Episode 3 - Milestones & Mayhem: Habs Stars Make History

In Episode 3, we spotlight a massive week for the Montreal Canadiens as Lane Hutson and Juraj Slafkovsky each hit major career milestones — and we break down why these moments matter for the Habs’ future. From Hutson’s rapid rise to Slafkovsky’s continued breakout, we dig into what these achievements say about Montreal’s young core.
Then we take a spin around the league, starting with Nathan MacKinnon’s surprising ejection and what it means for the Avalanche, before diving into the fallout from Radko Gudas’ hit on Auston Matthews and the suspension that followed. It’s a packed episode full of big moments, sharp takes, and everything you need to stay caught up on a wild week in the NHL.

Transcript

Intro

SPEAKER_01 0:14

We are back here at the Rink Hockey Podcast. Today's episode, we are going to have some thoughts on the habs and then jump into some things around the league this week. If you enjoy what you hear, like, subscribe, and share. It's a free and greatly appreciated. You can follow the rink on all social media platforms such as Instagram, TikTok, Facebook, and YouTube for all habs and hockey content. I am Jordan. They are Jordan and Donnie. And before we get started, just want to thank our sponsor once again, Connector Room. Make sure you check them out in my links in my bio and use the rink for 15% off. How are you boys doing today?

SPEAKER_02 0:51

Good? Doing good over here.

SPEAKER_00 0:54

Yeah, Dante. It's been a

Free Giveaway on Instagram

SPEAKER_00 0:56

good game. Uh good day so far. Yeah.

SPEAKER_02 0:58

Dante, I think you should give a shout out to the current giveaway on the rink social media platforms.

SPEAKER_01 1:03

Yeah, I was I'll I'll plug that in again at the end as well. And then uh if you guys take a look at my Instagram right now, we're doing a giveaway for reaching 5,000 followers. Uh Uri Safkovski jersey, perfect timing considering what he just accomplished in his career. Uh, head over to my Instagram. There's a post about it. All the rules are there. Make sure you join in while you can. Uh great night of hospital.

SPEAKER_00 1:30

I was already the winner of that, though.

SPEAKER_01 1:31

No, no, no. I can't just, you know, maybe you're a secondary account, and maybe we'll just toss it over to that one without anyone knowing. No, I'm just kidding. Um, it's been uh we're in week 23 here. Uh Saturday night we're recording this, but uh some great things around this week we could touch base on. But we haven't just had a lot of halves talk, and considering Donnie and I are just massive fat hat fans, we're gonna

Juraj Slafkovsky most points before age 22 in Canadiens history

SPEAKER_01 1:55

jump into that. So the first thing we're gonna talk about is Yuri Slavkovsky pivoting off of the giveaway there. Uh, most points for a Montreal Canadian before turning 22 years old, which is a pretty huge uh achievement to have for a hit uh the history the Montreal Canadians have. We want to talk about just how not only how good that is, but do we even think he's at a ceiling yet? Or do we think that Slavkovsky still has more to give, in your opinions?

SPEAKER_02 2:28

Yeah, just uh I just pulled off just pulled off a graphic here of Slavkowski's numbers there. He is ahead of Henri Richard, Stefan Richet, uh Rocket Richard, and Mario Tromblay are the next four names on that list. Slides are at 164 now, prior to the age of turning 22. Um I don't think he's quite at his ceiling yet. At such a young age, you're not fully physically matured yet. He's obviously gonna get stronger, potentially grow a little bit more. Uh but I think this year, more than than any other, as a Habs fan, we're definitely seeing Slavkovsky grow into his frame and really just impose his will on players on the four check and puck possession and really driving a line. Dante, we talked about the success he had with Kapanin and Demedov earlier in the season. Uh that line was driving, creating a ton of offense for us through the middle part of the season here. And since he's been back with Suzuki and Caulfield back on the top line, he's typically that puck retriever, that hound that uh will go and get the puck to set up our goal scores. Um I I think his ceiling is probably closer to like an 80-point uh power forward, 75-80 points, except with the physicality he brings. I think that's that's more than enough that you could ask for from a first overall pick. Playoffs, like potentially the the Habs making the playoffs, going on a run this year. That's where those types of players really shine. And you need those players in those moments. Um and also just just tonight, Dante, we watched uh the Habs against San Jose, and this was a game where we could kind of see Slavkovsky. It didn't seem like he was fully engaged like he normally is.

SPEAKER_01 4:02

You look he looked awful tonight.

SPEAKER_02 4:03

You can you can see when he's going, like he has almost a twinkle in his eye. He's really using his feet and skating well and and fore-checking hard. And when he's not uh playing to his peak, or or you we can tell his fans he's not giving his full effort. I don't know if it's an injury or or something, something ailing him, but you can tell he's not fully engaged, and you see the impact it has on the rest of the lineup. He's such a key player on this Habs team, and the Habs need to unlock him to be able to play to his potential every given night, especially in the playoffs here.

SPEAKER_01 4:34

So not only do they need to unlock him, but he needs to be way more consistent as well, which is gonna help with his development on his own, I guess, too. Like, yeah, I feel like Slavkowski, when I watch him play, sometimes you can tell when he gets frustrated early on in the game and he just shuts off. Like there's no he like it's he just starts to fight everything about it. We saw it tonight against San Jose. He's fighting the puck, he's fighting even his fore-checking looked awful tonight, kind of thing. And it it started off with a slow start for him. I also would like to see, like, you're talking about he's struggling with uh with uh tonight with Suzuki and Caulfield. You gotta move him around the lineup a little bit too. You know, he can play with anybody, like try to move him and see if something changes, but he just got into a rut right early on, and I I feel like he needs to get over that aspect, but I do agree. I think his ceiling is much higher than what we've seen so far.

