Montreal Canadiens news and notes
- Alexandre Texier and Ivan Demidov are prepared to be difference-makers in their second-line roles. [La Presse]
- The difference between the 2021 series versus the Tampa Bay Lightning and the one the Canadiens are about to start today is that Montreal has spent the past five years adding skill to the lineup through the draft, explains Phillip Danault. [RDS]
- Juraj Slafkovský on facing his friend, Erik Cernak, in the opening round: “I’m going to head into the corners against him, just like I’ll do against all the other Lightning players.” [NHL.com]
- How the Canadiens can beat the Lightning. [The Athletic]
- Goaltending will be a critical aspect of the series. [NHL.com]
- The Canadiens are the dark horse choice to win the Stanley Cup among first-round underdogs. [The Athletic]
- Martin St-Louis described the team as “confident” and “excited.” [NHL.com]
- St-Louis will join Brian Sutter as the only coaches to face the team in the post-season that retired their number as a player. [Journal de Montreal]
- A late rally wasn’t enough for the Laval Rocket to overcome a 4-0 deficit in a 4-3 loss to the Toronto Marlies on Saturday. [La Presse]
Around the league and elsewhere
- The Carolina Hurricanes shut out the Ottawa Senators to take a 1-0 series lead. [Sportsnet]
- A six-goal performance allowed the Minnesota Wild to rout the Dallas Stars. [Sportsnet]
- The Philadelphia Flyers stole home-ice advantage with a Game 1 upset of the Pittsburgh Penguins. [Sportsnet]
- Switching to defence at 16, it took Darren Raddysh a while to feel comfortable, but at 30 years old he’s begun to master the position. [La Presse]
- Victor Hedman has joined his teammates, but it’s unknown when or if he will return to the lineup. [La Presse]
- The Buffalo Sabres are expecting a loud crowd for their first home playoff game in 15 years. [NHL.com]
- Macklin Celebrini is keeping an open mind regarding what his next contract with the San Jose Sharks could look like. [NHL.com]
- Roger McQueen signed his entry-level contract with the Anaheim Ducks. [NHL.com]
- Cole Koepke signed a two-year extension with the Winnipeg Jets. [Sportsnet]
