The Montreal Canadiens have managed to instantly transform a last-place team into a club ready to battle the Carolina Hurricanes in the Eastern Conference Finals.

As a result, many other franchises are beginning to look to Montreal as a model worth emulating. Toronto Maple Leafs president Keith Pelley admitted that he underestimated the Canadiens, and was one of the driving forces behind Toronto’s decision to fire their general manager and head coach.

However, not every organization is a fan of what’s happening in Montreal.

According to Rotowire, the Canadiens are the most hated team in the United States, with several northeastern states leading the way.

Rhode Island, Massachusetts, Vermont, Maine, and New Hampshire are the states that Canadians hate the most, although there’s a good chance that some other states rank second or third.

Such is life when your fan base is much larger than everyone else’s.

nhl results

The Vegas Golden Knights were the most hated team in the NHL, with 11 states within their jurisdiction. The Colorado Avalanche finished second with eight states, while the Pittsburgh Penguins joined the Habs in third place with five states.

To be completely honest, the methodology is a bit strange. Rotowire didn’t ask real fans about their most hated rival. Instead, they based results on the most popular team in the area, proximity to other teams, and a few other factors.

The states Canadians list as ‘hating’ are Boston Bruins strongholds.

“We first identified the dominant fan base in each state based on market proximity, broadcast reach and where the real hockey culture lives. From there, we chose the team that draws the most condemnation using divisional rivalries, recent playoff history (2020 to 2025), the Original Six tradition and the universal-villain narratives that follow expansion success and dynasty fatigue. We ran this for all 50 states because hockey hatred in pro sports varies most regionally, and the answer says as much about hockey culture as it does the standings.“

The last time anyone actually polled fans, the Toronto Maple Leafs finished as the most hated organization by a wide margin, while the Canadiens were third.

Mark has been covering the Habs for over a decade. He previously worked for the Journal Metro, The Athletic, The… More about Mark Dumont

The Montreal Canadiens (6-5) will face the Buffalo Sabers (6-4) in Game 6 of their second-round series on Saturday, with puck drop scheduled for 8 p.m. ET.

The Habs swept the Sabers in Game 5 after Montreal and Buffalo scored four goals each in the first period.

In the middle frame, three consecutive goals from Josh Anderson, Jake Evans and Nick Suzuki put the Canadiens away from the Sabers in the third period.

In Game 5, Ivan Demidov paced the side by scoring on the power play just over three minutes into the third period, sealing a 6–3 victory for Montreal.

With a 3-2 lead, the series shifts back to Montreal where the Canadiens can punch their ticket to the Eastern Conference Finals.

It’s worth noting for Game 6 that Montreal’s first line finally broke through for a combined seven points on Thursday. Suzuki added two assists to his goal, Juraj Slafkowski provided three assists, and Cole Coffield scored his fourth goal of the playoffs.

Ivan Demidov has certainly made himself a factor on the scoresheet in this series, scoring a goal and two points in Game 5, giving him five points (1G, 4A) in the series.

From the blueline, Lane Hutson is providing on the scoresheet as well. After his second multi-assist game of the series on Thursday, Hutson is up to six assists in five games against Buffalo.

Possible Lineup Changes

As you already know, if Martin St. Louis If any lineup changes are made, he’ll keep them close to the vest. We probably won’t know until warmups, but will update here in the rare case he decides to reveal something.

The Sabers face an interesting dilemma. He gave the net back to Ukko-Pekka Luukkonen, but Lindy Ruff pulled him off Alex Lyon after allowing five goals. So who will be in Buffalo’s goal for Game 6?

Montreal Canadiens Projected Lineup

Cole Coffield – Nick Suzuki – Juraj Slafkowski

Alex Newhook – Jake Evans – Ivan Demidov

Alexandre Texier – Philippe Danault – Josh Anderson

Zachary Bolduc – Kirby Dach – Joe Veleno

Mike Matheson – Alexandre Carrier

Lane Hutson – Noah Dobson

Arbor Zekaj – Caden Guhle

jacob dobbs

jacob fowler

Buffalo Sabers Projected Lineup

Peyton Krebs – Tage Thompson – Alex Tuch

Jason Zucker – Konsta Helenius – Jack Quinn

Zach Benson – Josh Norris – Josh Doan

Jordan Greenway – Ryan McLeod – Beck Malensteen

Rasmus Dahlin – Mattias Samuelsson

Bowen Byram – Owen Power

Luke Shannon – Connor Timmins

Ukko-Pekka Luukkonen

Alex Lyon

How to watch Hubs Vs. sabers game 6

Montreal Canadiens vs. Buffalo Sabres, Saturday, May 16, 2026, will be broadcast on CBC, Sportsnet and TVA Sports. A quick recap with highlights will be available on SportsNote once the final whistle blows.