SPEAKER_02 5:25

And just a quick point on the consistency there. Like, I I think this season, more than others, like the previous seasons that Slavkovski's had, he's gone he started off the season very cold. Almost the first half of the season is yeah, he's he's been pretty bad to put it bluntly. And then we yeah, the the meme is second half slaughter, right? Kind of coming out, putting up points in the second half, getting him towards that 50 point mark. It's been better. I feel like I feel like this year altogether, he's definitely been a lot more consistent from start to finish. But do you want to see him playing his best hockey right before playoffs here and going into a pivotal game uh series, bringing out his physicality, right?

SPEAKER_01 6:00

I also I also want to see him just not get so frustrated over it so early on, and it just shuts him off for the rest of the game. You know what I mean? Like I get it, players have that in them, and it it is what it is, but I'd like to see him uh he's young, right? He's just turning 22, as we mentioned. So I I would hope that as he grows and matures, that that mentality gets a little bit stronger for him, where if he's struggling early on in the game, he tries to change something to get going or himself, you know what I mean, instead of relying on the coach trying to move him up and down the lineup kind of thing.

SPEAKER_00 6:29

But so so you talk about like consistency, and the thing about a young player is that's the hardest thing to find, right? Night in, night out, shift in, shift out. Uh, obviously, we knew we were doing this pod tonight, so I watched a good chunk of the Haves game, and so sorry you had to go through that. Well, I got to watch Celebrini, so it was okay. Um, they're fun to watch. Um, but I thought he actually had some shifts where like you're like, okay, like this is what he can be. Like he was getting in there and trying to be physical. It seemed like he was fighting the puck a lot today, but like it like you said, it wasn't consistent shift to shift, and you would notice him like one every four shifts kind of thing, which you probably want a little bit more consistent. I think ideally for Montreal, he turns into like a like a Rick Nash type, right? Guy was uh like a point of game guy pretty much his whole career, just under a point of game, probably doesn't get to the same like root like meanness and like penalty minutes, but you want to see more of that in his game, I think. I think you want him to have more fight in front and uh be willing to mix it up a little bit. Like, I'm not asking him to go out there and fight someone because you don't want to see that, but just like have a little bit of a mean streak, and I think if he can develop that and grow that, it'll go a long way into what you want from him. Uh and then he can really be dominant.

SPEAKER_01 7:51

When he's on his game, he has such he has a swagger to himself, which not only impacts and gets in the head of the opposing teams, but it really pumps your team up. And when he doesn't have that swagger and he struggles early on in a game, you can tell that it really like it really affects just how the team is performing overall, and it gives the other team that confidence that okay, their top guys aren't clicking right now, let's dominate while we can. Whereas tonight you see the opposite with San Jose, Celebrini takes over this game basically by himself, and you can't get him off the puck. And even when you do get him off the puck, he's somehow on it again right away and putting it in the back of your net or passing it off to someone else that is. So Slavkowski really has that swigger when uh he's going, and like I said, he's young, it'll take time to get that consistency in it, but he's more of a key factor in our team than I thought he would be when we first drafted him. Like, I love I I liked how we drafted him, you know what I mean. There was a lot of question marks when we drafted him over right by some people, but it made sense uh in some capacities, right? I I I always thought when I was talking to Donnie at the beginning, I kind of compared him wrongly to Patrick and how he was. But Slavkovski is a way better like line driver than I thought he'd ever turn into. Patrick was a complimentary player, he's 100% complete, complete opposite now of what I thought he would be. And now that I see and what we've seen his potential be, it actually it makes me exciting. The kid's 22 years old. Uh yeah, it's it's amazing.

SPEAKER_02 9:16

And I I think I think the big thing with Slav, like like I mentioned before, is like like more like honestly, more than any other player on this team, Dante. I feel like you watch Slavkovsky play and you can just watch how he's skating. And depending on how he's skating, you can tell if he's 100% in the game or he's not. And it's either one or the other. It's not really like kind of in the middle, you can tell he's kind of taking the back foot. It's one or the other with him. And I understand the toll of like being 100% all the time is a lot, especially over an 82 game season. But if the Habs are really gonna push four cups as this window opens, as their their their core continues to develop in age here, he is arguably outside of maybe Lane Hudson. Like I'm I'm confident in saying he might be the number two most important piece to this whole this whole uh puzzle franchise puzzle being adulting yourself.

SPEAKER_01 10:05

Speaking of Hudson, that brings us right into our next one there. Like it it's been a great week. Like, you know, yeah, we lost tonight, but the Montreal Canadians had a good week for two of their young

Lane Hutson most assists in NHL history in first 150 games

SPEAKER_01 10:14

players, first since left class, like we mentioned, but then Lane Hudson hitting a a pretty cool milestone as well, as most assists in his first 150 games, and that's in NHL history. And I believe uh it's 116 assists that uh put him into that uh category. So, like Jordan, you're not a hat fan. So, what's your opinion? Do you think Lane Hudson's a top five defenseman in this league right now?

SPEAKER_00 10:37

I don't think he's a top five. I think that I think that's pretty lofty. Um, I think he's definitely building to get there. Uh he offensively is there. Um defensively, it looks like his game has come a long way over uh over this like this year from last. Um, but I I still think there's there's more there on the defensive end that I need to be able to call him a top five defenseman in the league.

SPEAKER_01 11:04

Johnny, what do you think?

