Canadiens News

EASTERN ATLANTIC

Ivan Demidov • RW • Canadiens

Ivan Demidov Contributes an Assist in Losing Effort

Montreal Canadiens right wing Ivan Demidov finished Monday's 3-2 overtime loss in Game 3 against the Carolina Hurricanes with an assist. He helped Mike Matheson score Montreal's first goal of the game. Demidov registered his second point of the series after being among the goal-scorers in Montreal's big 6-2 Game 1 victory. Throughout the playoffs, Demidov has primarily made an impact on the power play, but each of his last two points has come at even strength. He has nine points (three goals, six assists) in 17 games. One more point would tie the young Russian for the fifth-most playoff points by a rookie in franchise history. Demidov will have at least two games to reach that mark, starting with Game 4 on Wednesday.

3 days ago

Lane Hutson • D • Canadiens

Lane Hutson Records Power-Play Goal in Game 3 Loss

Montreal Canadiens defenseman Lane Hutson returned to the score sheet in Game 3 against the Carolina Hurricanes on Monday, scoring a power-play goal in a 3-2 overtime defeat. Hutson's goal sent the game into overtime, where Montreal suffered a second consecutive loss. It was a painful ending for the team, but the Canadiens will take some joy in knowing Hutson collected his first point of the series. He's played a key role throughout the postseason, recording 15 points (three goals, 12 assists) in 17 games. However, two-thirds of Hutson's points (10) have come on the power play, and Montreal is facing a team with a 93.5% penalty-kill rate in the Eastern Conference Finals, making it tougher for him to generate offense.

3 days ago

Oliver Kapanen • C • Canadiens

Oliver Kapanen Sitting as Healthy Scratch Monday

Montreal Canadiens forward Oliver Kapanen will be a healthy scratch for Game 3 against the Carolina Hurricanes on Monday night. During the regular season, Kapanen finished third among rookies with 22 goals and had 37 points in 82 contests. But the 22-year-old has failed to replicate that form in the playoffs, going scoreless in all seven appearances. Kapanen will be replaced in the lineup by Joe Veleno, who has been a healthy scratch in each of the last three games. Veleno has one assist in six postseason outings. He will add more muscle to the lineup and provide a strong option at the faceoff dot -- Veleno has won 63.6% of his draws in the playoffs.

4 days ago

Phillip Danault • C • Canadiens

Phillip Danault Extends Point Streak to Three Games

Montreal Canadiens center Phillip Danault assisted on both Josh Anderson goals in Saturday's 3-2 overtime loss in Game 2 against the Carolina Hurricanes. The Canadiens managed to tie the game twice, but never got a third chance, as Carolina secured the win in overtime. Danault has come alive late in the postseason. He has strung together a three-game point streak, and nine of his 10 points have come in the last eight games. The 33-year-old has mostly made an impact as a playmaker in the playoffs, tallying two goals and eight assists in 16 games. When the teams return to action on Monday night, Danault will target his second career postseason four-game point streak.

5 days ago

Josh Anderson • RW • Canadiens

Josh Anderson Nets Two Goals in Painful Loss

Montreal Canadiens right wing Josh Anderson provided both goals in Saturday's 3-2 Game 2 loss against the Carolina Hurricanes. The 32-year-old became the fifth player in franchise history to record multiple game-tying goals in the same playoff contest, but Anderson and the Canadiens had their hearts broken early in overtime. After starting the playoffs with goals in back-to-back games, Anderson had lit the lamp just twice in 13 outings before Saturday night. Nevertheless, he can take pride in ranking second on his team with five even-strength goals in the playoffs. Additionally, he has recorded two assists over 16 postseason games.

5 days ago

Jakub Dobes • G • Canadiens

Jakub Dobes Sharp in Game 1 Victory

Montreal Canadiens goaltender Jakub Dobes kicked off the 2026 Eastern Conference Finals against the Carolina Hurricanes with a strong performance, recording 25 saves with a .926 save percentage in a 6-2 win. Seth Jarvis beat Dobes with just 33 seconds played in the first period, but he rebounded well from the early setback. Montreal's offense, which erupted for four first-period goals, also played a major role in the series opener. Dobes is now 9-6 this postseason -- only 10 rookie netminders have had more wins in a playoff year. The 24-year-old holds a 2.48 goals-against average and a .911 save percentage.

7 days ago

Cole Caufield • RW • Canadiens

Cole Caufield Bags Two Points in Impressive Road Win

Montreal Canadiens winger Cole Caufield posted his third multi-point game of the 2026 Stanley Cup Playoffs on Thursday, tallying a goal and an assist in a 6-2 road win over the Carolina Hurricanes. The Hurricanes scored just 33 seconds into the game, but Caufield answered right back at the 1:00 mark. He later assisted Juraj Slafkovsky on Montreal's fifth goal in the third period. This game saw Caufield notch twice as many even-strength points as he had in all previous postseason games combined. The Hurricanes have allowed only two power-play goals in the playoffs, so Caufield's even-strength play will be critical for Montreal in the Conference Finals. After a huge 51-goal, 88-point regular season, Caufield has struggled to generate offense in the postseason. With 15 games played, he has contributed five goals and six assists.

