHLFans #MontrealHockey #CH #HockeyVLog In every episode, Kosta Papoulias takes a deep dive into the latest Montreal Canadiens news involving Ivan Demidov, Patrik Laine, Juraj Slafkovsky, Josh Anderson, Cole Caufield, Nick Suzuki, Kirby Dach, Joe Veleno, Jake Evans, Zach Bolduc, Brendan Gallagher, Alex Newhook, Oliver Kapanen, Habs Defencemen, Arber Xhekaj, Kaiden Guhle, Sam Montembeault, Lane Hutson, Jayden Struble, Alex Carrier, Mike Matheson, Noah Dobson, Jakub Dobes, Jacob Fowler, Kent Hughes, Martin St Louis. Dans chaque épisode, Kosta Papoulias analyse en profondeur les dernières nouvelles des Canadiens de Montréal concernant Ivan Demidov, Patrik Laine, Juraj Slafkovsky, Josh Anderson, Cole Caufield, Nick Suzuki, Kirby Dach, Joe Veleno, Jake Evans, Zach Bolduc, Brendan Gallagher, Alex Newhook, Oliver Kapanen, Habs Defencemen, Arber Xhekaj, Kaiden Guhle, Sam Montembeault, Lane Hutson, Jayden Struble, Alex Carrier, Mike Matheson, Noah Dobson, Jakub Dobes, Jacob Fowler, Kent Hughes et Martin St Louis. Please Click to Subscribe / Veuillez cliquer pour vous abonner: https://bit.ly/mtlhockeytalk

* Something tells me Montreal is going to finish the game with more penalties than the Canucks, so they will need to deal with that. First period * Ray Ferraro is a significant upgrade on Garry Galley as tonight’s colour commentator. * The Canucks seem to be shooting for tip in front of Jakub Dobeš. Not exactly a high-skill approach, but it could work against Montreal. * Elias Pettersson doesn’t tip the puck in. He accepts a cross-crease pass with Ivan Demidov playing defence and opens the scoring. * I really thought Montreal would be ready for a strong start after last game. They’re not into this game at all right now. * Kirby Dach comes down the wing and sends a shot off the shoulder of Kevin Lankinen. The rebound bounces just out of reach of the other two forwards on the line. * Arber Xhekaj has Conor Garland get past him and has to reach out to slow him down. Montreal will go on the penalty kill. * The Canucks have a couple of chances, but Montreal survives the two minutes. * The game pauses for a commercial break with just under eight minutes to play and Montreal has two shots. * Not even the top line is able to connect a pass in this period. * It seems any chance Montreal does have at getting a shot gets blocked by someone else in a Habs jersey. They look awful at the moment. * The first real offensive-zone setup Montreal gets in the period is spoiled when Alexandre Carrier has a weak point shot blocked. * And that concludes a rather terrible period of hockey for Montreal. Second period * Montreal is looking better in the opening couple of minutes. They’re actually making plays with the puck. * Already as many shots for Montreal through four minutes as they had in the opening frame. * A two-minute shift from Montreal in the offensive zone end when Joe Veleno takes a penalty. * Josh Anderson gets sprung on a short-handed breakaway by Jake Evans, but hits the post. * Quinn Hughes fires a point shot that gets tipped in by Jake DeBrusk. An inch away from a tie game, now it’s 2-0. * The Canucks’ game seems to be high shots. Dobeš has a few new dents in his mask tonight. Maybe they don’t know the backup is no longer Cayden Primeau. * Xhekaj runs some way too obvious interference to open up some space for his defence partner behind the net. He’s going to sit in the box for two minutes, and maybe many more on the bench after that. * The Canucks do a similarly boneheaded thing by running a similar pick on their power play. The ref’s hand was going up before the contact was even made. * With Montreal on a brief power play once Xhekaj’s penalty expires, Ivan Demidov finds Nick Suzuki’s wheelhouse from across the ice to keep his captain’s point streak going. * A very good follow-up shift from the top line almost ties the game. Suddenly the Habs are moving the puck around well. * Despite there only being five seconds left to play, the Evans line pushes hard for a goal, and they draw a penalty that will begin when the third period does. Third period * The Canucks are playing keepaway to start. * Juraj Slafkovský breaks his sticks, and tosses it away as the celebration when the puck goes in the net. * Two primary assists for Demidov tonight. * Montreal is starting to do the breakout tactic of having one skater draw attention, stop to freeze the defence, and hit a player moving at speed to get past that layer of coverage. It’s how they’ve made teams look slow all season long, and are finally starting to in this game as well. * Evander Kane cross-checks Cole Caufield headfirst into the boards, then complains about the call. Players should automatically earn an extra two for complaining about obvious calls. * Demidov almost gets his third primary point on the power play, but Lankinen stops him at the side of the net. * Demidov is giving this top unit a completely different look with a playmaker on the opposite side to Suzuki. Like a football team playing with two quarterbacks. * Montreal has all the pressure coming off that power play. It’s been a while since they gained momentum on an unsuccessful man advantage. * They capitalize with a goal off the stick of Matheson. The Montreal Canadiens are now in the building. * Quinn Hughes grabs Suzuki to slow him down on a race to the puck and ends up getting the icing call. Suzuki throws out his hands in disbelief. * There’s a primary point for Demidov at five-on-five, a bullet from the right faceoff dot off the leg of a Canucks defenceman and in. * The Olés have begun at Rogers Arena. * The Canadiens are now hanging on. They’re in two-goal-lead mode. * Newhook keeps the puck on a two-on-one with Demidov. I would have preferred to see a pass there even a low-percentage one. * Another tip-in goal for Vancouver. The Canadiens need to start playing again. * Slafkovský hits the side of the empty net from centre ice. * A shot just goes wide of Montreal’s net with 30 seconds to play. * Montreal is killing off the clock a few seconds at a time with icings. * And that’s what happens with time expiring as the puck is sliding toward the Canucks’ end. * A 4-3 win that has the road trip record at 2-1, and their overall record at 7-3 ahead of Tuesday’s game in Seattle. EOTP 3 Stars 3) The Maple Leafs aren’t even popular at Scotiabank Arena 2) This is looking more likely by the game 1) Never bet against Ivan Demidov

