The Canadiens are far from being the favorites, Go Canada in Buffalo, and details on the GM position in Toronto

Charles-Alexis Brisebois
The Canadiens are far from being the favorites, Go Canada in Buffalo, and details on the GM position in Toronto
Credit: Minas Panagiotakis/Getty Images

Tonight, the Canadiens will play in Tampa Bay. It will be Game 5 of their first-round series.

The fact that the series between the Bruins and the Sabres is so intense is a good thing for a potential second round for the Montreal Canadiens.

But to get there, the Canadiens first need to eliminate the Lightning. It's going to take discipline to pull it off, as you know.

However, it's important to note that as of this writing, the Canadiens aren't exactly the favorites to eliminate the Lightning in the coming days.

Not really, actually.

According to the Polymarket website, Martin St-Louis's team currently has a 40% chance of advancing to the second round. That's only two out of five chances.

But then again, who believed the Habs would reach 106 points this season? It all comes down to what happens on the ice… and the top line needs to understand that.

A memorable moment in Buffalo

Yesterday in Buffalo, during the Canadian national anthem, the singer's microphone stopped working. Or at least, it went into “intermittent windshield wiper” mode, working whenever it felt like it.

The American crowd, however, stepped in to help.

Of course, it's worth noting that the Sabres are facing the Bruins in the first round. So there's no Canadian team in the series, but “O Canada” is still being sung.

This is always the case at the Sabres' arena, given Buffalo's geographical proximity to its northern neighbors. And it will obviously be the case as well if the Canadiens and the Sabres advance to the second round.

Some criticize the fact that the Canadian anthem shouldn't be sung if two U.S. teams are facing off… but the majority of people in yesterday's crowd clearly think otherwise.

It's a good reminder that not all Americans necessarily think like their president.

The Maple Leafs' GM

Appearing on the Oilers Now podcast, Elliotte Friedman discussed the Maple Leafs' GM situation. And right now, it seems likely that John Chayka will be named the team's GM.

However, this depends on the decision Mats Sundin makes. Remember, he's being considered for a major role, but we don't know exactly what that role will entail.

If Chayka and Sundin form a duo at the helm of the club, Chayka will need to have learned from his mistakes. After all, when he was the GM of the Coyotes, things didn't exactly go smoothly.

But since the Maple Leafs seem to want to rely more on advanced stats, Chayka is likely to be, for better or worse, their man moving forward.


In a nutshell

– Speaking of Toronto.

– Luke Mittelstadt is flying through the ranks in Laval. [RDS]

– Lane Hutson's shot changes everything. [NYT]

– Indeed.

– Story to watch.

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