Tag: Montreal

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NHL (National Hockey League)

The Lightning aim to end their struggle against the Canadiens in Tampa

Tampa Bay Lightning (NHL)

The Tampa Bay Lightning will try to finish a strong week before the 4 Nations Face-Off tournament when they play the Montreal Canadiens on Super Bowl Sunday in the NHL’s last game before the break.

This will be the third and final meeting between the two Atlantic Division teams. Montreal won the first two games — 5-2 on Dec. 29 in Tampa and 3-2 on Jan. 21 in Quebec.

Tampa Bay right winger Brandon Hagel, who is part of Team Canada under coach Jon Cooper, will proudly wear his country’s red and white. However, he may feel some disappointment about the Lightning’s break.

Hagel scored the first and last goals in a 6-3 win in Detroit on Saturday, bringing his total to six goals in the last five games. He now has 26 goals, third-most on the Lightning.

The Lightning have seen Hagel develop since acquiring him from the Chicago Blackhawks in March 2022.

“Look at two years ago when he got traded here, could you have seen him playing for Team Canada in 2025?” Cooper said after his team broke the Red Wings’ seven-game winning streak. “I don’t know if any of us would’ve seen that, and here he is. … The chemistry he’s formed with (Anthony) Cirelli is unique. Those two work great together.”

Brayden Point reached 30 goals for the third straight season and the fifth time in his career on Saturday.

In his NHL debut, former Michigan Wolverines forward Dylan Duke scored the Lightning’s fifth goal, as Tampa Bay improved to 23-1-1 when leading after two periods.

Montreal is trying to get back into the wild-card race after a 3-2 home win over Tampa Bay on Jan. 21, where Jake Evans scored the game-winner. Evans has scored in both of Montreal’s wins over Tampa Bay this season and has five game-winning goals this season.

Canadiens face daunting schedule with key matchups ahead (Montreal Canadiens)

Montreal lost 4-0 to New Jersey on Saturday at home, with Jack and Luke Hughes scoring for the Devils. Former Canadiens goalie Jake Allen made 34 saves for his fourth shutout, as Montreal dropped to 1-6-1 in its past eight games.

The Canadiens are aiming to make the playoffs for the first time since the 2020-21 season, when they lost to the Lightning in the Stanley Cup Final. They had a strong run recently, earning points in eight of nine games (7-1-1) starting with a 2-1 win over the Colorado Avalanche on Jan. 4.

“I’m not going to talk about that right now,” Canadiens coach Martin St. Louis said about his team’s playoff chances. “I get it. We had a great run. It’s a hard league. It’s very competitive, especially in the Eastern Conference right now. We’re going to fight. The focus right now is really to get back to a recipe that works.”

Montreal will be represented at the 4 Nations Face-Off by goalie Sam Montembeault for Team Canada and wingers Patrik Laine and Joel Armia for Team Finland.

Montembeault gave up four goals on 22 shots in Saturday’s loss, marking his fourth defeat in the last five starts. He is now 18-20-3 with three shutouts in 41 games this season.

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NHL (National Hockey League)

Joel Armia scores late to lift Canadiens past Sharks, snapping their winless streak in Montreal

Montreal Canadiens and San Jose Sharks

Joel Armia scored a short-handed goal late in the third period, giving the Montreal Canadiens a 4-3 victory over the San Jose Sharks on Tuesday.

With the Sharks on a power play at 15:56 of the third period, Armia and Jake Evans broke out on a two-on-one rush. Armia’s goal marked his second short-handed goal in as many games.

This win ended the Canadiens’ five-game winless streak (0-4-1).

Alex Newhook contributed a goal and an assist, while Kirby Dach added two assists. Brendan Gallagher and Cole Caufield each scored on the power play, with Montreal finishing 2-for-4 on the night.

Sam Montembeault made 27 saves on 30 shots, including a spectacular glove save on Macklin Celebrini just over a minute before Armia’s game-winner.

Alexandar Georgiev stopped 16 of 20 shots for the Sharks, who have now lost 8 of their last 9 games (1-8-0).

Celebrini and Tyler Toffoli each scored a goal and recorded an assist on the power play, as San Jose also went 2-for-4 with the man advantage. Collin Graf scored his first career NHL goal for the Sharks.

Patrik Laine- Montreal Canadiens

San Jose got on the board first with a beautiful power-play goal 5:52 into the first period. Celebrini finished off a great passing play with a shot at the side of the net.

Montreal responded just 52 seconds into the second period, with Caufield scoring on a one-timer set up by some sharp passing on the power play.

Newhook gave Montreal the lead with another one-timer at 4:53 of the second period after a strong forecheck kept the puck in San Jose’s end.

The Sharks tied the game less than 10 minutes later with Graf’s first NHL goal, a wrist shot from the circle.

