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Canadiens Wrap

Habs Wrap: Demidov’s Ice Time, Guhle Returns, Playoff Odds

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1 month ago

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montreal canadiens forward ivan demidov prospect

MONTREAL — There’s always Montreal Canadiens news to be absorbed on a daily basis, but there are only so many hours in a day. On Sundays, we recap the most exciting and relevant NHL news stories that you may have missed throughout the week so that you can stay in the Canadiens loop.

Tuesday

There’s no two ways about it, the poor start by the Canadiens on Tuesday cost them an opportunity to add crucial points to the bank. Samuel Montembeault started strong, but eventually bowed to the pressure. The fifth goal, which finally led to Martin St-Louis pulling Montembeault, was all the evidence we need to suggest the team’s starter is exhausted. With that in mind, it’s also fair to say the team’s goaltender usage has been questionable to say the least. It’s not a mater of disrespecting Montembeault, either. He’s clearly tired, and the Habs cannot afford to drop any more games going forward if they hope to make the playoffs. As it stands, Jakub Dobes has not started a game since March 12.  [Habs Highlights: Blues Dominate A Lifeless Canadiens Team]

Even though the Habs lost on Tuesday, they still control their own destiny in regard to a potential playoff appearance. But the margin for error is almost nil, even if the Canadiens do have the inside track on the Eastern Conference teams currently chasing them for the final Wild Card spot. [Updated Canadiens Playoff Odds: Habs Control Their Destiny]

Wednesday

Kaiden Guhle joined the team on their road trip, which means he should enter the lineup relatively soon. This will lead to a change in defensive pairings, and due to the excellent performance from Jayden Struble alongside Lane Hutson, it would be a mistake to break up the team’s first pairing. The other two pairings could stand to be improved, but the optimal setup would lead to David Savard being benched, and that doesn’t seem like a decision Martin St-Louis is willing to make. He’s very loyal toward his veterans, and that’s admirable, but the Habs must ice their best lineup if they’re to make the playoffs. [Canadiens: Guhle Set To Return, Hutson And Struble Thriving]

Lane Hutson continues to be a dominant presence from an offensive standpoint. Some will suggest that he’s bad defensively, but as we’ve discussed, that’s a lazy take. The stats don’t lie, every player who is on the ice with Hutson enjoys a significant improvement in almost every important metric. [Montreal Canadiens Mythbusting: Lane Hutson’s Defensive Impact]

Thursday

Martin St-Louis was rather coy when asked about Kaiden Guhle’s potential return. That’s the typical response from St-Louis, which means we can’t read much into his non-answer. At the very least, we know Guhle joined the team for the road trip, which lasts until the March 30 game against the Panthers in Florida, connoting that he should play before the end of the month. As for his place in the lineup, there’s no doubt the Canadiens could use his presence on the backend, but breaking up the Lane Hutson and Jayden Struble pairing would be a mistake. [Canadiens: Guhle Set To Return, Hutson And Struble Thriving]

The Habs are very much in the driver seat when it comes to their playoff destiny, but there are a few issues they’d be wise to rectify in the final stretch of the season. Most notably, it’s clear Samuel Montembeault is exhausted, while backup Jakub Dobes has been used sparingly. The Canadiens will also need offensive contributions from more than just their top line.  [NHL Playoffs: 5 Things Canadiens Must Do To Qualify For Playoffs]

Speaking of the playoff race, the Vancouver Canucks faced the New York Islanders on Wednesday, one of the teams currently chasing the Canadiens for the final Wild Card spot in the Eastern Conference. The Habs did no favours to the Canucks by losing to the St. Louis Blues on Tuesday, but the Canucks did manage to pull through for the Canadiens, beating the Islanders 5-2.

The Montreal Victoire beat out the Minnesota Frost on Wednesday, maintaining their grip on the top spot in the PWHL standings. As for the goalscorers, you’ll be incredibly surprised to hear Marie Philip-Poulin was not among them. Just kidding, she scored two goals to secure the win.

With the 4-1 win, the Victoire are the first PWHL club to clinch a playoff berth.