SPEAKER_02 11:07

Yeah, I I think he's just outside that top five as well. I think there's five guys you can name that are either in their primes, have developed, established themselves league-wide more than Hudson has, only being two league years into his career here. Uh just looking at the stats there doing two. Uh uh he broke this record for most assists in the first 150 games in NHL history, and he's still not even at 150 yet. I think tonight put him at 149, and he has 117 assists now. So he still has one more game. Any assists he gets next game tomorrow against Anaheim uh further separates him from the rest of the rest of that list there. But yeah, like the the thing with Lane Hutton is the the the hockey IQ playmaking, just ability to see the ice, find these passing lanes that uh no one else on the ice can do, the shiftiness we talk about, Edgework on his skates, those are obviously his his main uh top skills as as a player. But I I think the defensive uh issues that any player that doesn't watch Lane Hudson falls back on. They look at his size, they don't watch Habs games, they say he's a defensive liability out there. If you watch one Habs game, you'd know that's the furthest thing from the truth here. Uh that that guy's gonna be level his ability to move his feet, match the speed of forwards coming in on him, uh close the gap as quick as he does. Like like the defensive side is the furthest thing from an issue on the ice. I'm not gonna say it's it's as good as some of these other top defensemen in the league, but you pair him up with with a really solid shutdown, larger physical guy, and that has the makings of potentially one of the best uh D combos in the league uh moving forward here for years.

SPEAKER_01 12:41

So yeah, I agree. Like, I don't think he's top five right now, but I think he's close to the city. He's pushing there, he's pushing. I think I think he's almost at the point. Like, for me, like I mean, everyone has their own opinion on it. For me, Lane Hudson is five B, if that makes sense. So you got your top five defensemen, and then he's five B. He's literally right on the edge, as is he's not in the top five, but he's so freaking close to it. He's you can taste it basically. Like the issues that everyone always says Elaine Hudson, like Donnie, like you said, oh, he can't play defense. Well, I mean, every every one of those top five defensemen in the top five struggle defensively at times, you know what I mean? They all they're not all perfect at it. Nah, they're mcarr is not exactly the most best guy in his own end. He struggles day in and day out, just like everybody else. Everyone has struggles in their own end. Lane Hudson has the ability to not only be in the top five, but I think he'll be there as soon as next season, in my opinion.

SPEAKER_02 13:41

I I think I think Lane Hudson has the ability to pass Quinn Hughes as a player. Like you look at how Quinn Hughes was his first few years in the league. I think Hudson has arguably a higher hockey IQ on the offensive side. Like he has a little bit a little bit smaller than Hughes is, but you continue to work with him defensively and develop his defensive game and uh put him in the right situations on the ice, right shifts and things like that. And I I have no issues. He's he's it's that dynamic of a player that you just you just make it work, right?

SPEAKER_00 14:13

Offensively, him and Hughes are pretty on par, right? Already. Hughes has had a little bit more seasoning in the league, and you've seen it for a little bit longer, so that's where my edge is there. But I I think Hudson's yeah, not far behind to Hughes. The other guys I would I'd have in front of him, like I got Makar and Werensky, like those are kind of my top two.

SPEAKER_02 14:35

Um, I think I put Hughes above him right now as well.

SPEAKER_00 14:39

I think Hughes is above him. I got uh Miro Heskin in. I think he's super underrated being in Dallas. Like I think he needs to be in considered in a top five.

SPEAKER_02 14:50

Um so Heiskinen as well. He like he plays with S. L. Lindell most of the time. Yeah, and that's one of the best defensive D in the league. Like, if the Habs got that type of defensemen long term with Hudson, that's yeah, yeah, you know.

SPEAKER_01 15:02

You gotta remember Hudson's been playing with Gooley and Dobson for a lot of the season, and then sometimes sprinkle in a couple other players in there and carry, you know what I mean? And while we're talking about all these other defensemen in the top five, they're all playing with much better defensive partners than Hudson is, and Hudson is keeping up pace with them, not only in points, but in categories like takeaways, giveaways, and plus minus, all that kind of stuff. He's still right in there on them with all that kind of stuff. And he's like, yeah, like we said, they're on the he's playing on the youngest team in the league, and those other players that we've mentioned are all on very established teams with much better defensive partners, which is why for me, he is knocking on the door of top five real quick.

SPEAKER_00 15:44

Would you guys say Hudson drives this team? Like, is he the driver of Montreal Canadians?

SPEAKER_01 15:49

He is the most Hudson is the Hudson is the single-handedly most important player in this rebuild for the Montreal Canadians. He not I agree, not only does he drive it, but if he's not having a good game, there the whole team is struggling. It's like Slavkovsky up front with the forward court. If he's not driving that line, that line struggling, Hudson is like the driver of the of everything. Like, if he's struggling, your power play is suffering, your five on five game is suffering, you're not getting the puck out as often as you should. You they heavily rely on that guy a lot in a lot of big situations, and even in big situations defensively as well, they're still relying on him. So he is single-handedly the most important player for me on the Montreal Canadians at this point right now.

SPEAKER_02 16:32

There's been so many games this year where absolutely nothing is going as far as flow for the Habs offense, and Lane Hudson just comes out there with his motor, gets his feet moving, drives offense in the offensive zone, and just creates chances out of fucking nowhere. Absolutely nowhere. And uh, like I mentioned, like just his vision and ability to find passing lanes that we don't even see as fans most of the time from a camera view. It's it's such a game changer for the Habs having him on the back end.

SPEAKER_01 17:00

I agree 100%. Yeah, like it's it's play, it's quite and dry for me on that. And some of those other guys you guys mentioned, like Eskinen and Makar, and those guys, like McCar, yeah, 100%. He's the line driver as well for like one of the most important players on Colorado, but he also has McKinnon and stuff like that. Quinn Hughes now in Minnesota. You got Caprizov, you have Boldy, Warinski.

SPEAKER_02 17:24

Yeah, like I mean he plays with Faber as well.

