Todd: Ivan Demidov's arrival with Canadiens a sight to behold

In any hockey season, there are litmus exams. Video games that crop up at any level within the season and inform you not solely the place you stand — however what you’re.

The Canadiens had a type of video games Saturday night time.

They had been coming off a heist in Edmonton, the place that they had the ice pulled out from underneath them by a clumsy refereeing duo and failed to fulfill the problem when their No. 1 goalie merely didn’t make the saves.

So that they go roaring into Vancouver and skate the Canucks out of the rink from puck drop, proper?

Oh, so very incorrect.

The Canadiens, as if that they had simply flown 12 time zones from Irkutsk and arrived quarter-hour earlier than sport time, regarded nothing in any respect just like the swift-skating, high-pressure bunch that had been such a revelation by the primary 9 video games.

By the point the rating reached 2-0 within the second interval, I used to be able to concede. Maybe, I assumed, Ivan Demidov would do one thing. The Nick Suzuki line had been doing a lot of the heavy lifting and will use a little bit of assist.

Then the 19-year-old Russian merely took over the sport. First got here what Ray Ferraro referred to as a “beautiful” move on the facility play, with Suzuki the beneficiary after Demidov faked a shot on Canucks goalie Kevin Lankinen to attract him out of place and provides Suzuki an open internet.

Then it was a brief, crisp move to Juraj Slafkovsky for an additional power-play objective to tie it at 2-2. Lastly, there was the clincher, a nasty 15-foot laser shot from the slot that was the eventual winner — all from the stick of a man who gained’t flip 20 till Dec. 10.

What’s most spectacular concerning the performs Demidov is making (apart from the truth that it appears there are extra with each sport) is the maturity. It isn’t merely a ton of expertise and lightning-quick reflexes, although he has that to spare. It’s the endurance, the best way he’ll typically wait a beat or two for the trail to clear earlier than he does that tape-to-tape factor that Andrei Markov used to do.

That is grown-up stuff, what you would possibly see from Nikita Kucherov or Connor McDavid, not a youngster making an attempt to show he belongs.

There isn’t any doubt Demidov has arrived. Sport by sport, he’s doing extra at each ends of the ice. His presence on the primary power-play unit was inevitable and now he’s there, maybe sooner than deliberate. He belongs within the Calder Trophy dialog with Islanders defenceman Matthew Schaefer, giving the Canadiens a reputable shot at two in a row after Lane Hutson broke a drought final yr that had gone all the best way again to Ken Dryden in 1972.

Inevitably, there are comparisons to Man Lafleur, the final famous person ahead drafted and developed by the Canadiens.

It’s a special period. Extra distractions, infinitely extra money. However Demidov has the work ethic, the temperament and the expertise to tug it off.

For these nonetheless pouting as a result of the Habs didn’t draft Matvei Michkov (one objective and two assists to this point this season) look what you bought as a substitute. The longer term.

Shed a tear for Patty:

You must really feel for Patrik Laine, the hard-luck Finn. The newest bitter twist was what was termed a “core muscle damage” resulting in surgical procedure in New York and it’s anticipated to

preserve the large sniper out of the lineup for 3 or 4 months.

That may imply a possible return after the February Olympic break and a really brief window wherein to persuade the Canadiens (or another NHL group) to supply him one other contract.

It’s going to be powerful. Laine, who gave the Canadiens such an unlimited enhance when he returned from a knee damage final season and went on a power-play tear, has no clear match with this group, definitely not 5-on-5.

We’d hope some group will signal Laine. He meshes fantastically with this subtle metropolis, however not essentially with the group that introduced him to city.

Playoff certain:

The

Alouettes misplaced their final sport of the season in Winnipeg,

a meaningless affair after that they had already discovered they are going to be enjoying within the Jap semifinal at Percival Molson Saturday.

Their opponents, as soon as once more, would be the Blue Bombers — this time with each groups fielding their greatest out there gamers fairly than resting their stars as they did in Saturday’s yawn-fest in Manitoba.

Among the many stars sitting out in Winnipeg was quarterback Davis Alexander, nonetheless unbeaten in his CFL profession and the largest motive I nonetheless suppose the Als are critical Gray Cup contenders, though the trail would have been simpler had they been in a position to win the East.

If Alexander does his factor, it gained’t matter.

Heroes:

Jakub Dobes, Nick Suzuki, Juraj Slafkovsky, Mike Matheson, Lane Hutson, Noah Dobson, Alex Newhook, Lando Norris, Ilya Kharun, Victor Wembanyama, Jordan Love, Martin St. Louis &&&& final however not least, Ivan Demidov.

Zeros:

The playing monster that has swallowed all {of professional} sports activities, Mitch Love, Chris Schlenker, Garrett Rank, Stewart Johnston, Evander Kane, Max Verstappen, Aaron Rodgers, Bud Selig Jr., Claude Brochu, Jeffrey Loria &&&& final however not least, David Samson.

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