Todd: Canadiens gain timely lift from Jakub Dobes and sad-sack Leafs

We received’t be celebrating American Thanksgiving

chez moi

this yr — until you rely munching our means via a few yards of pizza whereas watching American soccer.

One shudders to think about the potential for mayhem south of the border when Uncle Mo from Missoula begins waving his MAGA hat over the mashed potatoes with carving knives in plain sight. That doesn’t, nonetheless, preclude us from checking the NHL standings on this date, the quarter-pole of the season.

(I received’t be so impolite as to say that the mighty Toronto Maple Leafs, the Biggest Group Ever within the Historical past of the Planet, are lifeless final within the Japanese Convention as we communicate. Solely 4 groups in your entire league — St. Louis, Calgary, Vancouver and Nashville — are worse.)

As crystal balls go, the Thanksgiving level test has not been a faultless prognosticator. Everybody remembers the last-to-first 2018-19 Stanley Cup champion Blues, however as lately as 2023, the Edmonton Oilers have been 5-12-1 going into the Thanksgiving vacation and made the Stanley Cup closing.

Within the Japanese Convention, the standings are particularly insignificant this yr, when solely 9 factors separate the Metropolitan Division-leading Carolina Hurricanes from the Leafs, whereas the Atlantic-leading Detroit Crimson Wings are all of six factors up on Toronto.

A five-game streak, successful or dropping, and you may go from lots to penury in a rush or vice versa.

Your

Montreal Canadiens managed to reverse the tone, if nothing else, with a single 5-2 win over the Leafs Saturday night time as

Jakub Dobes put a tourniquet on the bleeding

in entrance of the online.

It couldn’t have come at a greater time, with a brutal three-game swing to Salt Lake, Las Vegas and Denver arising — and the mighty Colorado Avalanche lurking on the second half of a back-to-back Saturday.

These younger Canadiens, as we preserve saying, are alright. Give thanks that they’re very a lot in it at Thanksgiving — and take a look at to not have a common nervous breakdown subsequent time they hit a tough patch.

One Kent Hughes particular, comin’ proper up:

By now, we must always know that there are specific traits to any transaction executed by Canadiens GM Kent Hughes.

You received’t see it coming. He received’t overpay. Usually, the goal shall be a younger, extremely regarded participant struggling the place he’s, however with some upside. And the chance shall be minimal.

If Hughes has half as a lot Alexandrian success with

Alexandre Texier

as he had bringing in Alexandre Service, then this shall be one more coup proper out of the Hughes Handbook for Higher Administration.

It couldn’t come at a greater time, with the Canadiens down three regulars up entrance, one-time flavour-of-the-month Joshua Roy caught on the REM line someplace between Montreal and Laval and Max Pacioretty’s youthful brother,

Joe Veleno

, lower than overwhelming in what quantities to an prolonged audition.

With

Florian Xhekaj offering a shot of vitamin B-12

in his Canadiens debut and defenceman Adam Engstrom incomes a promotion with a one-goal, four-assist recreation on Saturday for Laval, Martin St. Louis’s membership ought to get a lift when it’s wanted most.

PWHL worries:

We’ve got each motive to be optimistic about the way forward for the Skilled Ladies’s Hockey League.

The timing is true, the marketing strategy is true, the general public is welcoming and the star gamers are aligned.

Starting the league’s third season with a few loaded enlargement groups out west, nonetheless, there are a few associated considerations.

First, scoring stays an issue. Boston’s Aerin Frankel can nonetheless shut down Montreal with relative ease, regardless of the

Victoire’s load of offensive expertise.

Second, officiating crews appear to focus on any kind of bodily play — particularly if it entails Montreal’s Marie-Philip Poulin.

Poulin often is the face of the league, however she’s handled just like the face of the penalty field. If the league wants objectives (and it does) then it wants gamers like Poulin on the ice. However late within the second interval towards Frankel and the Fleet, Poulin was handed hooking and tripping minors

on the identical play

, pointless overkill on a routine journey.

Early within the third interval, Poulin was referred to as once more for an unlawful bodycheck (penalized for being too sturdy) and linemate Laura Stacey and Boston’s Jill Saulnier each drew roughing minors within the aftermath. Boston’s Megan Keller scored with the benefit.

Good for Boston, unhealthy for the league. When you’re going to permit hitting, then enable it. The gamers can deal with it and the PWHL wants it, together with a wholesome dollop of scoring.

Max, meet Tom:

We are able to’t fairly determine whether or not Tom Wilson is the Max Verstappen of the NHL or Max Verstappen is the Tom Wilson of F1. Both means, they each get away with an entire lot of crap that should get them banned.

Heroes:

Noah Dobson, Florian Xhekaj, Nick Suzuki, Juraj Slafkovsky, Cole Caufield, Lane Hutson, Josh Anderson, Ivanie Blondin, the Vanier Cup champion Montréal Carabins &&&& final however least, Jakub Dobes.

Zeros:

Tom Wilson, the NHL’s division of participant security, Mikko Rantanen, Max Verstappen, FIA, Deion Sanders, Invoice Belichick, Bud Selig Jr., Claude Brochu, David Samson &&&& final however not least, Jeffrey Loria.

Now and endlessly.

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