7 days ago

Juraj Slafkovsky • LW • Canadiens

Juraj Slafkovsky Opens Conference Finals With Three-Point Performance

Montreal Canadiens winger Juraj Slafkovsky made his mark with two goals and one assist in a 6-2 Game 1 victory over the Carolina Hurricanes on Thursday. He set up Cole Caufield in the first period and produced two third-period goals, including an empty-netter. Finally, Slafkovsky didn't need the power play to make an impact. Entering Thursday's action, the 22-year-old had only one even-strength point this postseason. With Carolina's penalty kill at 95.2%, getting Slafkovsky to score at even strength is huge for Montreal. He has tallied six goals and six assists in 15 games during the team's playoff run.

7 days ago

Nick Suzuki • C • Canadiens

Nick Suzuki Notches Three Assists in Game 1 Win Over Hurricanes

Montreal Canadiens center Nick Suzuki collected three assists in Thursday's big 6-2 road win in Game 1 of the Eastern Conference Finals against the Carolina Hurricanes. He had his first helper just a minute into the game and added two more in the final frame. This was a historic outing for Suzuki, who now holds the longest postseason-opening road point streak in franchise history at nine games. The Canadiens captain will have a chance to match the league record in Game 2. With Suzuki picking up points for fun on the road, he has taken over the postseason scoring lead on his team, bagging 16 points (four goals, 12 assists) in 15 games.

7 days ago

Arber Xhekaj • D • Canadiens

Arber Xhekaj Scratched for Game 1 of Eastern Conference Finals

Montreal Canadiens defenseman Arber Xhekaj will be a healthy scratch on Thursday for Game 1 of the Eastern Conference Finals against the Carolina Hurricanes, Sportsnet's Eric Engels reports. Xhekaj played in all seven games in Round 2 against Buffalo, even scoring a goal in Game 6. But he is expected to make way for Jayden Struble on Thursday. Struble was a regular in the lineup at the start of the postseason but didn't get a look in Round 2. He has recorded 21 hits, three SOG, and a plus-three rating in seven playoff games but is still looking for his first point. The 24-year-old has averaged 10:46 of ice time, limiting his opportunities to make an impact on the offensive end.

May 21

Jakub Dobes • G • Canadiens

Jakub Dobes Seeks More Success Against Hurricanes

Montreal Canadiens goaltender Jakub Dobes went an impressive 3-0-0 against the Carolina Hurricanes during the regular season, giving his team hope of staying competitive in the Eastern Conference Finals. Dobes' first start of 2026 was a 7-5 road win over Carolina, and he collected two more victories against them in a space of five days in late March. The 24-year-old produced a 2.67 goals-against average and a .922 save percentage in the matchup during the regular season. In the playoffs, Dobes has yet to lose back-to-back starts, going 8-6 through the first two rounds. For some reason, he tends to play better on the road, winning six of eight away outings.

May 21

Jakub Dobes • G • Canadiens

Jakub Dobes Records 37 Saves in Game 7 Win

Montreal Canadiens goaltender Jakub Dobes finished Monday's 3-2 Game 7 victory against the Buffalo Sabres with 37 saves. Dobes couldn't hold a 2-0 lead on the road, but the Canadiens advanced to the Eastern Conference Finals thanks to an overtime tally from Alex Newhook. Montreal's young netminder rebounded well from a poor Game 6 outing, in which Dobes was lit up for six goals. He has done a great job responding to defeats throughout the postseason and hasn't yet lost back-to-back starts. Dobes has an 8-6 record in the playoffs, allowing 2.52 goals with a .910 save percentage. The Canadiens enter the next series as huge underdogs, but they won all three regular-season games against the Hurricanes with Dobes in net.

May 19

Lane Hutson • D • Canadiens

Lane Hutson Contributes Power-Play Assist in Game 7 Victory

Montreal Canadiens defenseman Lane Hutson registered a power-play assist as the team won Game 7 against the Buffalo Sabres 3-2 in overtime on Monday night. Hutson had an assist in a sixth consecutive game when Zack Bolduc scored with the man advantage at the 14:29 mark in the first period. In the Conference Finals against Carolina, he has a chance to set a new franchise record for the longest postseason assist streak, currently held by Jacques Lemaire, who had an eight-game run in 1973. Hutson leads Montreal in scoring in the playoffs with 14 points in as many games. All but two of his points have come via assists.

