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I have a story straight out of the '80s to tell you.
Once upon a time, two Quebecers and a Newfie headed to Buffalo. The two Quebecers helped the Habs force overtime, and the Newfie scored the game-winning goal in his second straight game.
No, the story isn't funny, but it's damn fun to hear it told like that! And it will continue to unfold over the next few days between North Carolina and Quebec.
My Toxic (CH) Relationship
If I had to define my current relationship with the Canadiens, I'd say it's complicated, even toxic. One day, this team makes me proud and takes me on an emotional rollercoaster, and 48 hours later, I'm almost ashamed of them because they've hurt me so deeply. On Saturday night, I felt humiliated, nothing less. For two days, I couldn't bring myself to believe in the Habs' chances of winning Game 7. Then, this team did it. Again! Even though their tank seemed empty for the past few days…
Could they really have blown Games 6 and 7 when they were leading by two goals in each of them? The summer would have been (very) long.
I love them, I push them away, I love them again, I'm disillusioned, I give them another chance…
Even today, I'm not quite sure how to feel emotionally about Round 3. The Hurricanes (8-0 and well-rested) are heavy favorites, but I love my team, its resilience, and its youth.
Except that the top line isn't producing up to expectations (or their respective salaries). And they aren't defending as well as they did during the regular season.
But guys like Alex Newhook, Lane Hutson, Jake Evans, Phillip Danault, and Zachary Bolduc are stepping up. And what about Jakub Dobes, who looks like a veteran goalie making $10 million a season?
Let's wrap up last night's game
No, the Canadiens wouldn't still be alive this morning without the brilliance ofJakub The Dobes Cup. The Czech was sensational… both during the game and after the match. To think he was the team's #3 goalie back in December… and that a reporter had even dared to ask him about a possible return to Laval!
If it weren't for Dobes, all we'd be talking about this morning would be Josh Anderson and Alexandre Texier's missed breakaways.
Is he a flash in the pan? Will he be able to keep up the pace for a few more weeks? Will he be the Canadiens' #1 goalie for 10 years? What will Jacob Fowler's role be in the medium term? Many questions remain unanswered. We'll see.
Except there's one question I found the answer to overnight: yes, Jason Zucker deserved a two-minute penalty for his collision with the Montreal goalie. He never tried to avoid him. The NHL needs to be tougher on this kind of contact.
It deserved a 2. This angle is conclusive.
pic.twitter.com/1LhKzSradB
— Maxime Truman (@MaximeTruman) May 19, 2026
And don't tell me Dobes is faking it! He's dropping to the ice as fast as he can to prevent something from tearing in his knee. Those kinds of hits are extremely dangerous for a goalie who's already on his knees.
The GM of the Year Not Nominated
Jakub Dobes and Alex Newhook have been showered with praise over the past few hours, and it's fully deserved. However, I'd like to take a moment to give some to Phillip Danault… and Kent Hughes.
Danault didn't have an “obvious” season, especially in Los Angeles and during his first games in Montreal, but he's been playing some really, really big hockey since the start of the playoffs. He has six points in 14 games, along with a +4 plus/minus rating.
As for Kent Hughes, over the past 12 months he's truly added key pieces to his young roster: Noah Dobson, Alexandre Texier, Zachary Bolduc, Joe Veleno, and Phillip Danault (in exchange for next to nothing, except for Dobson). Lane Hutson's contract extension is also worth mentioning (even though Hutson may have played his worst game of the playoffs last night). Just like Matheson's! Both guys played over 31 minutes last night!
I still can't believe Bill Guerin (the Wild are out), Pat Verbeek (the Ducks are out), and Chris MacFarland (the Avalanche are a powerhouse) were all named instead of Kent Hughes.
It's as if the East were weaker than the West, which isn't the case…
Only four remain
Only four teams out of 32 remain in the race for the Stanley Cup: the first-place team in the regular season standings, the second, the sixth, and the 13th.
The Canadiens eliminated the fourth and fifth seeds and will now face the second. We've seen “easier” paths before, let's put it that way. Like the Hurricanes' run in the first two rounds, for instance…
It's worth noting that the four teams still in the running this morning are: Montreal, the former Whalers, the former Nordiques, and the team that took Quebec's spot in the expansion draft. Quite something…
The standouts against the Sabres
When you look at the advanced stats from the last seven games, you realize that the Habs' top scorers have been Alex Newhook, Jake Evans, Ivan Demidov, Kirby Dach, and Zachary Bolduc. If I'd told you that would be the case before the season started, you would've told me the Canadiens wouldn't have the edge over the Sabres, right?
Final series impact card for the Montreal Canadiens after beating the Sabres 4-3 pic.twitter.com/7upuENuSmj
— HockeyStatCards (@hockeystatcards) May 19, 2026
Lane Hutson, Alexandre Carrier, and Jakub Dobes also had a strong series.
I'll say it again: if Noah Dobson, Cole Caufield, and Juraj Slafkovsky can start playing up to expectations (and their salaries), the Habs could pull off another upset in the next round.
It remains to be seen what physical condition the Habs players are in. After 14 playoff games, it's a safe bet that several players are nursing serious injuries…
And let's just say that Alex Newhook's comments after yesterday's game about the upcoming series don't exactly fill me with confidence.
“We're going to do our best.” – Alex Newhook
We've heard more confident statements before, let's just say…
Tickets in Carolina: Hurry, there are deals
Are you one of the most passionate and dedicated fans… and do you have a few days off (and a few hundred dollars) to spare? Heading to Raleigh to watch the Habs take on the Canes might be right up your alley.
I know, you still have to factor in the flight (or the drive), but you won't find tickets this good for the same price in Montreal. Just getting into the Bell Centre will cost at least $600!