Game 10: Montreal Canadiens @ Vancouver Canucks Start time: 7:00 PM EDT / 4:00 PM PDT In Canada: CBC, OMNI-2 (English), TVA Sports (French) In the United States: NHL Network Streaming: Sportsnet+, CBC Gem The Canadiens players have had 48 hours to seethe about how the final minutes of the game in Edmonton transpired. They know they should have a 7-2 record on the season, but as things stand their 6-3 mark is still good enough to lead the division and keep them among the top teams in the NHL. As for their play on the ice, there wasn’t a lot to be concerned about with the effort that night outside of the number of goals the opponent was able to score. They were getting the puck to the slot and outchanced the Oilers in each period, they just didn’t get the result they deserved. The aim tonight should be to take things up a notch further and put the result too far out of reach for anyone to snatch away from them. That’s not an impossible ask from a club that has scored four goals or more in four games already this season. Vancouver’s special teams are slightly worse than Montreal’s to help in that task. Jakub Dobeš will get the start tonight, and considering the way he’s been playing to begin the season it’s possible he’ll get the call on Tuesday for the final game of the trip in Seattle as well. He has at least temporarily taken over the starting duties in Montreal with a perfect 4-0 record and the best save percentage in the NHL of any goaltender to play more than one game at .950. He’s going to make it tough for the Canucks to outperform their average of just over two-and-a-half goals per game. Montreal Canadiens projected lineup .tg {border-collapse:collapse;border-spacing:0;} .tg td{border-color:black;border-style:solid;border-width:1px;font-family:Arial, sans-serif;font-size:14px; overflow:hidden;padding:10px 5px;word-break:normal;} .tg th{border-color:black;border-style:solid;border-width:1px;font-family:Arial, sans-serif;font-size:14px; font-weight:normal;overflow:hidden;padding:10px 5px;word-break:normal;} .tg .tg-ymce{background-color:#BE2F37;color:#FFF;font-weight:bold;text-align:center;vertical-align:bottom} .tg .tg-8d8j{text-align:center;vertical-align:bottom} Left Wing Centre Right Wing #13 Cole Caufield #14 Nick Suzuki #20 Juraj Slafkovský #15 Alex Newhook #91 Oliver Kapanen #93 Ivan Demidov #17 Josh Anderson #71 Jake Evans #11 Brendan Gallagher #76 Zachary Bolduc #77 Kirby Dach #90 Joe Veleno .tg {border-collapse:collapse;border-spacing:0;} .tg td{border-color:black;border-style:solid;border-width:1px;font-family:Arial, sans-serif;font-size:14px; overflow:hidden;padding:10px 5px;word-break:normal;} .tg th{border-color:black;border-style:solid;border-width:1px;font-family:Arial, sans-serif;font-size:14px; font-weight:normal;overflow:hidden;padding:10px 5px;word-break:normal;} .tg .tg-rjwb{background-color:#21386F;color:#FFF;font-weight:bold;text-align:center;vertical-align:bottom} .tg .tg-8d8j{text-align:center;vertical-align:bottom} Left Defence Right Defence #8 Mike Matheson #53 Noah Dobson #47 Jayden Struble #48 Lane Hutson #72 Arber Xhekaj #45 Alexandre Carrier .tg {border-collapse:collapse;border-spacing:0;} .tg td{border-color:black;border-style:solid;border-width:1px;font-family:Arial, sans-serif;font-size:14px; overflow:hidden;padding:10px 5px;word-break:normal;} .tg th{border-color:black;border-style:solid;border-width:1px;font-family:Arial, sans-serif;font-size:14px; font-weight:normal;overflow:hidden;padding:10px 5px;word-break:normal;} .tg .tg-n1r7{background-color:#FFF;font-weight:bold;text-align:center;vertical-align:bottom} .tg .tg-8d8j{text-align:center;vertical-align:bottom} Starter Backup #75 Jakub Dobeš #35 Samuel Montembeault Scratched: Marc Del Gaizo, Joshua Roy Injured: Kaiden Guhle, Patrik Laine Vancouver Canucks projected lineup .tg {border-collapse:collapse;border-spacing:0;} .tg td{border-color:black;border-style:solid;border-width:1px;font-family:Arial, sans-serif;font-size:14px; overflow:hidden;padding:10px 5px;word-break:normal;} .tg th{border-color:black;border-style:solid;border-width:1px;font-family:Arial, sans-serif;font-size:14px; font-weight:normal;overflow:hidden;padding:10px 5px;word-break:normal;} .tg .tg-bobw{font-weight:bold;text-align:center;vertical-align:bottom} .tg .tg-nrix{text-align:center;vertical-align:middle} .tg .tg-8d8j{text-align:center;vertical-align:bottom} Left Wing Centre Right Wing Evander Kane Elias Pettersson Conor Garland Jake DeBrusk Max Sasson Brock Boeser Drew O’Connor Aatu Raty Kiefer Sherwood Arshdeep Bains Nils Aman Linus Karlsson .tg {border-collapse:collapse;border-spacing:0;} .tg td{border-color:black;border-style:solid;border-width:1px;font-family:Arial, sans-serif;font-size:14px; overflow:hidden;padding:10px 5px;word-break:normal;} .tg th{border-color:black;border-style:solid;border-width:1px;font-family:Arial, sans-serif;font-size:14px; font-weight:normal;overflow:hidden;padding:10px 5px;word-break:normal;} .tg .tg-bobw{font-weight:bold;text-align:center;vertical-align:bottom} .tg .tg-8d8j{text-align:center;vertical-align:bottom} Left Defence Right Defence Quinn Hughes Filip Hronek Marcus Pettersson Tyler Myers Elias Pettersson Pierre-Olivier Joseph .tg {border-collapse:collapse;border-spacing:0;} .tg td{border-color:black;border-style:solid;border-width:1px;font-family:Arial, sans-serif;font-size:14px; overflow:hidden;padding:10px 5px;word-break:normal;} .tg th{border-color:black;border-style:solid;border-width:1px;font-family:Arial, sans-serif;font-size:14px; font-weight:normal;overflow:hidden;padding:10px 5px;word-break:normal;} .tg .tg-bobw{font-weight:bold;text-align:center;vertical-align:bottom} .tg .tg-8d8j{text-align:center;vertical-align:bottom} Starter Backup Thatcher Demko Kevin Lankinen

On Saturday, October 25th, the Montreal Canadiens announced that forward Patrik Laine had undergone surgery to treat a core muscle injury, described in French as a sports hernia. Mise à jour médicale au sujet de Patrik Laine Medical update on Patrik Laine pic.twitter.com/pfFqpBo4E0— Canadiens Montréal (@CanadiensMTL) October 25, 2025 The Canadiens further announced that the surgery was performed by Dr. Mark Zoland. Zoland specializes in the diagnosis and surgical treatment of sports hernias, core muscle injuries, and all types of abdominal wall hernias in athletes, and is well-known within the hockey community. Laine’s recovery is expected to take three to four months. He had been out of the lineup since October 18th. In five games with the Canadiens this season, the Finnish winger has one assist and a minus three rating. This marks Laine’s second significant injury in as many years. Last season, he missed the first twenty-four games of the season due to a knee injury suffered in a preseason collision with Cédric Paré. The 27-year-old is scheduled to be an unrestricted free agent at the end of the campaign.

