Slaf’s face, Gally’s absence from practice, and Koivu’s military service

Charles-Alexis Brisebois
Slaf’s face, Gally’s absence from practice, and Koivu’s military service
Credit: X

We can all agree that right now, there's one photo in particular that's going viral on X whenever people talk about last night's game at the Bell Centre.

We're talking, of course, about Slaf's face.

Juraj Slafkovský, who couldn't believe his eyes when Zachary Bolduc was penalized more than he deserved, already suspected yesterday that his face would be everywhere. Literally.

And right now, that's exactly the case.

We can all agree that this photo is really funny. When people say you can communicate without saying a single word, this sequence is the ultimate proof.

The Slovakian didn't need to use words to make himself understood. Everyone got the message that he didn't respect the referees' call on the play.

And it makes for some great footage.

Where is Brendan Gallagher?

This morning, the Habs held a truly optional practice. The Laval Black Aces hadn't arrived yet, and the players who played yesterday were given the day off.

But Brendan Gallagher didn't skate with the others.

Why wasn't he with Oliver Kapanen, Patrik Laine, and Jayden Struble? It's a fair question since it's not a game day. So, no clues here for Game #4.

We'll see…

Update on Aatos Koivu

Saku Koivu's son, Aatos, isn't the most prominent prospect in the Canadiens' organization. If he weren't the son of the former captain, he wouldn't be very well known.

But now we have an update on him: as reported in an article by Agence QMI, the prospect will remain with TPS Turku for another year.

We likely won't see him in Montreal this summer (he'll have to complete his military service), and perhaps he'll finish the 2026–2027 season with the Rocket next spring. But that's only if the stars align.

In the meantime, don't hold your breath.

Since Koivu didn't make much of an impact in 2025-2026 and the Habs have their hands full, I don't think anyone would mind seeing the young player stay in Europe. To be honest, I don't know if we'll ever see him here.

We'll have to wait and see.

At the rate things are going in the NHL, I'm almost convinced Saku has a better chance of ending up in Montreal than his son. After all, Mats Sundin and (potentially) the Sedin brothers are taking up more space in the offices of their former clubs.

I'm just joking: I don't think that's part of the Habs' plans.


In a nutshell

– What explains the Rocket's loss?

– Note this.

– Check it out.

– A tricky situation.

– Jakub Dobeš is getting a lot of praise.

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