SPEAKER_01 17:26

Yeah, he plays with Faber as well. Werenski so far, yeah. Okay, like I mean, and I'm not exactly gonna pretend like I know a lot about Columbus, but Werensky doesn't really have tons of support, but they have a very deep team with a lot of good players as well. Bouchard, enough said, he's playing with Connor McDavid his entire time. But you know what I mean? Like a lot of these other bigger name guys, like Heskin and they all their teams that they're playing with, they have complimentary pieces, they're all older players and an established teams. Whereas Hudson is in a different category for me, which is why I put him so high. He's young, he's playing with a huge young team. They do not have McKinnon, they do not have the McDavids, they do not have the Caprizovs or any of those types of players yet. Maybe one day, but they're still so young, which is why I think the fact that he's doing what he's doing right now makes me so excited and projects him to be in not only the top five for me, like I said, probably next year.

SPEAKER_00 18:18

Yeah, I like I gave you guys four guys that I had ahead of him. My my other guys that I have ahead of him is Dolen in Buffalo. I think he his offensive game has really improved, and his defensive game has always been there. I agree on that one too. He's so hard to play against, he's nasty, he's mean, like he brings everything you would want as a defenseman. Um, and then the other guys that I think are close, like pretty close, and it's a pretty big argument. That's why I have him just outside my top five. Um, would be Charlie McAvoy and Josh Morrissey.

SPEAKER_02 18:52

Yeah, I have McAvoy on my list as well.

SPEAKER_01 18:54

Yeah, I have I I have them on my list, but I have Hudson higher than both of those guys.

SPEAKER_02 18:57

McAvoy's physical presence, like I think it's just no other D Man in the league brings when McAvoy does.

SPEAKER_01 19:03

Exactly. Like all these offenders are gonna have different aspects that they're better at than other players, right? But I'm not gonna have McAvoy higher on my list than Hudson just because he hits better. I'm just not at the end of the day. Like if I'm drafting a fantasy team or I'm drafting uh if I'm playing NHL 26 and I'm just doing one of those fun drafts where you have everyone available, I'm taking Hudson before McAvoy and uh Morrissey for myself. But um some of those other guys right now, obviously not. Yeah, yeah, like but saying you're taking Hudson over McCar is just plain ridiculous, but eventually he'll be up there. Um moving on to a little bit more have

Montreal trades for an AHL goalie, is this the end of Montembeault?

SPEAKER_01 19:41

stuff. The just this past week here we had a trade. Finally, I I always love how you get to see some people that know a little bit more about hockey and don't know a little bit more hockey when a trade gets announced after the trade deadline and everyone freaks out in the comment section. Like, how the hell is this possible? The trade deadline's over. Well, still can trade, they just can't play for the playoffs, and most of the time it's always AHL deals.

SPEAKER_02 20:02

The HL deadline's actually a week after the NHL. Right so you can still trade guys too.

SPEAKER_01 20:07

They just can't uh they can't play on the team basically for playoffs or whatever it is and stuff like that. But uh, so the Canadians and the Senators made a trade, which started to raise a lot of questions for us fans because they traded for goaltender Hunter Shepherd. They gave away um what's his name? Uh Riley uh Riley Kidney. Um, but the big thing about this was the Havs traded for an HL goaltender. With Jacob Fowler being up on the team, the writing basically was already on the wall for Montabeau recently on how his struggles have been. But this for me, in my opinion, was the nail in the coffin for Montabeau. I don't think we see Montabault play another game for the Montreal Canadiens this season. I think at least. I think that you roll with Fowler and Dobes the rest of the season because what is there, like three weeks left? What do we have? March 14 is three weeks left. Uh, you only have a certain amount of back-to-back games in that time. You roll with Fowler the entire time with Dobesh, Monty's your third, and then coming playoffs, you're probably starting. I mean, some people say to start Fowler and playoffs, but out of I think you're starting Dopes to start, then you're letting him lose it the net himself, kind of thing. Uh in your guys' opinion, uh, do you waive Montembo and put him in the AHL and risk or risk having him be picked up on waivers? Do you think there's a team that picks him up, or do you think Martial just takes the risk and throws him on waivers? Donnie.

SPEAKER_02 21:33

I I think they personally rock with three goalies. Um, I did some reading, some some articles here over the last little bit, and and the Habs are really trying to limit the number of call ups they do, because I guess down the stretch here post deadline, you have a limited number of straight call ups you can make from the AHL over a season, regardless of cap compliance. Uh so now that Fowler's up here, and looking at the performance he had. In Ottawa, which was unbelievable. I think they ride with three for the time being. They have the roster space. You never know what's going to happen down the stretch here in terms of injury. I think Monty, like you're saying, Dante, if if Dobish and Fowler continue down the path they're currently going in terms of performance and don't really falter, I think Montembo has played his not even just this year, but I think he's played his last game as a Montreal Canadian, period. And I think they move on from him in the offseason and move forward with Dobish and Fowler as a duel. I think everyone, all Habs fans know Fowler's kind of the next coming here, and Dobish is a is a very solid option as well. Um as far as if he gets waived, would a team pick him up? If you're Edmonton, I don't know how you consider a goalie option.

SPEAKER_01 22:45

Yeah. I don't think they don't, right?

SPEAKER_02 22:49

I think Jari had a 700-something save percentage a few nights ago.

SPEAKER_01 22:52

Like Fowler's, or I mean Montebot's bad, but Jari is even worse almost at times.

SPEAKER_02 22:58

Yeah. So I think if they do wave him, I think there is the potential of him uh being claimed by another team here.

SPEAKER_00 23:03

So you guys have completely given up on Montabu then. Like last like last year, he was good. He was good for the Habs. He was good enough to make that uh World Cup team. You don't think that I mean goalie was a good one? That was debatable to begin with. It might be wrong, by the way. That was debatable to begin with. But he was still on that team. So um, so I'll give him some flowers there. But like you don't think that maybe because goalie is such a mental position that coming in, there was the pressure of the Olympics. I have to make this Canada team, I was just there, and then he just spiraled out of control. You don't think he can bounce back next season?