May 19

Nick Suzuki • C • Canadiens

Nick Suzuki Extends Road Point Streak

Montreal Canadiens center Nick Suzuki contributed a power-play assist in Monday's series-clinching 3-2 overtime victory against the Buffalo Sabres. He set up Zack Bolduc for the Canadiens' second goal late in the first period, becoming only the second player in franchise history to open a postseason with an eight-game road point streak. Suzuki has posted four goals and seven assists on the road during Montreal's run to the Eastern Conference Finals. At home, he has zero goals and two assists in six games this postseason. With the Canadiens on the road to start the Conference Finals against Carolina, we might see a couple more big performances from Suzuki this week.

May 19

Alex Newhook • C • Canadiens

Alex Newhook Scores Series-Clincher in Overtime

Montreal Canadiens forward Alex Newhook scored the decisive goal in Monday's 3-2 Game 7 overtime victory against the Buffalo Sabres. He found the back of the net at the 11:22 mark in the extra frame after Montreal had let a 2-0 lead slip. Newhook also scored a Game 7 series-clincher in Round 1 against Tampa Bay and has seven goals this postseason -- only two players have scored more. In 14 outings, Newhook has also tallied two assists, making him one of Montreal's highest-scoring forwards in the playoffs. Impressively, Newhook has potted all seven goals at even strength, while star forwards Nick Suzuki, Cole Caufield, and Juraj Slafkovsky have combined for only three such goals.

May 19

Nick Suzuki • C • Canadiens

Nick Suzuki Seeks More Road Success Monday

Montreal Canadiens center Nick Suzuki has been a true road warrior in the 2026 Stanley Cup Playoffs, finishing on the score sheet in all seven away outings so far. In Monday's Game 7 against the Buffalo Sabres, he can join Mats Naslund as the second Canadiens player to start a postseason with an eight-game road point streak. In the 21st century, only five players in the entire league have recorded at least one point in each of their first eight road games of a playoff run. Bizarrely, Suzuki has gone scoreless in four of six home games. Yet he still ranks second on his team in the playoffs with 12 points (four goals, eight assists) in 13 games.

May 18

Lane Hutson • D • Canadiens

Lane Hutson Riding a Five-Game Assist Streak Into Game 7

Montreal Canadiens defenseman Lane Hutson will enter Monday's Game 7 against the Buffalo Sabres with a five-game assist streak. He's been a huge creative force for the Canadiens and could become only the sixth player in franchise history to record a six-game assist streak during the postseason. Larry Robinson was the last player to achieve it in 1978. In total, Hutson boasts 11 assists this postseason, tied for the second most behind Vegas superstar Jack Eichel (14). Montreal's prospects tend to rely heavily on Hutson, who leads the team with 13 points in 13 playoff outings. We should see him have a heavy workload on Monday night.

May 18

Lane Hutson • D • Canadiens

Lane Hutson Contributes Two Assists in Game 5 Victory

Montreal Canadiens defenseman Lane Hutson finished Thursday's 6-3 Game 5 win over the Buffalo Sabres with two assists. In the second period, he provided an even-strength assist on a goal by Josh Anderson and also helped Nick Suzuki score on the power play. Hutson became only the seventh Canadiens blue-liner to record 10 assists in a single postseason. He's the first defenseman in 39 years from the team to record an assist in four straight playoff games. While Hutson does most of his scoring as a playmaker, he has also tallied two goals this postseason. With 12 points in 12 games, he is tied with Nick Suzuki for Montreal's scoring lead.

May 15

Nick Suzuki • C • Canadiens

Nick Suzuki Amasses Three Points in Crucial Victory Thursday

Montreal Canadiens center Nick Suzuki collected three points as the team grabbed a 3-2 series lead with a 6-3 road victory over the Buffalo Sabres on Thursday night. Suzuki picked up an early assist on Cole Caufield's first even-strength goal of the postseason, but the Canadiens found themselves 3-2 behind at the first intermission. After the break, they were a completely different team, scoring four unanswered goals. Suzuki made an impact on the power play, netting Montreal's fifth goal of the night and assisting Ivan Demidov on the sixth. With 12 games played, Suzuki shares Montreal's scoring lead in the postseason with Lane Hutson. He has produced four goals and eight assists. Strangely, all of his goals have come on the road.

May 15

Juraj Slafkovsky • LW • Canadiens

Juraj Slafkovsky Dishes Out Three Assists in Game 5 Win

Montreal Canadiens winger Juraj Slafkovsky demonstrated elite playmaking in Game 5 against the Buffalo Sabres on Thursday, finishing a 6-3 road victory with three assists. He recorded two power-play assists and helped Cole Caufield to finally get his first even-strength goal of the postseason. Having netted a hat trick in Game 1 against Tampa Bay, Slafkovsky became the first Montreal player in 16 years to register two three-point games during a single playoff run. The playoff opener against the Lightning ended up being Slafkovsky's only game with points in Round 1, but he's been much sharper in the second-round matchup with Buffalo, contributing one goal and five assists in five games. Yet Slafkovsky has managed only a single even-strength point throughout the entire postseason.

May 15

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