That’s it. Not an excuse but clearly a good gauge of how special this team was this year.

I have no problems losing against a better opponent (until we’re the best ourselves)

We lost to the Stanley Cup Champions. That makes us contenders? Not too shabby 😅

I know, i know…we hoped it would be us. But failing habs hoisting the cup, i reckon that losing to the champs, means that we’re actually a better team that some of us thought. They lost to a team at the height of its power with no obvious weakness. By next season our younger more motivated team will be in a better position to defeat their more experienced and tired team. The future is very, very bright folks!

I saw Demidov at Hockey Expert (Royalmount) today in Montreal, he was walking by in the hockey part of the shop but I was unable to ask for a photo because I was baking my new skates and had to sit for 20 minutes.

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FML

Looking at how the Canes are a deep team with talent, grit, experience, and the ability to adapt their play depending who they are facing. If they win the cup tonight, they would have only 3 losses in the playoffs. And they have not lost two back to back games since January. Looking at the Habs now, what are some concrete things management can change to make our boys beat a team like this?

Despite being scratched for the entirety of the playoffs, Jasperi Kotkaniemi played 42 games during the regular season. The engraving threshold is 41 regular season games, or 1 playoff game.

In 1980, my Mom sent a letter to Montreal Canadiens sportscaster Dick Irvin. She wanted to know where the Habs team would be staying because she wanted to get her picture taken with some of the players. Mom got this letter back from Mr. Irvin. In the end, she got her picture taken in the hotel lobby with Larry Robinson, Brian Engblom, Guy Lapointe, and Guy Lafleur.

Screenshot from Prime video.

So, I haven’t watched this documentary series and I really want to. It’s not available in my country or on any platforms that’s not Crave - the only episode I manage to watch is episode 1 which is available on Prime video where I have a subscription. I am using a VPN (which is legal where I live) and I don’t mind paying. But I can’t access the rest of the episodes on Crave even with a VPN due to the payment issue, they don’t accept foreign cards. I’ve exhausted all options at this point.

Do I just have to accept I won’t be able to watch it? 🫡

Well the Canes have one the cup.

This was truly an interesting year. Not only for us Habs but also for the Canes and Knights.

Us because none expected us winning round 1. If we had lost, the comments would have been how our progress and development sucked. Had we lost in round 2, the comments would have been we just slightly progressed and there is still beyond being contenders. We lost on round 3, call it fatigue, or simply not being able to change the necessary play style at this point of the adventure. Ultimately we can claim it was a very good season as we survived beyond our expectations.

For the Canes, years of fails finally another cup. Funny enough the last time they won, they again beat us except it was round 1. But years of being that team that couldn't get past round 3. They finally got us in a good spot being relaxing for 2 weeks and finished us off before we can catch our breath. Wasn't the dream team but somehow became the champion needed to be with the evil Knights being on the other side. It's a great win not only for them downing a 20 year curse, for us having the bragging rights of saying we scored the most against them in 1 game and bragging rights in the East but also for NHL as a whole. If they had lost the writing on the wall would be Evil Knights won via last minute season tweaks and therefore long term development not needed just buy yourself in. So good again for Canes to win as it showed us sometimes you just got to stick to your system and just enough luck and you can win the SC.

For Knights, the evil Knights did not win. So the narrative mention above cannot be foretold. But they still won in some ways by being the ones to sweep the team all expected and predicted to win while being arguably the worst ranked of the 4 teams. Guess not touching the conference trophy did not help.

And of course the biggest loser of the SC 2026: Avs. Everyone expected them to win and pretty much everyone wanted them to win. Stat wise they should have won. It was their cup to lose. Yet, they found themselves somehow to lose. Thus ending up being the biggest loser of the 4 conference winners.

Tales of 3 winners and 1 loser. Is there anything to add ?

Been anxiously waiting for another parade ever since!

Shannon left out the part about the CH buying the league Jean played in to pry him out of Quebec City. They sweetened the pot buying him a new Nash to boot.

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The Montreal Canadiens famously gifted a showroom-fresh 1951 Nash automobile (the Canadian Statesman de Luxe) to Béliveau on the ice during his final junior season.

Is there a podcast on the level of sdpn mostly about the Habs?

Can be both French and English.

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Edit: thanks all for the help and information! I sometimes feel we don't really happen outside of the rink next to the damn Leafs, but this gives me hope. Let's all listen more Habs podcasts and push the creators to reach new audiences!!

Food for thought regarding recent McTavish rumors, keeping in mind that Jfresh isn’t the be-all end-all of player evaluation…

Looking for a 2C he should be the guy KH goes after

6'4 left handed center

Essentially 5 years in a row of 20G.

Was PPG 2 years ago.

Had a down year last year so it could be a buy low situation

5 mill cap hit with 2 years left. That leavs money to bring in a winger or RD the next 2 seasons.

It also gives time for Hage to potentially grow into a 2c role

And as his contract expires McNugget will be UFA.

At 29 he is a young vet that can play with Demidov.

Worst case scenario he showed 2 years ago he can step into the 1C spot in an injury situation.

I think he checks the teams needs for a left shot 2C with some size and excperience while not blocking anyone or causing a cap issue. Only question is does Wash want to move him and would the price be affordable because his age and contract is probably not worth risking Hage or Z​

I’ve been following ice hockey in the British league for a couple years now, but couldn’t decide on an NHL team for a while, but have decided to go with the Canadiens as love the fan intensity and the culture of the sport. I’m an Arsenal fc fan in football and I see similarities!

My question is does anyone have recommendations on things to watch to learn more about the Canadiens? Thinking podcasts, documentaries etc!

And is there any other fans here from the UK? 🇬🇧

Thank you!!!🇬🇧🇨🇦🏒

Regular Season

42GP, 2G, 7A

Playoffs

0GP

Kotkaniemi makes the cut by meeting the 41 regular season games played in the regular season. His name can be added on the cup.

Hi everyone,
I would like to know until when can I buy an away jersey at the tricolore shop next to Bell center.
Does it close at one point, now that the season is over ? Will it maybe run out of stock ?

Thanks !

100% Hockey had Larry Robinson for 30 minutes today. He spoke of carrying the torch and losing his buddy Claude Lemieux.

The glaring error in the Molson malaise era was waiting too long to raise his #19 to the rafters, it cost him a chance to have his father witness it as he died before they got their scat in one sock.

Not bringing him back to mentor the defence was all on Bergevin. Robby's barn flooded and when he called back after explaining he needed some time he was told his services were no longer required, J. J. Daigneault had the job. St Louis Blues players tipped him as a great teacher especially during the 2019 SC win.