Both teams exchanged power-play goals in the third period, starting with Gallagher’s tip-in at 2:40. Midway through the period, Celebrini fed Toffoli for a breakaway goal to even things up before Armia’s game-winning goal.

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NHL (National Hockey League)

Kings look to bounce back at home against Canadiens after challenging road trip in Los Angeles

Los Angeles Kings (NHL)

The Los Angeles Kings are hoping that being back on home ice will help them return to their winning ways.

After playing 10 of their last 12 games on the road, the Kings will kick off a six-game homestand against the Montreal Canadiens on Wednesday night.

Los Angeles went 2-3-0 on their first five-game road trip last month, then came home for two games, and went 1-3-1 on their second five-game road swing. They did manage to pick up a win in their final game against the Carolina Hurricanes on Saturday.

“We stopped this stretch (in Carolina) because we kept our recipe,” Kings forward Phillip Danault said. “We kept working hard, playing our game and it worked out.”

The Kings are holding onto third place in the Pacific Division, just one point ahead of the Calgary Flames.

Before their Jan. 11 matchup in Calgary, the Kings had an eight-point lead over the Flames, but Calgary won 2-1 and has been closing in on Los Angeles since.

“Right now, we just have to believe in ourselves, believe in the team,” Kings forward Kevin Fiala said.

The Kings may be without defenseman Mikey Anderson, who is still day-to-day after injuring his finger last week.

“Whatever he’s got, it’s going to have to heal through treatments and relatively naturally, which is a positive,” said Kings coach Jim Hiller.

Drew Doughty, who recently returned from a broken ankle suffered in the preseason, has played three games since coming back. He feels healthy enough to possibly replace the injured Alex Pietrangelo at the 4 Nations tournament later this month.

Canadiens face daunting schedule with key matchups ahead (Montreal Canadiens)

“I know I’m in the group of guys they’re looking at and I told them I want to be there,” Doughty said. “I’m hoping I’m going to keep improving. We’ve got a couple more games, hopefully to watch me and see that I deserve that spot.”

The Kings will face a tired Montreal team that ended a five-game losing streak with a 4-3 win over the San Jose Sharks on Tuesday night.

Jakub Dobes is expected to start in goal after Sam Montembeault made 27 saves in the win against the Sharks.

Dobes won his first five career starts but has lost his last two, including a 4-0 loss to the Minnesota Wild last Thursday, where he allowed three goals on 26 shots.

The rookie goalie faced future Hall of Famer Marc-Andre Fleury in that game and shared a brief conversation with him in the handshake line.

“We had a good little conversation, but I’m going to keep it for myself,” Dobes said. “He just said work hard. It was kind of hard to hear. I don’t want to say everything. I don’t want to create much buzz and anything. Some things that you keep to yourself and it was a good conversation.”

Dobes later mentioned that Fleury congratulated him on the start to his career.

“I didn’t even know what to say. I wasn’t expecting it. So I was just like: ‘Oh, thanks.’” Dobes said. “It shows you how much of a good human being and a good teammate he is that he takes his time to say something to a guy who started a month ago.”

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NHL (National Hockey League)

Canadiens look to end slump in San Jose matchup

Montreal Canadiens (NHL)

The struggling Montreal Canadiens will look to break their winless streak when they face the last-place San Jose Sharks on Tuesday night.

The Canadiens dropped to 0-4-1 in their last five games after a 3-2 loss to the Anaheim Ducks on Sunday.

Montreal was up 2-0 for most of the game, but the Ducks quickly tied it with two goals in a 40-second span. Alex Killorn scored the game-winning goal 11:11 into the third period, handing Montreal another tough loss.

“It’s not like we’re getting dominated, but we’re finding ways to lose,” Canadiens coach Martin St. Louis said. “We’re hurting ourselves. We’re not as sharp, we don’t execute. … It’s not the time of the season you want to get a slide, so we’ve got to stop the bleeding.”

Before this losing streak, Montreal had been 13-3-1 in their last 17 games and had moved close to the Eastern Conference playoff race.

On paper, facing the NHL’s worst team might seem like a good chance for Montreal to get back on track. But the Sharks have had a strong record against the Canadiens, going 16-3-1 in their last 20 matchups dating back to the 2010-11 season.

This season, San Jose has only won four of their last 22 games (4-17-1).

The Sharks are also in the middle of a rebuild and traded Mikael Granlund and defenseman Cody Ceci to the Dallas Stars on Saturday in exchange for two picks in the 2025 NHL Draft.

Granlund led the Sharks in assists (30) and points (45), while Ceci led in ice time (1,175 minutes, 41 seconds) and blocks (100) this season. Aside from their stats, both players had been important mentors to San Jose’s younger players.

