Habs Daily: Waivers Action, Anderson and Trouba, Refereeing

Make sure to check out the Montreal Canadiens news items, highlights, and stories you may have missed on Saturday.

Montreal Canadiens

The Habs placed forward Rafael Harvey-Pinard on waivers, putting an end to his long-term conditioning loan with the Laval Rocket. Harvey-Pinard broke his leg this summer, which forced him to miss training camp, as well as a significant stretch of games to start the season. During his five-game conditioning stint, the 25-year-old forward scored one goal. If he clears waivers, he will join the Rocket in an official capacity rather than a long-term conditioning loan.  [Montreal Canadiens Place Harvey-Pinard On NHL Waivers]

Josh Anderson was a man on a mission, wasting no time inviting New York Rangers captain Jacob Trouba to fight in response to an ugly hit on Justin Barron earlier in the season. It was a one-sided fight, with Anderson landing a handful of heavy punches as Trouba scrambled to stay on his skates. Say what you will about Anderson’s contract, but he’s clearly attempting to contribute as much as he can, and he’s putting his body on the line to do so. [GOTTA SEE IT: Josh Anderson Demolishes Jacob Trouba In Fight]

The Habs put together a very solid performance against the Rangers, but their momentum was shot down by a series of confusing and frustrating decisions by Kelly Sutherland and Francis Charron. Montreal held a 15-6 advantage in high-danger chances at 5v5, while the Rangers scored twice on the powerplay.

The roughing penalty on Anderson, lol

In my day we just called that a hit. #GoHAbsGo pic.twitter.com/cL4nJWVTYi

— Marc Dumont (@MarcPDumont) November 30, 2024

We tend to blame referees way too often in professional sports. They’re part of the game, and mistakes are to be expected, but Saturday was a perfect example of when poor refereeing not only directly influences the game, but also ruins what is otherwise an entertaining tilt. On the bright side, Lane Hutson, Cole Caufield, and Nick Suzuki, among others, had a great outing. [Habs Highlights: Big Fight, Poor Refereeing, Frustrating Result]

Elliotte Friedman has clarified goaltender Joey D’Accord’s status for the upcoming 4 Nations Faceoff, which will factor into whether Habs goaltender Samuel Montembeault gets the call. D’Accord does have Canadian citizenship, but he does not currently have a passport. Jordan Binnington and Adin Hill have already been named to Canada’s roster, leaving one goaltending spot open. [Sportsnet]

National Hockey Now Network

The Calgary Flames had numerous great chances to take the lead on the Pittsburgh Penguins (10-12-4) and more chances still to tie the game, but the Penguins got a memorable performance from their netminder and three power-play goals. [Pittsburgh Penguins]

The Florida Panthers, who just days ago were on the cusp of despair and in the throes of a four-game losing streak, have quickly turned their fortunes around. A couple wins against the Carolina Hurricanes have helped. [Florida Panthers]

As we head toward the start of December, now is as good a time as any to check in on the seventh overall pick from the most recent NHL draft, Carter Yakemchuk. [Ottawa Senators]