Tuesday Habs Headlines: The Hero They Needed

Montreal Canadiens News and Notes

• Signing Ilya Kovalchuk was a gamble, but it's paid off handsomely for Montreal. [TSN]
• The Habs aren't just fighting time and other teams in their attempt to make playoffs, they're fighting the construction of their own team, which is built for steady progress, not an electrifying sprint. [The Athletic]
• The Habs were forced to mostly cancel practice as the flu works its way through a roster desperately trying to stay healthy. [Canadiens]
• In case you missed it, with Price among those out sick, Cayden Primeau has been called up from Laval. [Twitter]
• Join Max Domi and his merry band of teammates at the Skill Competition. [Twitter]

Around the League and Elsewhere

• The battle of Alberta continues as the "stick-flip” causes as much outrage amongst the Oilers as the bat flip did in baseball. [Yahoo | Sportsnet]
• While the rivalry...heats up between the Flames and Oilers, it's also creating bonds within the individual rooms. [Sportsnet]
• As far as we know so far, there won't be NHLers at the 2022 Olympics, but if the NHL changed their mind, who would go? [TSN]
• Jack Eichel swears the Sabres won't fall off a cliff as they have in the past. [Yahoo]
• The Toronto Maple Leafs suffer a blow as Frederik Andersen is injured against the Florida Panthers. [NHL]
• Although many, if not most, Canadians consider hockey to be their sport, evidence suggests that the sport is on the wain. [Part 1 | Part 2]
• Alex Ovechkin is already vaulting past all-time greats, and is among those in the 700-goal club. Other members don't think he'll be there long. [NHL]
• P.K. Subban has had a rough season, but is trying to stay positive. [NHL]
• Wille O'Ree feels that while hockey (and the world) is moving in the right direction, it's still got a long way to go. [CBC]