SPEAKER_01 23:42

So I I say no for the simple reason of if you even last year where he, like you said, he was not bad, but he was still last season 2.8 goals against average and a 902 save percentage. His entire career, he's never been over a 905 save percentage ever. Any season with Montreal or Florida, even in the AHL, like I mean, I think in the AHL he maybe had a couple or one season where he was a 0.9818 uh for Springfield, but he's never been over a 905 save percentage. Last season he was 31, 24, and seven, and right now he's sitting at a 872 save percentage with a almost a four goals against average. So even if yeah, there might have been some pressures and stuff like that, but even that, he's never really had a really strong season, in my opinion, if that makes sense, you know what I mean? Um, so that's why no matter what, for me, I'm moving on from him because I think Dobesh and him were always fighting for the backup position based off what Fowler is going to possibly bring in the future. And while Dobesh also doesn't have the greatest aid percentage, but he's also 21-6-4, and the team just seems to play better in front of him. So I'm yeah, I just don't think it's it's it, I think it's done for Montumbo, which is quite sad. I hope he gets a fresh start somewhere else. Uh, he was great for us in certain games, and uh giving him his flowers for that World Cup is great. I'll also say his most important game this season was when he was here in Winnipeg, and we we went to the game. And I know like Donnie and I when I was talking to him, I was like, that was the most nervous thing I've ever felt because I always love I want to beat Winnipeg. Whenever Montreal comes in here, I just want to beat them so bad. And they announced Montmobe was starting, and I was like, Oh, well, I guess we're losing kind of thing. But he played really, really well.

SPEAKER_02 25:34

Best game of the year by my own.

SPEAKER_01 25:35

Best game of the year, and that's what I'm gonna remember him as. He was the guy that came in at certain times as gave us a great performance, but going forward, the discussion between HAB fans, in my opinion, was always there's only one person remaining. It's either Dobesh or Montembeau, and Dobesh has won it for me just based on the fact that he's winning games and Monty's just not.

SPEAKER_02 25:56

Yeah, and I I think like if we look at Montembo's sample size as a Montreal Canadian, um, I think last year and the success that he had last year is arguably more of an anomaly if you look at his numbers compared to what he actually is. Like everyone looks at how solid he played. I think he played over his his his skill level last season. I think he he was above expectations, and this is kind of him coming back down to the goalie. I think he was. Uh he played 25 total NHL games before the Montreal claimed him off waivers by Florida. And like I mentioned, I think this is like the struggle he's had this year, Dante. We talked about uh long long shots from from far out, right? From the goal line shots, D-Men taking shots from the point, unscreened, no one in front. He just seems to not pick up the puck, and a lot of those shots from from far are deceiving him. I I don't see a world where where Montreal brings him back and he plays any kind of role here. We talk about the the playoff race we're in right now as as the halves are, and with how lights out the two goalways have have played. They've they've almost forced Marty's hand on making this decision. We even see we'll we'll probably talk about Brendan Gallagher a little bit more there, Dante, and then what he's done for the Montreal Canadians. Uh he was a healthy scratch tonight, kind of more for load management, kind of keeping him fresh and ready to go for playoffs. I think this management team, this organization, this coaching staff are ready to take the turn to really ramp this thing up in terms of making this team contenders. And I get Montabaux's a French goalie, and Quebec has an allegiance to those players in Montreal. Um, but you have to play the best players that are gonna help you win and in the playoffs. So that seems to be the decision they're going with here.

SPEAKER_01 27:38

There were three warnings, in my opinion, from the Montreal Canadians to Montaba to get his shit together. You called up Fowler once, you fired your goalie coach, and you called up Fowler again, and Montabeau just didn't answer to anything at the end of the day. It's just it's not like it's not like we didn't give Montaba chances over the year two over the season two. Like we talked about it in one of our podcasts. I was fucking I was pissed off that we were even giving him a chance still over and over again. Like enough was trying to get him going. It was like the trade dead just before the trade deadline, and we're still trying to get him going. The season's over halfway uh done at that point. He's not getting going. Uh, there's our there's the rumors that we talked about before about us even going out to get a goalie, which didn't happen. But I'm yeah, I'm satisfied with the amount of opportunities we gave Montabeau. I love him. I hope he uh finds something else in his hockey career and uh succeeds somewhere. And if if and if it's on waivers and he gets picked up or gets traded or not reached, like I don't even know his contracts like Donnie to know off the top of his head how many years he's got left.

SPEAKER_02 28:39

He is next year at 3.15, and then he's a UFA. So yeah, so it's it's a manageable salary, they can move it pretty easily.

SPEAKER_01 28:46

He's gonna he'll be a trade in next season or in the offseason for sure, in my opinion. Um, and yeah, you'll get you'll get something for him, right?

SPEAKER_00 28:52

Like, yeah, and you know get something for him.

SPEAKER_01 28:54

Montreal's in the position too, is even if you don't get something for him, he's gotta go. It's at the end of the day, he's just gotta go, right?

SPEAKER_00 29:00

So yeah, it'll it's this is definitely experience that you want Fowler to have because he, I mean, moving forward, you probably see him as the number one guy going like going into uh future years. So yeah, you you hope that he can kind of take some of this run in, take the even if it's in a backup position, the little bit of his playoff run in, and uh really understand what it is for next year. Um when he comes in as probably a full-time rookie in the league. Uh, one other thing, question for you guys. Speaking of rookies, uh Demodov. So coming into the season, Habs fans thought Demodov was legitimately gonna be the savior. Like he was gonna be amazing because of all of his numbers in the KHL. He came over, he

Are we satisfied with how Demidov has preformed?

SPEAKER_00 29:47

played really good in the playoffs. I thought, uh, created stuff, he was fun to watch. Has he met your guys' expectations for this year? Donnie go first.

SPEAKER_02 29:58

Yeah, I I think he has. I think going into the season, I pictured him as kind of a 60 to 65 point player, which I think with his points tonight, he's on track for like 68 or 69 currently.