Game 10: Montreal Canadiens @ Vancouver Canucks Start time: 7:00 PM EDT / 4:00 PM PDT In Canada: CITY-TV, Sportsnet East, Sportsnet Pacific (English), TVA Sports (French) In the United States: NHL Network Streaming: ESPN+, Sportsnet+ In past years, the Montreal Canadiens would have been happy to leave Alberta with two points to their name. Not this year. After a subdued performance in Calgary where the Habs relied on a few flashes of sublime skill to secure the victory, Montreal rebounded with one of their best games of the season. From the opening puck drop, they “swarmed” the two-time defending Stanley Cup Finalist Edmonton Oilers, who were described as “hanging on for dear life” in a game where there was “no debate over which was the better team.” When Alex Newhook scored his second of the night early in the third period to put the Canadiens up 5-3, it looked like Montreal was headed for back-to-back victories. Then Garrett Rank and Chris Schlenker metaphorically took the sticks out of their hands. There’s plenty more that needs to be said about that performance and how it reflects on the preferred modus operandi of the NHL, but that’s not for the Canadiens. The team is on to Vancouver, and as Mark Spector wrote: “these refs aren’t coming on the road with you.“ Tale of the Tape .tg {border-collapse:collapse;border-spacing:0;} .tg td{border-color:black;border-style:solid;border-width:1px;font-family:Arial, sans-serif;font-size:14px; overflow:hidden;padding:10px 5px;word-break:normal;} .tg th{border-color:black;border-style:solid;border-width:1px;font-family:Arial, sans-serif;font-size:14px; font-weight:normal;overflow:hidden;padding:10px 5px;word-break:normal;} .tg .tg-ymce{background-color:#BE2F37;color:#FFF;font-weight:bold;text-align:center;vertical-align:bottom} .tg .tg-8d8j{text-align:center;vertical-align:bottom} Canadiens Statistics Canucks 6-3-0 Record 4-4-0 49.0% (20th) Expected-goal share 43.1% (30th) 3.56 (6th) Goals per game 2.63 (T-25th) 3.00 (T-14th) Goals against per game 3.00 (T-14th) 18.5% (T-22nd) PP% 14.3% (27th) 75.9% (18th) PK% 77.4% (T-15th) 2-0-0 Head-to-Head Record (24-25) 0-1-1 Cole Caufield (7) Most goals Kiefer Sherwood (4) Nick Suzuki (11) Most assists Conor Garland (5) Nick Suzuki (12) Most points Conor Garland (7) Between 2013 and 2018, the Vancouver Canucks drafted in the top 10 five times. A decade or so later, three of those players still remain with the team. Quinn Hughes is the face of the franchise, Brock Boeser is a veteran cornerstone, and Elias Pettersson (the forward) is an enigma. These three serve as the faces of a lost decade. Setting aside the Covid bubble tournament, the Canucks have made the post-season once since 2014-15. That season, 2023-24, was supposed to be a turning point. Instead, it’s looking more and more like an anomaly. Fifty wins and a division title gave way to 38 (and fifth place) the following year, and most pundits have Vancouver on the outside looking in for 2025-26. Can the Canucks turn a decade of disappointment into something more? Management hopes so, given that they’re locked into much of the current roster for the foreseeable future. Boeser, Pettersson, Conor Garland, and Filip Hronek are all signed until 2032. Marcus Pettersson and Jake DeBrusk until 2031. Kevin Lankinen until 2030. Vancouver has also staked its future on homegrown youth such as Nils Höglander, Jonathan Lekkerimäki, Tom Willander, and Elias Pettersson (the defenceman). Unfortunately, the former two are currently on injured reserve, joining Filip Chytil, who was acquired in the J.T. Miller trade last season. To these main components, general manager Patrik Allvin has added Evander Kane and a sprinkling of journeymen and former prospects—the likes of Drew O’Connor, Teddy Blueger, Kiefer Sherwood, Nils Aman, Pierre-Joseph Olivier, and as of yesterday, Lukas Reichel. But although most of their core is locked in until 2030 and their youth are under team control until then, the window is actually poised to slam shut in 2027. That is when Hughes, the Canucks’ mercurial talisman, is slated to become an unrestricted free agent. It’s difficult to describe how much Vancouver relies on the 26-year-old Orlando, Florida native. Last season, the team enjoyed a +8 goal differential with Hughes on the ice at five-on-five, and a -19 without him. Their expected goal share plummeted from 54.2% with him to 46.9% without. The clear strategy is to weather the storm and attack when Hughes is on the bench—but that in itself is no easy feat: the Canucks have played 485 minutes of hockey so far this season. Hughes has been on the ice for 44% (213:13) of them. In terms of roster decisions, Vancouver has alternated between Demko and Lankinen over the last six starts, with this game marking Lankinen’s turn. Meanwhile, Montreal might be in a position to commence a similar rotation with Samuel Montembeault and Jakub Dobeš, with Martin St-Louis probably (?) leaning towards the lanky Czech rookie between the pipes. Montreal will likely not make any other changes, which means a second consecutive game for Kirby Dach at the expense of Joshua Roy. Montreal’s visit to the Pacific marks the first game of a three-game homestead for the Canucks, who are looking to rebound after dropping two straight on the road. The Canadiens, meanwhile, will hope to replicate most of what they achieved in Alberta — but with better end results. They should have no shortage of energy. Now they just have to channel it appropriately.

