Habs Daily: Most Improved Canadiens, Players Under Pressure

Here are the Montreal Canadiens news, highlights, and stories you may have missed on Wednesday.

Montreal Canadiens News

• While fans expected the Montreal Canadiens to miss the playoffs, there were still certain expectations when it came to individual growth throughout the lineup. Young players such as Juraj Slafkovsky and Cayden Primeau met the challenge head-on.  [Top 3 Most Improved Montreal Canadiens This Season]

• Of course, not every player defied expectations. There are only a handful of games left in the season, which means time is running out for several players who have had underwhelming seasons. It’s too late to salvage their season, but finishing the season on the right foot is the first step toward redemption. [Top 3 Canadiens Players With Something To Prove In Final Games]

• Juraj Slafkovsky was still basking in the spotlight after his impressive hat-trick effort against the Philadelphia Flyers. [GOTTA SEE IT: Slafkovsky Scores First Hat Trick]

Reporter: "What can you say about the reaction of the crowd at the end of the game?"

Juraj Slafkovsky: "It's pretty loud. Last time [it was that loud] was when Cole tied the game vs Philly last year. It's a pretty nice feeling too!” pic.twitter.com/J4MXjSqe0M

— /r/Habs (@HabsOnReddit) April 10, 2024

• Florian Xhekaj joined the Laval Rocket after signing a professional try-out with the team. Xhekaj’s entry-level contract with the Canadiens only kicks in next season, which allows him to sign the PTO and participate in the Calder Cup playoffs. [Florian Xhekaj Defied The Odds To Earn His Entry-Level Contract]

Première journée 🚀
First day 😊 pic.twitter.com/Rp9oWqU9tv

— Rocket de Laval (@RocketLaval) April 10, 2024

• The second round of the OHL playoffs gets underway tonight. Filip Mesar and the Kitchener Rangers will face the London Knights, while Owen Beck and the Saginaw Spirit will host the Sault Ste. Marie Greyhounds. Both players enjoyed a great first round, with Beck scoring seven points in the Spirit’s four-game sweep of the Owen Sound Attack, and Mesar reaching 10 points in six games against the Erie Otters.  [CHL Schedule]

National Hockey Now Network

• Peter Laviolette wasn’t unhappy with dropping two points in regulation, however. The Rangers head coach was instead livid at a pair of hits against his team that he labelled as “vicious.” Oh, the irony. Near the midway mark of the third period, Rangers forward Mika Zibanejad skated into Islanders defenseman Adam Pelech. Zibanejad took the brunt of the hit that Laviolette later claimed was intentional. [New Jersey Devils]

• Danny Briere and the Flyers were certainly aware of a potential legal situation involving Carter Hart’s alleged sexual assault, but never acted on it further than discussion. [Philadelphia Flyers]

• “Why can’t we contend? Why can’t we win?” Those words came straight from the mouth of Ryan O’Reilly last July during his introductory press conference after signing a four-year contract with the Nashville Predators. Ten months later, the answer to O’Reilly’s question is there is no reason. [Nashville Predators]