Canadiens Daily
Habs Daily: Hometown Advantage, Demidov’s New Line, Referees
Here are the Montreal Canadiens news items, highlights, and stories you may have missed on Thursday.
Montreal Canadiens News
The Montreal Canadiens are excited to be back home, where the Bell Centre faithful can help them set the tone. The Canadiens maintained a 23-12-6 record at home throughout the regular season. Regardless of what happens on Friday night, having a little playoff hockey will do the city good as it starts to stretch its legs before the summer arrives.
Habs coach Marty St. Louis today on coming back to Montreal:
“There’s nothing like playing at home, especially at the Bell Centre. Our fans, the playoffs. It’s gonna be exactly what we did.” pic.twitter.com/lKid0pSldL
— /r/Habs (@HabsOnReddit) April 24, 2025
Head coach Martin St-Louis was coy as he discussed the officiating in the first two games of the series versus the Washington Capitals.
Asked Martin St. Louis this morning: Can you take advantage of the way the series is being called?
“I mean, it’s tough,” he said. “You toe that line. I’m watching other games, too, it’s hard. I feel like we’ve done a decent job, but you’ve still got to be careful crossing the…— Eric Engels (@EricEngels) April 24, 2025
No one is expecting the Canadiens will win the Stanley Cup, but that doesn’t mean they can’t steal a game or two by looking to new line combinations. A late-game change by head coach Martin St-Louis on Wednesday night offered some evidence to suggest Ivan Demidov, Jake Evans, and Alex Newhook work well together. [A New Playoff Hope Emerges For Canadiens and Ivan Demidov]
Game 3 may feature Capitals forward Aliaksei Protas, who usually plays on a line with Alex Ovechkin and Dylan Strome. Oh, and that lines is usually one of the most dominant in the league. It remains to be seen if Protas has fully recovered from the laceration on his foot, but he did make the trip to Montreal.
Spencer Carbery says Aliaksei Protas will be making the trip to Montreal with the team. He skated prior to optional practice again this morning with skills coach Kenny McCudden. #ALLCAPS #CapsHabs
— Katie Florio (@KatieFlorio) April 24, 2025
Why does it not surprise me that someone complained about the word ‘go’?
No Habs No: Quebec orders STM to drop ‘Go’ from bus messages because it’s an English word https://t.co/p1mc8G2eVb pic.twitter.com/cC82iJNOdp
— Montreal Gazette (@mtlgazette) April 24, 2025
Wednesday Playoff Watch
The Toronto Maple Leafs took a 3-0 chokehold over their Ontario counterparts, the Ottawa Senators. Game 3 necessitated overtime, ending with defenceman Simon Benoit’s first of the playoffs.
BENNY AND THE BUDS!!!@Rogers | #LeafsForever pic.twitter.com/yMFUod1taD
— Toronto Maple Leafs (@MapleLeafs) April 25, 2025
The Florida Panthers are making quick work of the Tampa Bay Lightning. Florida took a 2-0 series lead on thanks to a relatively easy 19-save shutout effort by Sergei Bobrovsky, as well as Nate Schmidt’s(?!?!) league-leading third goal of the playoffs.
Playoff Schmidty™️ pic.twitter.com/XfibarZ38k
— x – Florida Panthers (@FlaPanthers) April 24, 2025
The Minnesota Wild took the crucial third game of their series versus the Vegas Golden Knights, and now lead 2-1.
IT’S LOUD IN HERE 📣!! pic.twitter.com/YxqIKTQ24l
— x – Minnesota Wild (@mnwild) April 25, 2025
The Winnipeg Jets wanted to join Toronto in the 3-0 club, but a great effort by the St-Louis Blues cut their series lead to just 2-1.
Just when you thought this place couldn’t get any louder… #stlblues pic.twitter.com/AiRFOkJwD9
— St. Louis Blues (@StLouisBlues) April 25, 2025
National Hockey Now Network
Florida Panthers captain Sasha Barkov left Thursday’s Game 2 against the Tampa Bay Lightning after taking a shot to the chin from Brandon Hagel in the third period. [Florida Panthers]
Next season could mark the arrival of several Pittsburgh Penguins prospects in the NHL, but at least one will be delayed. Forward Tanner Howe will spend months recovering from reconstructive ACL surgery on his right knee, the team announced Thursday. [Pittsburgh Penguins]
There are a few things the Colorado Avalanche need to clean up to beat the Dallas Stars and advance to the next round of the Stanley Cup Playoffs. [Colorado Avalanche]