Montreal Canadiens news and notes * Samuel Montembeault’s issues might have been concerning if the Canadiens hadn’t evolved beyond a team that relies on a goaltender to bail it out. [La Presse] * Montreal having its best players signed to inexpensive deals will allow the team to make the most of a rising salary cap. [The Athletic] * Cole Caufield almost scored 40 goals last year. With seven through the opening two weeks, could he get to 50? [TVA Sports] * Lane Hutson is happy to hear praise from Quinn Hughes, Sidney Crosby, Cale Makar, Victor Hedman, Zach Werenski, and Patrick Kane, but he doesn’t believe he’s at their level yet. [Journal de Montreal] * A statistical comparison of Hutson and Hughes. [NHL.com] * Kent Hughes was hoping Ivan Demidov would have a relatively unproductive draft season so the Canadiens could select the player they had targeted early for the 2024 NHL Draft. [TVA Sports] * Demidov is helping chain restaurant Ashton launch its new location in Montreal. [TVA Sports] * Emil Heineman is off to the best start of the players who left the Canadiens organization in the off-season. [Journal de Montreal] * The Laval Rocket lost 4-0 on Friday to the Rochester Americans. [La Presse] Around the league and elsewhere * Why Macklin Celebrini could be the NHL’s next household name. [The Athletic] * Gavin McKenna writes that the reason he went the NCAA route was to play versus better competition. [NHL.com] * Lukas Reichel was traded to the Vancouver Canucks by the Chicago Blackhawks for a fourth-round pick. [TSN] * The Toronto Maple Leafs lost William Nylander to injury in last night’s game in Buffalo. [Sportsnet] * The Maple Leafs are interested in acquiring Yegor Chinakhov from the Columbus Blue Jackets. [TSN] * Alex Kerfoot will be out eight to 10 weeks for the Utah Mammoth after undergoing surgery. [Sportsnet] * Carter Hart signed a two-year contract with the Vegas Golden Knights, and is eligible to play with the team on December 1. [NHL.com] * The New York Islanders will host the 2027 NHL All-Star Weekend. [NHL.com]

Get ready for a hilarious and insightful episode of PuckTalk Preview as Peter Puck takes us down memory lane about penalty — just as the Montreal Canadiens gear up to face the Vancouver Canucks! From classic minors to bizarre calls, this episode is packed with nostalgic insights, highlights, and smart hockey talk that every NHL fan will love. We also preview the upcoming Canadiens vs Canucks matchup, breaking down key storylines: Nick Suzuki’s leadership, Cole Caufield’s scoring touch, Juraj Slafkovsky’s development, and how Martin St. Louis’ system stacks up against the Canucks’ offensive power led by Elias Pettersson, Brock Boeser and Quinn Hughes. Whether you’re a Montreal Canadiens fan, Vancouver Canucks fan, or a lifelong hockey fan, this episode delivers entertainment, humor, and insight before puck drop! Hit LIKE, drop your funniest hockey penalty moments in the comments, and SUBSCRIBE for more PuckTalk previews, post-game recaps, and NHL content every week! #GoHabsGo #MontrealCanadiens #VancouverCanucks #PuckTalk #PeterPuck #NHL #HockeyTalk #NHLFans #HabsFans #CanucksFans #HockeyHumor #HockeyHighlights #CanadiensVsCanucks #HockeyCommunity #NHLHighlights #HabsNation #CH #HockeyVLog In every episode, Kosta Papoulias takes a deep dive into the latest Montreal Canadiens news involving Ivan Demidov, Patrik Laine, Juraj Slafkovsky, Josh Anderson, Cole Caufield, Nick Suzuki, Kirby Dach, Joe Veleno, Jake Evans, Zach Bolduc, Brendan Gallagher, Alex Newhook, Oliver Kapanen, Habs Defencemen, Arber Xhekaj, Kaiden Guhle, Sam Montembeault, Lane Hutson, Jayden Struble, Alex Carrier, Mike Matheson, Noah Dobson, Jakub Dobes, Jacob Fowler, Kent Hughes, Martin St Louis. Dans chaque épisode, Kosta Papoulias analyse en profondeur les dernières nouvelles des Canadiens de Montréal concernant Ivan Demidov, Patrik Laine, Juraj Slafkovsky, Josh Anderson, Cole Caufield, Nick Suzuki, Kirby Dach, Joe Veleno, Jake Evans, Zach Bolduc, Brendan Gallagher, Alex Newhook, Oliver Kapanen, Habs Defencemen, Arber Xhekaj, Kaiden Guhle, Sam Montembeault, Lane Hutson, Jayden Struble, Alex Carrier, Mike Matheson, Noah Dobson, Jakub Dobes, Jacob Fowler, Kent Hughes et Martin St Louis. Please Click to Subscribe / Veuillez cliquer pour vous abonner: https://bit.ly/mtlhockeytalk

On Thursday night, the Montreal Canadiens took on a rather formidable opponent in Connor McDavid and the Edmonton Oilers. Formidable in their own right, they proved even tougher to beat when the officials decided to join their team. With the Habs leading 5-3 in the third period, the officials granted Edmonton their second power play of the period with a soft tripping call against Mike Matheson. This one is at least forgivable in the sense that his stick made contact with Connor McDavid, and the latter did fall down. Soft call, and the second such one against Montreal just in that period, but forgivable. What isn’t forgivable is the patently absurd nature of their next call, which sent the Oilers immediately back to the power play and permitted the tying goal. I can’t believe a referee can call such a soft penalty on Josh Anderson Shooting the puck away in frustration happens EVERY GAME The refs gave this one to the Oilers#GoHabsGo #LetsGoOilers pic.twitter.com/3dW9lMIK9D— RealJordanLove (@randeylahey7) October 24, 2025 This does happen every game, is never called, and the only possible reason an official would make this call is if they’re pre-emptively planning a call against that team to begin with. They’re looking for something. This is the kind of call that makes you wonder if they have a parlay that needs to cash out, and the Edmonton money line was the last leg necessary for that to happen. Brendan Gallagher said after the game that the official who made the call felt that Josh Anderson “showed him up.” Brendan Gallagher voiced his opinion on the officiating of Thursday night’s game between the Canadiens and Oilers. pic.twitter.com/zUWbQd0BC2— TSN (@TSN_Sports) October 24, 2025 On the off chance that particular official is reading this, allow me to explain something very important to you; you are not part of the show. Nobody pays to see you. You are there to enforce the rules, not a single one of which say that a player needs to respect your ego after being scored on. It is the most ridiculous explanation of a penalty call I’ve ever heard, and lends itself to the idea that this crew had made up their mind as to who they wanted to win during the second intermission. Folks who listen to my podcast, or have read any of the over 1000 articles I’ve written for this site, know that I have an affinity for complaining about the refs. They also know that I always stay short of outright assigning a Habs loss to those officials. This game is different, and the refs decided in the third period to do everything in their power to give the game to the Oilers. It was an absolute travesty of the game, and every member of the team who spoke out against it after it was over should have their fines covered by Geoff Molson, because they were right. They deserved to win that game, every even-strength metric suggests that they should have won that game, and Martin St-Louis now has the unenviable task of convincing that group that they shouldn’t change a single thing about the way they played. Geoff Molson shouldn’t just cover the fines, he should board a plane to New York and take the league to task for what was an outright shameful performance by these officials. We know the league is more likely to levy fines than do anything about it, but this simply can’t be taken lying down. Click the play button below to listen to your full Bottom Six Minutes, also available wherever you get your podcasts. We’re back following Saturday night’s visit to the Vancouver Canucks, hopefully without officials that have online betting accounts.