SPEAKER_03 30:09

Projected 69, yeah.

SPEAKER_02 30:10

I I think long term, you look at the uh the line mates he's had this season. A rotation between Slavkovsky, Kappanin, Newhook has been good on that line as he goes. I think long term, when you're looking at this team really pushing for cups, he's gonna be playing with a a way more talented center than than potentially Oliver Kapanen. I think Kappanin's a good long-term third line center on a real good cup contender. But we got Michael Hage coming in. We talked about this two C-hole the Habs are trying to address. Uh potentially Alexander Zerosky coming over from Russia, who he's very good friends with and very similar talent in terms of offensive capability. I think we're just we're just scratching the surface. I I think as far as Montreal's forward core right now, Demodov has kind of been Dante, I don't know if you agree, but left to the wayside, I'll say, when you look at even our power play, right? We got Caulfield, Suzuki, you Slavkovsky in the bumper, Lane Hudson at the point. Demodov's kind of off to the right side of the power play unit. And most power plays more often than not, you see it kind of work through the left side. Demodov's almost there as a decoy. There's and the few times they pass to him, he has their either has a ridiculous shot. Make some good plays. So I I think we're just really starting to see the Demodov experience in Montreal. And as this team continues to build and these pieces come in, especially on that second line, it'll just continue to unlock them more. I think within the next two to three years, he's arguably your most talented offensive player. Uh like one comparison everyone always says is Nikita Kucherov kind of style. Uh maybe a bit less rat and a bit less grit to his game. But yeah, I definitely see that in terms of Puck skills and shot and vision.

SPEAKER_01 31:50

I I'm happy with what I've had with Demodoff. Like a lot of people I see sometimes in comment sessions complain the the guy's got 52 points in 65 games, like we mentioned. I don't remember, I don't remember when we started calling that a crappy year all of a sudden. You know what I mean? Especially for a rookie. Uh, some people are saying that they expected more from him. I mean, we always expect more from everyone, but am I not am I dissatisfied with what I've had with him? No, 100% not. Uh some people say, Oh, everyone said he was a shoe-in for rookie of the year. I mean, yeah, a lot of people did. I don't think anyone could have predicted the Seneca surge that we got from uh Beckett Seneca, and Schaefer is in the same position Hudson was last season. It's hard not to give it to him based on the fact that he's uh 19, I think, right? Old defenseman doing unreal things, you know what I mean? So, yeah, he's gonna probably be the runner up for trophies this season, but that doesn't negate what he's accomplished in this season. He's got 14 goals, and like Donnie said, on a team where on our power play, they don't even utilize that side of the ice, and when they do, it usually ends up honestly a goal, like uh when they start to utilize it more because it makes teams guess more. Our power plays kind of become so predictable with it's Hudson and Suzuki playing catch back and forth until they can get Caulfield down low, who kicks it at the Slaugh, who's in the bumper position, kind of thing. Like, you know what I mean? Like it's it's gone predictable, but when you start to use Demidoff a little more, it'll it'll give some more options. But I am very happy with what I've seen with Demidoff, like Donnie touched base on he's not exactly playing with the cream of the crop right now as well. I do see him, like Donnie does some comparisons to Kucharov. I see him as like a Caprizov style player, to be honest, too. Um, I would like to see what he has in store for his next season, uh, even though it's always usually a rookie slump years the season after. But uh playing with a more consistent center would be a big get for him. And I mean, when he played with uh Slavkovsky, that line was pretty dominant for large parts of games and stuff like that. So I think we're just a few players away in our top six from having two really solid lines rolling all the time, kind of thing. Um, but no, I there's no complaints for me about uh what Demodov's done. Like he's on track for almost 70 points this year. You can't ask for more from a young kid.

SPEAKER_00 34:07

Yeah, yeah, I I completely agree. I was just uh wondering where

Will the Habs style of play hurt them in playoff hockey?

SPEAKER_00 34:11

your guys' heads at. Um one other question for you guys. They kind of touched on it today at the intermission, and it's the style of game the Havs play. And is that style of game that they play good enough for playoff hockey? Is it gonna be successful in playoff hockey? Do you do you think they can roll with this kind of high speed running gun? Like today against uh the San Jose Sharks, the Sharks scored some dirty goals, get guys in front. The Habs don't do that. The Habs don't get traffic and just get ugly goals. They want to make them nice. Do you think that can really take off in the playoffs and be successful, Dante?

SPEAKER_01 34:53

Um, I'd see I I like the way the Havs play. I do think it's gonna have struggles in playoffs at times. With we saw it last year against Washington, a team that's a suit, a very big hitting team. We we struggled in a lot of those areas. We had to bring Arbor Jack guy into the lineup to kind of bring our physicality back up. We leaned heavily on guys like Anderson and stuff like that. And Gallagher kind of is their gritty guys, and Gallagher's not exactly the biggest player in the world as well, right? So he provides grit, but not exactly grit like Tom Wilson's style. Um, that being said, like I want I can't remember who said it on one of the intermission shows this week. But the Habs play a very unique style of hockey that Marty's kind of teaching them. A lot of teams have full-on systems in play, they have full-on styles and for checking skills, but Marty kind of teaches the team how to win individual small battles all over the ice and then allows their creativity and offense to kind of take forward from there. Uh, I think as we've seen, like tonight and in past games, they will struggle with some physical teams. But as they develop and mature and we add some missing pieces, I think it makes for a team that will be kind of hard to predict and stop when they're on when they're scoring goals. You can always hit guys, you can always, you know, grind them out. But the fact that some of these players, like Slavkovsky, when he's on his game, you can grind and hit him all you want, and he's still making these nifty little plays into the middle, and Suzuki just knows where he needs to be. Caulfield's already halfway up the ice, and then you're not catching them, kind of thing. Their transition game is very, very good. So at this current stage, to answer your question, yeah, I think we might struggle a little bit in playoffs just because of how young we are, and we're still missing a couple pieces here and there. Going forward, though, I think it's going to create an opportunity for the Montreal Canadians that other teams don't have. I think that it'll give them a different style of game that teams don't know how to really play against, especially once you start to add the maturity into our lineup. Donnie, what do you think?

