Ivan Demidov was spotted with the three Russian players from the Hurricanes after Game 5

Michaël Petit
Ivan Demidov was spotted with the three Russian players from the Hurricanes after Game 5
Credit: Capture d'écran/Twitter

A crushing defeat and a five-game elimination in the conference finals is never a happy outcome for NHL players.

However, we have to look on the bright side: the Habs made it this far, they really didn't have it easy, the team is still very young, and they've made great strides this season.

Ivan Demidov, Oliver Kapanen, and Jakub Dobes all played their first full season in the NHL and looked very good.

For Demidov, it's hard to ask for more than what he did during the regular season. 62 points and 19 goals is certainly an excellent performance for a young player coming over from Russia.

Even though a bitter defeat led to the Habs' elimination, the bond between the Russian players in the NHL will always be very strong.

Journalist Chip Alexander, who covers the Carolina Hurricanes, spotted Demidov with the three Russian players on the Canes (Alexander Nikishin, Andrei Svechnikov, and Pyotr Kochetkov). The four Russians had a long chat together after Game 5.

The Montreal Hockey Fanatics website also mentioned this in a recent article.

It's worth noting that Demidov and Nikishin were teammates with SKA St. Petersburg.

It's also worth noting that Svechnikov and Demidov had dinner together this past winter.

It's still nice to see that despite the rivalry between the two clubs and a bitter defeat, they all got together to chat.

Obviously, Demidov is disappointed with the outcome of the game (and the end of the Habs' playoff run), but it must have still been special for him to share that moment with his compatriots.

The bond between Russians in the NHL is definitely very strong.

It was probably a comforting moment for #93 after being eliminated in five games.

Demidov, however, has nothing to blame himself for in his play throughout the season. He still racked up 62 points in 82 games without having adequate support on his line (aside from Juraj Slafkovsky when he was placed on his line during the season).

We can all agree that Oliver Kapanen, even though he scored 22 goals in his rookie season, is not a second-line center (at least not yet). In the playoffs, he was mostly paired with Jake Evans and Alex Newhook. Even though they are good players, they belong more on a third line.

Alex Newhook had an excellent playoff run (especially against Buffalo), but it takes more than that to properly support a young prospect as promising as Demidov.

Will Kent Hughes have to look to free agency this summer? If we say that the bond among Russians is strong in the NHL, could signing a Russian like Vladimir Tarasenko be a good option? He'll be a free agent on July 1 (if he doesn't re-sign with the Minnesota Wild).

KH has several options available, and I'm really looking forward to seeing what he does this summer.


In a nutshell

– Parayko would be a great addition for the Ducks.

– I'd be surprised if Nico Hischier left the Devils, but you never know.

– To be continued.

– Read this.

– What a great play by Okamoto.

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