Montreal Canadiens news and notes * Ivan Demidov is standing out. [Montreal Gazette | Sportsnet | RDS] * ‘My time will come,’ says Florian Xhekaj. [Montreal Gazette] * Mike Matheson’s defensive game is getting noticed. [Journal de Montreal] * Kent Hughes isn’t worried about Samuel Montembeault. [Journal de Montreal] * Marie-Philip Poulin, Laura Stacey, and Ann-Renee Desbiens are ready to make sacrifices to stay in Montreal. [Radio-Canada] Around the league and elsewhere * Calgary Flames? More like the Calgary Wet Logs. [Defector] * Should the Flames tank? [Daily Faceoff | Sportsnet] * Can anyone catch Gavin McKenna as this year’s top draft prospect? [Sportsnet] * What the Toronto Maple Leafs blue line will look like without Chris Tanev — and maybe Morgan Rielly, too. [The Athletic] * Brendan Shanahan has been hired as a consultant for NHL Hockey Operations. [The Athletic] * The Ontario Hockey League will be starting some of its games early on Friday and Saturday in order to not overlap with games 1 and 2 of the World Series. [CTV News] * 10 players to watch ahead of the Trade Deadline in 2025-26. [The Athletic]

Tempers flared in Edmonton as the Montreal Canadiens fell 6-5 to the Edmonton Oilers in a wild, controversial game! In this PuckTalk Post-Game, Coach breaks down all the action, the questionable officiating, and the Habs’ furious reaction to several missed and bad calls that changed the momentum. From Nick Suzuki’s leadership to Cole Caufield’s scoring, and Juraj Slafkovsky’s intensity, the Canadiens fought hard — but the Oilers’ stars like Connor McDavid and Leon Draisaitl made their mark. We’ll analyze how Martin St. Louis’ squad battled through adversity, how the Habs’ defense handled Edmonton’s explosive offense, and what this loss means going forward. Whether you’re a Montreal Canadiens fan, Edmonton Oilers fan, or die-hard NHL fan, this post-game breakdown has everything: goals, controversy, and honest hockey talk. Drop your thoughts in the comments — were the refs out of line? Smash that LIKE button and SUBSCRIBE for more Canadiens post-game analysis, NHL highlights, and hockey discussions every game night! 0:00 - Show Start 1:37 - Game Highlights - Goals A Plenty & Bad Calls 7:45 - Analysis - No desperation from Monty & Zebras providing an advantage for the Oilers 14:10 - Gallagher says Ref admitted mistake on Matheosn call & ego call against Anderson #GoHabsGo #MontrealCanadiens #EdmontonOilers #PuckTalk #NHL #Habs #HockeyTalk #NHLFans #OilersNation #HabsNation #CanadiensVsOilers #NHLHighlights #HockeyCommunity #HockeyAnalysis #CanadiensHockey #CH #HockeyVLog In every episode, Kosta Papoulias takes a deep dive into the latest Montreal Canadiens news involving Ivan Demidov, Patrik Laine, Juraj Slafkovsky, Josh Anderson, Cole Caufield, Nick Suzuki, Kirby Dach, Joe Veleno, Jake Evans, Zach Bolduc, Brendan Gallagher, Alex Newhook, Oliver Kapanen, Habs Defencemen, Arber Xhekaj, Kaiden Guhle, Sam Montembeault, Lane Hutson, Jayden Struble, Alex Carrier, Mike Matheson, Noah Dobson, Jakub Dobes, Jacob Fowler, Kent Hughes, Martin St Louis. Dans chaque épisode, Kosta Papoulias analyse en profondeur les dernières nouvelles des Canadiens de Montréal concernant Ivan Demidov, Patrik Laine, Juraj Slafkovsky, Josh Anderson, Cole Caufield, Nick Suzuki, Kirby Dach, Joe Veleno, Jake Evans, Zach Bolduc, Brendan Gallagher, Alex Newhook, Oliver Kapanen, Habs Defencemen, Arber Xhekaj, Kaiden Guhle, Sam Montembeault, Lane Hutson, Jayden Struble, Alex Carrier, Mike Matheson, Noah Dobson, Jakub Dobes, Jacob Fowler, Kent Hughes et Martin St Louis. Please Click to Subscribe / Veuillez cliquer pour vous abonner: https://bit.ly/mtlhockeytalk

First period * High energy from both teams to start the game. * “Let’s Go Oilers! Go Habs Go!” rings out in the crowsd, and I think Montreal’s chant is louder. * A nice chance from the fourth line of Zachary Bolduc, Kirby Dach, and Joe Veleno. * Then one for the top line. * As expected, there’s much more space for Montreal to work in than there was last night. * Edmonton responds with a long top-line shift in the offensive zone. * Kirby Dach has come to play tonight. Maybe he’s had enough of tiptoeing around injury worries. * It’s the Kapanen lines that gets on the board first as Alex Newhook bats in a Lane Hutson rebound. Alex Newhook makes it 1-0 #Habs, and Evan Bouchard throws a tantrum over it, so it's also a Habs power play now. [image or embed]— Matt Drake (@drakemt.bsky.social) October 23, 2025 at 10:26 PM * Montreal goes immediately to the power play because Evans Bouchard chopped at the back of Newhook’s leg after he scored. * A few chances on the power play, but they had looked more dangerous at five-on-five. * The out-of-town results are coming up Montreal tonight. Again it’s early, but it’s never too early to build a cushion in the division. * The top line is having some fun, but also getting pucks on net, which is the important bit. * Edmonton gets its third shot of the period with under four minutes to play, and it deflects across to the skate of Newhook and goes in. Montreal has seen a few of those