Carolina Hurricanes and San Jose Sharks

“(Granlund) said whatever I need, I can ask him,” forward Will Smith told the San Jose Mercury News. “Obviously, I did that. We sat next to each other in the locker room too, so (it’s) tough having him go. … It’s a huge piece we’re losing, but I’ve learned a lot from him.”

In addition to the trades, San Jose is dealing with injuries. Alexander Wennberg (upper body) is expected to miss his second game in a row, while Tyler Toffoli (lower body) and Fabian Zetterlund (illness) are questionable after missing Sunday’s practice.

On the brighter side, Vitek Vanecek has been recalled from his AHL conditioning stint after missing 21 games due to a fractured cheekbone. Vanecek may play Tuesday, or the Sharks could start Alexandar Georgiev if they prefer to ease Vanecek back into the lineup.

Since the Canadiens also play the Los Angeles Kings on Wednesday, goalies Sam Montembeault and Jakub Dobes are expected to split the back-to-back starts. The goalies have mostly been alternating starts recently, so Dobes could start Tuesday since Montembeault played against Anaheim.

Captain Nick Suzuki leads Montreal with 51 points (15 goals, 36 assists).

The Canadiens’ penalty kill is one of the best in the league, with an 82.5% success rate. Opponents have gone just 2-for-25 on the power play in Montreal’s last 10 games, and 0-for-9 in their last five.

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NHL (National Hockey League)

In the 4 Nations Face-Off, Sidney Crosby leads Canada while Auston Matthews captains the U.S., both taking on major roles in the tournament

Sidney Crosby Scores Milestone 1,500th Career Point in Penguins’ 5-1 Win Over Red Wings
Sidney Crosby Scores Milestone 1,500th Career Point in Penguins’ 5-1 Win Over Red Wings

Fifteen years after scoring the “Golden Goal” that helped Canada win an Olympic gold medal in Vancouver, and 11 years since captaining his country to another victory in Sochi, Sidney Crosby is taking on a familiar role in an international tournament.

Crosby will be Canada’s captain once again for the 4 Nations Face-Off next month in Montreal and Boston. He previously held the role in the 2014 Winter Olympics and the 2016 World Cup of Hockey. Auston Matthews is the captain for the U.S. for the first time after recently taking on that role with the Toronto Maple Leafs.

Matthews doesn’t plan to change his leadership style, while Crosby, who has been the captain of the Pittsburgh Penguins since 2007, understands that short international tournaments are very different.

“There’s always a learning curve,” Crosby said in a video call with reporters on Friday. “When you have a new group and you’re in a situation like that, the learning curve’s quick, so, you’ve got to take in as much information as you can. But everyone’s picked for a reason, they’re selected for what they bring, so you’ve got to be able to bring that and just find a way to be at your best right away.”

Since the World Championships take place every spring while the NHL’s Stanley Cup Playoffs are ongoing, and because the league didn’t participate in the past two Olympics, the 4 Nations will be the first international tournament featuring the best players since 2016. Even that World Cup had the unique addition of Team North America, with young stars like Matthews, Jack Eichel, Connor McDavid, and Nathan MacKinnon.

This time, Crosby, McDavid, and MacKinnon will all be on the same roster for the first time.

“With our team, just the collection of guys, there hasn’t been much opportunity for this group to be together,” Crosby said. “Getting excited to get the guys together, to be in the same place, to practice and build.”

Auston Matthews
Auston Matthews – Toronto Maple Leafs

The first practices are set for February 10, with games following shortly after. There’s no official training camp, so Matthews plans to stick with what works for him in Toronto.

“I don’t need to step in there and be this rah-rah guy that maybe I’m not,” Matthews said. “That’s not really my style. I think I’m just going to approach it the same way I would approach it here (with the Maple Leafs) and be myself and support guys, encourage guys and just try to be the best that I can be out there.”

Crosby has already achieved it all, winning the Stanley Cup three times and Olympic gold twice. He would love to add a third gold next year in Milan, but for now, his focus is on this tournament.

The timing of the break is good for Crosby, as he and the Penguins are in last place, with the trade deadline coming up on March 7.

“Whether you’ve won five in a row or you’re grinding to put wins together, this is something that for a long time we haven’t been able to do this, so I think everyone’s excited for that,” Crosby said. “Personally, I am, not specifically because we’ve been trying to grind ourselves here.

That’s part of it, but if anything, hopefully that urgency and desperation and situation that we’re in will help going into the 4 Nations as far as just being at my best.”

The U.S. hasn’t won a major international tournament since the 1996 World Cup of Hockey, which was a year before Matthews was born. While the pressure is not all on Matthews, as captain, he has the important job of putting his team in the best position to succeed.

“It’s just important to build that chemistry, come together as a team,” Matthews said. “And it’s not going to be easy. Each team’s got some special players, and it’s going to be highly competitive. I think everybody has a lot of honor representing their countries, as well. I think everybody’s looking forward to the challenge and the opportunity that this presents.”