SPEAKER_02 36:53

Yeah, kind of to your point on the defensive zone coverage and how Marty has them playing. Uh I think the Havs play more man-on-man zone. Man on sorry, not zone, man-on-man coverage in their defensive zone than arguably any team in the league. Like if you watch cycle game uh as they're defending, you see a lot more guys stick with the guy they're covering as opposed to just both D-man in the corners, center supporting down low wingers kind of blocking that passing lane from the corner to the opposing D-man, which is which is traditional hockey. Uh, I think that system complements the Habs skating style very well. We have very mobile defensemen, we have very mobile forwards. To your point, Jordan, I think they are a few physical pieces away from really being contenders and building this team up. Like we look at how talented we are in our top six right now. I think the Habs actually lead the league in comeback wins for the entire year. Um in the entire NHL there. And I'm pretty sure they're first, I think they're 25. 21 total out of their 30-some wins or comeback wins. So falling behind is an issue. But this year more than ever, I've never felt that scoring goals when you need to is a problem with this team. You look at the offensive weapons they have, they have the ability to break through when they need to 100%. So to your point, I think they're like we we talk about Tom Wilson as kind of your stereotypical physical forward that can go on the four check and impact a game. Dante, we look at that series with the Habs, and I think he absolutely destroyed Alex Carrier in game four. I think it was. I think that's the one. Habs were dominated in that game. He had a huge open ice hit. It completely turned the game around. Habs ended up losing that game four by one goal, I think. So having that that type of physical presence and ability to force and and establish a cycle game and play that heavy playoff hockey uh that you need to play in the playoffs is is what they're still lacking. But one thing that doesn't scare me for the Habs are these like slow LA Kings style physical defensive teams. Like Montreal has shown if it's a defensive team that doesn't have the foot speed, that they're able to kind of skate those teams into a ground, into the ground there. What really scares me are the teams that are like both big and physical and can skate a lot a buffalo or even Tampa Bay to an extent that has the talent to really go and just create offense out of nowhere. I think that's yeah, there's a few pieces the Habs still need to add here in the long term to really continue to build this uh this score up for a cup kind of thing.

SPEAKER_01 39:24

I I don't have this, I don't have it in front of me. Uh I wish I did, but I'm gonna try to remember what it said. But the Habs record when their goalie percentage is over 900 or something like that, yeah, was like all wins, no lock. No regulation was losses, and like five or something overtime losses. So the way I look at it is clearly the style of play is in favor for us scoring goals right now. We have zero issue with that whatsoever. We've had goaltenders goaltender struggles all season. Who knows if Fowler is the answer? I think he might be, but we also have um Rinebacker that could still step in, or another acquisition in the offseason that fills in our bottom pairing defenseman. Um I think going forward that this style of hockey with our team maturing is just going to put us in a position where when we are ready to roll in the playoffs and we have those holes filled, not unstoppable, but pretty next to it. Like we're already scoring goals way more than I thought we've ever would, to be honest. And we're missing quite a lot of holes like in our second line center and winger. So I'm not worried about it going forward. I just think uh part of the learning curve, right? It's part of the learning curve. Like, we're still everyone still forgets. We're young, we're the youngest team in the league. I didn't think we would be even winning as good this year, right? You know what I mean? Like, when I when you if you were to ask me a couple years ago when the Haves were rebuilding when I would think this team would start winning games, I would not have said this soon. I I still thought we'd be a couple years away. I thought we'd have good individual performances from players like Suzuki and Coffee, Slavkowski, etc. etc. But I didn't think we'd be in this position of winning.

SPEAKER_00 41:08

So yeah, satisfied. I think I think come come playoff time, they maybe need to adapt a little bit with a bit of more willingness to throw pucks towards the net and get some ugly goals and crash the net. But ultimately, the way they play makes them very unique and hard to play against, well, especially when they're on their game. So I think they need to keep leaning into that, really.

SPEAKER_01 41:28

Yeah, no, agreed 100%. Let's do some rapid fire stuff here to end the uh podcast, boys. Okay. So there's been a lot of stuff to happen this week. Uh

Mackinnon gets ejected for a collision on Ingram. Right call or terrible?

SPEAKER_01 41:37

let's start with the first one. Jordan. McKinnon gets ejected for a collision on Ingram. Was it the right call, in your opinion?

SPEAKER_00 41:43

It's a joke. Uh, if anything, it's a two-minute penalty. There's no way he should get kicked out of the game. I'm happy that they uh didn't suspend him and they actually gave him his payback for and actually didn't count it as an ejection. So if he gets ejected again, he doesn't get suspended. But it's just the wrong call. Like he gets hit into him by nurse max. I'm okay with a two-minute penalty because the collision looked bad, but that's max for me. Yeah, Donnie.

SPEAKER_02 42:08

Yeah, I I understand calling it a five initially because that gives them the ability to review it. We're seeing that more and more in the NHL. Immediately a major review it, downgrade it if needed, but I do not understand how any any referee in the NHL can like watch that play either in slow motion or full speed and see what Darnell Nurse did and and hold up the five-minute penalty. That was just a ridiculous joke to me.

SPEAKER_01 42:31

The refs have been fucking awful all year long, to put it bluntly. Sorry for how it is. They've been f awful. And like you guys said, you have the ability to review it. Review the damn play. Understand that the right it's the wrong call, downgrade it to a fucking interference call and move on with your lives. I don't understand why this was such the way it was, but um going past that,

Gudas takes out Matthews, was the suspension fair?