this season. * Montreal has three great chances off the next faceoff, but Pickard fumbles his way to a couple of saves. * A good period from Montreal, and one bad break from being a perfect one. Second period * Caufield flies down the ice to get to a loose puck and starts off the second with a quality chance on Pickard. * It’s all Montreal in this period. No hesitation with the long change like we saw the last couple of games. * The linesman is very quick to call an icing. Bolduc actually touched the puck before it crossed the goal line. The faceoff rightfully goes to centre ice. Those are tough ones because the whole point of the rule is to protect players from sprinting into the end-boards. I think the solution is to just wave off any icing with a close race to the puck. Protect the players and keep the game flowing. * Alexandre Carrier is going off for cross-checking. He shoved Isaac Howard right at the top of the pants and sent him off-balance. * Josh Anderson blocks a point shot and races away for what he expects to be a breakaway, but Connor McDavid races back and pilfers the puck out his back pocket. * Dach is still struggling with is telegraphed passes. It’s oo easy to pick him off. * A long shot from the point gets tipped by Adam Henrique and past Montembeault. The Oilers maintained a bit of pressure after the power play and capitalized. * It is Henrique’s 1000th game, so I guess we’ll let him have that one. * Montembeault sees one shot go past the far post, and doesn’t stay involved with the play to see the puck come back out from behind the net to the slot. Andrew Mangiapane makes it 3-1. * Jake Evans tries to get that one right back, but hits the post. * Montembeault makes a save as the defence allowed a breakaway to Jack Roslovic. * Some good work from Brendan Gallagher to lunge at pucks in the offensive zone and prevent a breakout leads to a pass from Evans off of Gallagher to Anderson to make it a 3-2 game. Just quality bottom six hockey here. Hard on pucks. Evans gets it to Gallagher, one touch for Anderson, and he pots it. #Habs get one back, still down 3-2. [image or embed]— Matt Drake (@drakemt.bsky.social) October 23, 2025 at 11:39 PM * And the game is tied after an excellent diagonal pass from Dobson and incredible deke from Caufield. They are awake now. THE ABSOLUTE MITTS ON COLE CAUFIELD FOLKS. 3-3 #GOHABSGO [image or embed]— Matt Drake (@drakemt.bsky.social) October 23, 2025 at 11:41 PM * How about another Caufield snipe? Three goals in the span of 112 seconds have Montreal leading this game 4-3. COLE CAUFIELD. AGAIN. #Habs erase a two goal deficit and take the lead back in less than six minutes. [image or embed]— Matt Drake (@drakemt.bsky.social) October 23, 2025 at 11:42 PM * The referee recognizes the major shift in momentum in this game by calling a penalty on Montreal in the final seconds of the period. * Montreal kills off a few seconds, and will have 1:25 left to go in the third. Third period * Montreal kills off the rest of the penalty without much from the Oilers. * The lead grows to two thanks to great backhand flick pass from Oliver Kapanen to Newhook, who scores his second goal from close range. Beautiful feed from Oliver Kapanen to Alex Newhook in the slot, and it's 5-3 #Habs [image or embed]— Matt Drake (@drakemt.bsky.social) October 24, 2025 at 12:09 AM * And the ref decides Montreal needs to spend another two minutes in the box because Juraj Slafkovský knocked his man down on the forecheck. The call is boarding. He really has the pulse of this game. * Evans nearly wraps the puck in a short-handed excursion. * Mike Matheson crunches McDavid into the boards, and that draws a loud cheer from the many Habs fans in attendance. * A little more urgency from the Oilers that time, but Montreal survives it too. What will the ref come up with for the next call? * Suzuki gets one shot off a turnover and a massive rebound off Pickard gives him another. * Slafkovský makes a quick move to get the puck to his backhand and finds Hutson in the slot, but Pickard makes a save. Montreal is keeping the pressure on. * I think the fourth line would have been content to kill of the final 12 minutes with the puck pinned deep in Edmonton’s zone. * Carrier dives to keep the puck from getting to McDavid. * McDavid goes down. Matheson to the box. Four consecutive penalties against the team that has four consecutive goals. They can’t say they aren’t getting their chances. * And there’s the goal seven players on the ice have been looking for. Draisaitl makes it 5-4. * Anderson gets sent off right after the goal, probably for exposing the ref’s clear bias for the home team in this game. * And the game is tied. The ref will earn his bonus! * Unsurprisingly, the Oilers have earned some momentum from that offensive success. * Edmonton now has the lead on a backhand from the top of the crease from Vasily Podkolzin. * The Oilers win 6-5, and Martin St-Louis better have something to say about that post-game. EOTP 3 Stars 3) Not much to complain about from their side tonight 2) He’s still in his prime 1) What other explanation could there be?