When everyone zigs, Lane Hutson zags. And when everyone decides to undergo a significant dip in results, Hutson once again takes the road less travelled. [Montreal Canadiens Mythbusting: Lane Hutson’s Defensive Impact]


As we previously discussed, the Canadiens have an advantage when it comes to the remaining strength of schedule, at least compared to the teams chasing them in the playoff race. But with just 12 games left on the docket, every factor will come into play. For example, it would be easier to beat the Florida Panthers twice in a row if Brad Marchand wasn’t part of the equation. Unfortunately, it seems that he’s almost ready to join his Panther teammates. [Updated Canadiens Playoff Odds: Habs Control Their Destiny]

Friday

Ivan Demidov’s usage in the KHL has been questionable to say the least. But despite the archaic approach in Saint Petersburg, the top Montreal Canadiens prospect is dealing with the unreasonable adversity with maturity beyond his years. [The Silver Lining To Ivan Demidov And His Ridiculous KHL Usage]

For the nth time this season, the Canadiens stumbled out of the blocks. They gifted the Philadelphia Flyers an early lead, and this time around they ran out of gas before mounting a comeback. Several players struggled in the loss. More accurately, almost everyone but Lane Hutson looked terrible on Thursday night. Hutson registered his 50th and 51st assist of the year in the disheartening 6-4 loss. [Habs Highlights: Another Embarrassing Start Hurts Playoff Odds]

Speaking of Hutson, not only did he put together another multipoint effort, he was also the best player when it came to his on-ice impact.

There’s still a pretty good chance Hutson can tie, or even pass Larry Murphy’s record-setting rookie season. For what it’s worth, Murphy had three players who scored more than 100 points in his lineup, whereas the Habs only have one player who has scored more than 70 points this season (Nick Suzuki), connoting Hutson’s offensive potential is yet to be established. A little more talent up front would lead to a lot more production on the back end.

We should also note the graphic tweeted by Mike Kelly at 4:55 pm ET is already considerably out of date. With 5 goals and 51 assists to his credit, Hutson is now on pace for a 6-goal, 59-assist season.

This is now a Lane Hutson praise thread, which means it’s time for another fun Hutson fact!

Unsurprisingly, Hutson hit the nail on the head when discussing the team’s biggest issue at the moment.

Saturday

Ivan Demidov’s usage in the KHL has been questionable to say the least. But despite the archaic approach in Saint Petersburg, the top Montreal Canadiens prospect is dealing with the unreasonable adversity with maturity beyond his years. [The Silver Lining To Ivan Demidov And His Ridiculous KHL Usage]

Believe it or not, the Habs scored the opening goal of the game on Friday, versus the Carolina Hurricanes. Unfortunately, the team once again ran out of gas, a byproduct of having to work three times harder than most to overcome a bevy of early-game deficits during previous games in the season. The loss, combined with a Columbus Blue Jackets win over the Vancouver Canucks means the Canadiens no longer hold the final Wild Card spot in the Eastern Conference. Kaiden Guhle also returned to play on Friday, though it wasn’t enough to save the exhausted Habs. [Habs Highlights: Canadiens Run Out Of Gas In Carolina]

On the bright side, the Laval Rocket’s race to the playoff is over, at least from a qualification standpoint. The Rocket beat the Toronto Marlies 4-1 to clinch a playoff berth, while also maintaining their grip on the top spot in the AHL standings. We’ll discuss their exciting situation a little later today, but in the meantime please enjoy yet another entertaining Jared Davidson clip.

This time around it’s a fight, but when it comes to Davidson, every shift is exciting. He delivers big hits, takes endless one-timers, and plays with the mentality of a 1980s NHLer, but with a modern skill set.

In one of the most shocking developments of the season, Lane Hutson did not register a point on Friday. Sure, that may seem normal for most, but this is Lane Hutson we’re talking about, so it’s actually noteworthy. Jokes aside, I don’t have a tweet to embed, so please enjoy this already outdated Hutson analysis video in its stead. As per usual, David St-Louis’ words were prophetic.

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