SPEAKER_01 42:51

let's talk about okay, Donnie. Do you think the punishment Goudas got was uh good or should it have been more severe? We're talking about the knee on knee with Matthews. What do you think?

SPEAKER_02 43:02

I think it should have been way more severe. I think if you watch that play, you watch how he extended his knee to ensure his knee contacted Matthews in his path of travel. You look at Radco Goodas' history as a player, I think he's had a total of 26 total games he's missed in his NHL career, so uh just over a third of a season uh being missed out through suspensions and almost a million dollars in salary he's had to give up. I I have no clue how they stick to a phone hearing and stick to a five-game suspension. I think it should have been maybe around seven or eight, even more.

SPEAKER_01 43:37

Yeah, yeah. Um Jordan.

SPEAKER_00 43:39

Yeah, I like I don't I texted you guys what like when we first talked, but I said like player safety is gonna give him four games because they're a joke. They don't want the in person hearing, they would rather keep it as a phone hearing, which maxes it a five. I'm happy they at least gave him the max of five. It should be double that, it should be ten, it should be half the year. Matthews is done for the year, he's Gonna have to be rehabbing this in the offseason. It's just it's just not taking care of your superstars. NHL does not do a good job of taking care of their star players. And like them or not, Matthews is a star player in this league, and you have to take care of them so that this doesn't happen again. Because if someone sees this, oh, I'm only gonna get four games for knee Matthews a game before the playoffs and take him out for a series that we're gonna play him against. Why would you not?

SPEAKER_02 44:25

Yeah, 100%. And and just just to just one more comment on that. I think uh I was listening a bit earlier, and they were talking about kind of the next NHL PACBA negotiations. And right now, my understanding is when it comes to suspensions, the the the player safety division, they really focus on not trying to look at like the outcome of the injury. So to your point, Jordan Matthews out for the rest of the season, missing two weeks of hockey. But like as a as a fan and as an objective thinker, I think they should really be looking at that in more detail and considering that when they're giving suspensions out to these players. Is it so easy to be reckless and make a play that that really costs a team in the long run? And it could be a really long injury to your point, where you're going into a playoff series against them, that's our players out, your team ends up winning. Those are little nuances that I think need to start to be considered when it comes to dishing out these suspensions as well.

What teams from the East/West may or may not make playoffs?

SPEAKER_01 45:17

All right, last thing to wrap us up, Donnie. Give me a bubble team from the east you think makes it, and a bubble team from the west that makes it that's currently not in playoffs.

SPEAKER_02 45:26

Well, I think the east is very easy. I think it's the uh shout out to our boy Rick Rick Bonus, uh, former Jets head coach, Columbus Blue Jackets. Uh they've been playing some great hockey of late. I think right now they are one point out with the game in hand on Detroit. Uh I think they squeak into one of those two wild cards right now. Boston and Detroit are in those wild cards. Pittsburgh actually Columbus is actually tied for Pittsburgh with Pittsburgh for the third spot on the metro uh with one game more played. So they could potentially jump into that number three spot and play the Islanders in round one. Uh that's East. And for the West, uh I personally don't think any of those teams make a jump. Right now you got San Jose in the eighth spot, second wild card, Utah in the first wild card, and on the outside you have LA, who's one point out, and the Seattle Kraken, who are three points out. I think the West stays kind of as is the eight playoff teams you have right now, all make the playoffs. That's kind of my prediction there.

unknown 46:32

Interesting.

SPEAKER_00 46:32

Yeah, Jordan building building off what Donnie said, um, I I agree in the in the West, I don't see anyone really making a jump. If I had to choose someone, I'm I'm gonna go with the Kings. They experienced Copertur's last year. Maybe they do it for him, but I just don't see it. I see what is in the lineup in the playoffs right now, kind of being in there with I think Vegas actually uh is the most likely to fall out, which is interesting. Um in the east, uh, I also agree that Columbus, but I think Columbus actually gets up into uh Metro spot with the pens falling out. The other team that I could see falling out is the Red Wings. They've been rough, they just lost two centers in Larkin and Larkin, yeah. Yeah, and Ottawa's been hot of late. They're six, two, and two in their last ten. Maybe they can keep that to keep that going and make a surge to jump them. That that would be my biggest uh gamble.

SPEAKER_01 47:27

I'm gonna do just completely two absolutely ridiculous picks that will never happen, but I'm gonna do it for the sake of saying it. I'm saying Philadelphia gets in. They're also a hot team, six, three, and one. They're a little bit farther back, but I'm gonna go with them just because what the hell? And I'm gonna go with another random team as in the St. Louis Blues. 64 points currently, right now. They're only five point spots. There's seven, two, and one in their next 10. Clip it, and I'm just saying it right now. If they make the playoffs, you heard it here first.

SPEAKER_02 48:03

Jonathan Druin.

SPEAKER_01 48:04

Jonathan Druin's gonna score 40 goals. You watch,

Outro

SPEAKER_01 48:07

okay?

SPEAKER_02 48:07

Uh Logan May you.

SPEAKER_01 48:09

Yeah. Uh boys, thanks again for joining me tonight. It was a good one. We'll be back again soon, hopefully, with some more interesting things going on around the league. We will definitely be back right before playoff starts as well for a special playoff edition uh podcast. But hopefully we have a couple in between there. So don't forget to like, follow, subscribe the Rink Hockey Podcast, and me and all social media platforms like Instagram, TikTok, Facebook, and YouTube. And once again, like Donnie mentioned early on in the podcast, if you head over right now to the Rinks Instagram page, pinned on the top left, free giveaway for a signs Lavkowski jersey would be pretty cool to have, especially with having the most points as a Montreal Canadian before turning 22. All you need to do is follow, like the post, share to your story, and there's a little bonus entry thing at the bottom there. Thanks for joining, boys.