Game 9: Montreal Canadiens @ Edmonton Oilers Start time: **9:00 PM EDT / 6:00 PM PDT** In the Canadiens region: TSN2 (English), RDS (French) In the Oilers region: Sportsnet West Streaming: ESPN+, TSN+, RDS After a difficult night in Calgary in which they were heavily outshot and handily outplayed, the Montreal Canadiens face an opponent that is dials up the offensive talent, but probably won’t fight as hard as the Flames did last night. That will be a welcome change for the Canadiens as they play a second game in two days to start off a four-game road trip. That’s not to say this will be an easy night as Edmonton should be looking to overcome a mediocre start to the season that has seen them win only three of their seven games. They’re not in any great danger of missing out on a playoff spot in what might be the weakest division in the NHL, but they will still want to start putting up wins with regularity. The Canadiens will make a lineup change from last night’s win as Kirby Dach is back in after missing three games. Joshua Roy’s stint will be limited to just last night’s contest if there are no more issues on this trip, while Joe Veleno will get a fourth consecutive game in Patrik Laine’s absence. Samuel Montembeault gets the call for the second night of a back-to-back after a solid performance from Jakub Dobeš in Calgary. Montembeault is dealing with a mediocre start of his own and will need to be more like himself versus Connor McDavid, Leon Draisaitl, and the rest of the Oilers this evening. Montreal Canadiens projected lineup .tg {border-collapse:collapse;border-spacing:0;} .tg td{border-color:black;border-style:solid;border-width:1px;font-family:Arial, sans-serif;font-size:14px; overflow:hidden;padding:10px 5px;word-break:normal;} .tg th{border-color:black;border-style:solid;border-width:1px;font-family:Arial, sans-serif;font-size:14px; font-weight:normal;overflow:hidden;padding:10px 5px;word-break:normal;} .tg .tg-ymce{background-color:#BE2F37;color:#FFF;font-weight:bold;text-align:center;vertical-align:bottom} .tg .tg-8d8j{text-align:center;vertical-align:bottom} Left Wing Centre Right Wing #13 Cole Caufield #14 Nick Suzuki #20 Juraj Slafkovský #15 Alex Newhook #91 Oliver Kapanen #93 Ivan Demidov #17 Josh Anderson #71 Jake Evans #11 Brendan Gallagher #76 Zachary Bolduc #77 Kirby Dach #90 Joe Veleno .tg {border-collapse:collapse;border-spacing:0;} .tg td{border-color:black;border-style:solid;border-width:1px;font-family:Arial, sans-serif;font-size:14px; overflow:hidden;padding:10px 5px;word-break:normal;} .tg th{border-color:black;border-style:solid;border-width:1px;font-family:Arial, sans-serif;font-size:14px; font-weight:normal;overflow:hidden;padding:10px 5px;word-break:normal;} .tg .tg-rjwb{background-color:#21386F;color:#FFF;font-weight:bold;text-align:center;vertical-align:bottom} .tg .tg-8d8j{text-align:center;vertical-align:bottom} Left Defence Right Defence #8 Mike Matheson #53 Noah Dobson #47 Jayden Struble #48 Lane Hutson #72 Arber Xhekaj #45 Alexandre Carrier .tg {border-collapse:collapse;border-spacing:0;} .tg td{border-color:black;border-style:solid;border-width:1px;font-family:Arial, sans-serif;font-size:14px; overflow:hidden;padding:10px 5px;word-break:normal;} .tg th{border-color:black;border-style:solid;border-width:1px;font-family:Arial, sans-serif;font-size:14px; font-weight:normal;overflow:hidden;padding:10px 5px;word-break:normal;} .tg .tg-n1r7{background-color:#FFF;font-weight:bold;text-align:center;vertical-align:bottom} .tg .tg-8d8j{text-align:center;vertical-align:bottom} Starter Backup #35 Samuel Montembeault #75 Jakub Dobeš Scratched: Marc Del Gaizo, Joshua Roy Injured: Kaiden Guhle, Patrik Laine Edmonton Oilers projected lineup .tg {border-collapse:collapse;border-spacing:0;} .tg td{border-color:black;border-style:solid;border-width:1px;font-family:Arial, sans-serif;font-size:14px; overflow:hidden;padding:10px 5px;word-break:normal;} .tg th{border-color:black;border-style:solid;border-width:1px;font-family:Arial, sans-serif;font-size:14px; font-weight:normal;overflow:hidden;padding:10px 5px;word-break:normal;} .tg .tg-bobw{font-weight:bold;text-align:center;vertical-align:bottom} .tg .tg-nrix{text-align:center;vertical-align:middle} .tg .tg-8d8j{text-align:center;vertical-align:bottom} Left Wing Centre Right Wing Leon Draisaitl Connor McDavid Matthew Savoie Andrew Mangiapane Ryan Nugent-Hopkins Jack Roslovic Vasily Podkolzin Noah Philp Trent Frederic Isaac Howard Adam Henrique David Tomasek .tg {border-collapse:collapse;border-spacing:0;} .tg td{border-color:black;border-style:solid;border-width:1px;font-family:Arial, sans-serif;font-size:14px; overflow:hidden;padding:10px 5px;word-break:normal;} .tg th{border-color:black;border-style:solid;border-width:1px;font-family:Arial, sans-serif;font-size:14px; font-weight:normal;overflow:hidden;padding:10px 5px;word-break:normal;} .tg .tg-bobw{font-weight:bold;text-align:center;vertical-align:bottom} .tg .tg-8d8j{text-align:center;vertical-align:bottom} Left Defence Right Defence Mattias Ekholm Evan Bouchard Darnell Nurse Jake Walman Brett Kulak Ty Emberson .tg {border-collapse:collapse;border-spacing:0;} .tg td{border-color:black;border-style:solid;border-width:1px;font-family:Arial, sans-serif;font-size:14px; overflow:hidden;padding:10px 5px;word-break:normal;} .tg th{border-color:black;border-style:solid;border-width:1px;font-family:Arial, sans-serif;font-size:14px; font-weight:normal;overflow:hidden;padding:10px 5px;word-break:normal;} .tg .tg-bobw{font-weight:bold;text-align:center;vertical-align:bottom} .tg .tg-8d8j{text-align:center;vertical-align:bottom} Starter Backup Calvin Pickard Stuart Skinner

Game 9: Montreal Canadiens @ Edmonton Oilers Start time: **9:00 PM EDT / 6:00 PM PDT** In the Canadiens region: TSN2 (English), RDS (French) In the Oilers region: Sportsnet West Streaming: ESPN+, TSN+, RDS It was far from pretty, but two points are two points. For 20 minutes last night, the Montreal Canadiens looked like a five-win team while the Calgary Flames looked like a six-loss team. Then the Habs took their foot off the gas in the second period, which gave the Flames enough momentum to get themselves back into the game, and then some. Montreal could arguably count themselves fortunate to weather the Flames in the third. However, to their credit, they did manage to claw their way back into the game, winning it in overtime on a piece of sublime puck-handling and distribution skill by Ivan Demidov. Now the Habs head up Alberta Highway 2 for a date with Connor McDavid and the Edmonton Oilers. Tale of the Tape .tg {border-collapse:collapse;border-spacing:0;} .tg td{border-color:black;border-style:solid;border-width:1px;font-family:Arial, sans-serif;font-size:14px; overflow:hidden;padding:10px 5px;word-break:normal;} .tg