Andersen is a question mark, but no need to panic—Slaf is here, and the Cup is coming to Montreal

Raphael Simard
Andersen is a question mark, but no need to panic—Slaf is here, and the Cup is coming to Montreal
Credit: YouTube

When it comes to analyzing goalies, who better than Stéphane Waite, the former goaltending coach for the Canadiens?

Today, on 98.5 Sports, Waite takes a closer look at Hurricanes goaltender Frederik Andersen. The Dane has had an excellent playoff run, but he may just be lucky.

He didn't play well during the regular season, and now he's finally facing a strong team in the playoffs. For such a powerful team, he finished the regular season with a 3.05 goals-against average and a .874 save percentage. He's due for a slump, and if he were the Hurricanes, Waite would be worried.

Waite believes the 16-day break won't do him any good. He'll be rustier than his teammates.

The former Habs coach isn't the only one who thinks the Canes' weak link is the goalie.

Danny Dubé (98.5) isn't convinced he'll be as good against Montreal as he was against Ottawa and Philadelphia. Simon Boisvert (Mathias et le Serpent) and José Théodore (98.5) think the series will be decided in front of the net.

No panic for Juraj Slafkovsky

Juraj Slafkovsky had a dream night in Game 1 of the 2026 playoffs, scoring a hat trick, including the game-winning goal in overtime.

Since then, he's been a bit quieter. Did Max Crozier's hit and the fight with Brandon Hagel leave their mark on him? Maybe…

Chris Nilan has stepped in to calm the excitement surrounding the young Slovakian.

He reminds us of his age and that he only had five playoff games of experience last year, among other things.

I expect him to bounce back against the Hurricanes.

He finished with five points in three games against Carolina this season.

Montreal wins the Cup (Walter)

What a hockey year for the Montreal teams.

The Canadiens are in the Eastern Conference Finals, and for the first time in its history, the Victoire has won the Walter Cup, awarded to the best team in the LPHF.

Montreal won in four games against the Ottawa Charge. Remember, it's a best-of-five, not a best-of-seven.

They are the second professional hockey team in Quebec to win a title in the 21st century.

The Lions won last year in the ECHL.

In the convincing 4-0 victory, Abby Roque scored a superb goal.

Marie-Philip Poulin, who won the Playoffs MVP trophy, couldn't hold back her emotions.

You could hear the “Olé Olé Olé” chants in Ottawa.

Will the Canadiens, who congratulated the Victoire, be able to follow in the women's team's footsteps?


In a nutshell

– Nick Suzuki needs to step up in five-on-five play.

– Indeed.

– Stay tuned.

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