th{border-color:black;border-style:solid;border-width:1px;font-family:Arial, sans-serif;font-size:14px; font-weight:normal;overflow:hidden;padding:10px 5px;word-break:normal;} .tg .tg-ymce{background-color:#BE2F37;color:#FFF;font-weight:bold;text-align:center;vertical-align:bottom} .tg .tg-8d8j{text-align:center;vertical-align:bottom} Canadiens Statistics Oilers 6-2-0 Record 3-3-1 47.0% (24th) Expected-goal share 49.0% (19th) 3.38 (7th) Goals per game 2.57 (T-26th) 2.63 (11th) Goals against per game 2.71 (T-14th) 19.2% (19th) PP% 25.0% (11th) 79.2% (16th) PK% 80.0% (15th) 1-0-1 Head-to-Head Record (24-25) 1-1-0 Cole Caufield (5) Most goals Ryan Nugent-Hopkins (4) Nick Suzuki (10) Most assists Connor McDavid (7) Nick Suzuki (11) Most points Connor McDavid (8) Coming off of two consecutive defeats in the Stanley Cup Final, the Oilers came into the 2025-26 season hoping that the third time would be the charm. To that end, the management chose to run back the core for another year. The results have been predictable. The Oilers are 3-3-1, having snapped a three game losing streak by beating the Ottawa Senators in overtime on October 21. Amusingly enough, this record actually is an incremental improvement; Edmonton started the 2023-24 season 1-5-1 and the 2024-25 season 2-4-1. At this point, slow starts are simply fait accompli in the Oil Capital of Canada. Anyone who has watched the Oilers over the past two years knows the team’s number-one issue, and the first seven games of 2025-26 indicate that nothing has changed. Last season, Edmonton ranked seventh-best in expected goals against, ninth-best in shots on goal against, but only 14th-best in goals allowed. In the playoffs, Stuart Skinner allowed 11 goals in two games before being lifted for Calvin Pickard, nearly torpedoing the Oilers’ run before it started. Pickard reeled off six straight wins before being sidelined due to injury, but the respite was enough for a rejuvenated Skinner to take Edmonton to the final — where the house of cards came crashing down and the Florida Panthers averaged 4.67 goals per game en route to Lord Stanley. Edmonton’s goaltending remains the team’s biggest stumbling block. Skinner remains the starter, and owns a respectable .909 save percentage. However, that number drops to a much less impressive .879 once a shutout of the New York Rangers — a team that has thus far scored once on Madison Square Garden ice — is removed. It also needs to be said that the Oilers are doing yeoman’s work in front of their netminders. Skinner faced and stopped 30 shots against the Rangers. In his four other games, his highest workload is 24, despite two of those games going to overtime. Pickard’s save percentage is currently .865, having faced 15 and 22 shots in his two games thus far. The less said, the better. Edmonton’s newfound commitment to team defence comes with a price. The Oilers currently average 49.9 shot attempts per 60 minutes at five-on-five, a far cry from the 62.8 they put up last season. They average 26.0 shots on goal under the same circumstances, roughly 17% less than last campaign’s 31.1. Seven games into the season, Connor McDavid has yet to score at five-on-five, and Leon Draisaitl has one goal in that situation. The team as a whole has only scored 18 times, including nine at five-on-five and five on the power play. Chemistry could also play a role in this offensive drought. The team did see considerable turnover when it comes to depth. Looking at the lineup from game six of the Final, Evander Kane, Corey Perry, Jeff Skinner, John Klingberg, and Connor Brown all left the club. In their place, the Oilers acquired Andrew Mangiapane, signed Isaac Howard, David Tomasek, and Jack Roslovic, called up Noah Philp and Matthew Savoie, and promoted Ty Emberson. The last time the Canadiens let their opponents off the mat, they responded with a much more comprehensive performance the next time they had an opportunity. They’ll need something similar tonight at Rogers Place. The Flames may not have had the talent and skill to capitalize on their chances, but the Oilers certainly do.

The Montreal Victoire locked in their three star players, captain Marie-Philip Poulin, forward Laura Stacey, and goaltender Ann-Renée Desbiens to contract extensions until after the 2027-28 season. Ententes prolongées jusqu’en 2027-2028 pour le cœur de la Victoire 🔒 Our core foundation remains, secured through 2027-2028! 📰 https://t.co/WbQKs6BzxP pic.twitter.com/6c4OB3KjH7— Victoire de Montréal (@PWHL_Montreal) October 23, 2025 All three players were the team’s foundational signings when the PWHL started, and were set to become unrestricted free agents at the end of the season. Poulin is the leading scorer in the PWHL’s history through two seasons, and was the league’s MVP last year. Desbiens was the league’s goaltender of the year, and Stacey has established herself as one of the best power forwards in the world. “I am so proud to remain with the Victoire for the long run. It’s an honour and a privilege to wear this jersey and represent our city alongside my teammates,” said the Victoire captain. “I am thrilled for this upcoming season to get started and look forward to reconnecting with our great fans.” “We are in the process of building something special in Montreal, and it’s great news to see that the three original players will continue the journey and work together for the next three seasons,” said Desbiens. “Our extraordinary fans have made this decision even easier, and we’re really looking forward to seeing them again next month.” “I could not be more excited to be extending here in Montreal especially beside these two incredible players and even better people. When I first signed here in Montréal, I had no idea what to expect, but the last two years have blown me away and there is absolutely nowhere else that I want to be,” said Stacey. “Montreal is my home, and I could not be more thankful for the way this city, this organization and this team has welcomed me with open arms. I want to do whatever it takes to help bring the Walter Cup to Montreal! Je t’aime Montréal. I am very excited for the next three years!” “These three players have been the heart and soul of our team since day one, and we wanted to make it absolutely clear that they will remain integral members of the Victoire for a long time to come,” said Victoire General Manager Danièle Sauvageau. “Their work ethic, determination, and attitude embody everything we want to see in our players, and their leadership in the locker room brings us immeasurable value.” With 2026 being an Olympic year, having them locked in for three more seasons after the current one is something that will allow Montreal to continue to build around them in the hopes of winning their first Walter Cup. The season gets underway on November 23 when the Victoire visit the Boston Fleet.