Additional NHL Playoff Analysis

James is the fully certified New Jersey Devils beat reporter for New Jersey Hockey Now on SportsNote and … More about James Nicholls

The Montreal Canadiens host the Buffalo Sabers on Tuesday night, looking to leave the Bell Center with a 3-1 series lead.

As expected, it was another tight battle, but the Habs only scored on one of the seven power plays given to them, giving the Sabers a 3–2 victory.

Let’s look at the highlights!

Ode to Newfoundland

The Sabers opened the scoring during another poor start from the Habs. Despite the many improvements the Canadiens have made since the start of the rebuild, they have still not been able to win in the first 10 minutes of every game.

The Sabers appeared to have taken a 2–0 lead, but a smart challenge from Martin Saint-Louis was successful, restoring the one-goal lead.

The challenge led to an immediate and noticeable increase in effort from the Canadiens, culminating in a goal from usual suspect Alex Newhook.

It was his sixth goal in the playoffs, and his fifth in only three games.

Newhook is the stick that is sparking Montreal’s offense, there is no doubt about that.

Another goal for Newhook!

#GoHabsGo The forward tied the game after a great pass from Jake Evans. pic.twitter.com/jYHncH9QWG

– Montreal Hockey Now (@MTLhockeynow) 12 May 2026

defend at all costs

Given that the Sabers decided to run rookie netminder Jacob Dobbs at full speed in Game 4, the Habs took no chances in Game 5, fiercely defending their most valuable player whenever traffic began to pick up.

The Habs are doing a good job guarding Dobbs, especially since the Sabers ran him at full speed in the last game.

Don’t take any risks with your current MVP. Protect him at all costs. #GoHabsGo pic.twitter.com/aR3xZPvTzp

– Montreal Hockey Now (@MTLhockeynow) 13 May 2026

star effect

After what can only be described as a soft call on Tage Thompson, Canadiens sniper Cole Caufield found the back of the net for the second consecutive game.

It was a powerplay goal, meaning he has yet to score at 5v5, but you can’t look like a gift horse, especially in the playoffs.

Caufield is heating up, and that’s nothing but great news for the Habs.

Cole Coffield makes it 2-1 #GoHabsGo Before the end of the first period!

A smart little deck opened the 5th hole. pic.twitter.com/RYTP1FUk0K

– Montreal Hockey Now (@MTLhockeynow) 13 May 2026

can’t win them all

All things considered, the Habs actually had good luck in the playoffs, but it was the Sabers who benefited from a very fortuitous surge in Game 4.

Tage Thompson’s shot bounced off the seam of the boards, hit Dobbs’ back and landed behind him, tying the game at 2 in the second period.

A random bounce leads to a Sabers powerplay goal.

Thompson’s luckiest goal ever.

2-2. pic.twitter.com/NfejYQgTSo

– Montreal Hockey Now (@MTLhockeynow) 13 May 2026

Penny Drops

Montreal deserves credit for using its speed wisely, but there is clearly something wrong when it comes to the Sabers in the second round.

They’re showing the type of discipline we’ve come to expect from the Canadiens, constantly taking penalties that are not only glaring, but completely pointless.

Fortunately for the Sabres, Montreal mostly failed to take advantage of the many power plays they were given.

While the Canadiens struggled to make the most of their power plays, the Sabers took a 3–2 lead via a goal by Zach Benson on the man advantage.

It was Buffalo’s second power play goal of the game, and a good reminder that special teams go a long way in ensuring playoff success.

Zach Benson gives Sabers lead in third period pic.twitter.com/8TDXytDUJe

– TVA Sports (@TVASports) 13 May 2026

To Dobbs’ credit, he played very well, despite the fact that the Habs swept the Sabres.

At 5v5, Buffalo had an 8-3 edge in high-danger chances in the first two periods. Montreal eventually generated a good amount of scoring opportunities of their own, but it was a matter of score impact, and the Sabers attempted to park the bus for much of the half period.

It was all in vain, as the Sabers managed to hold on to their fragile lead long enough to emerge with a 3–2 victory.

Jacob Dobbs, ladies and gentlemen! pic.twitter.com/wAnyaXHPg4

– TVA Sports (@TVASports) 13 May 2026

The Montreal Canadiens will be back in action on Thursday facing the Sabers in Buffalo. Puck drop is scheduled for 7pm ET.

All Montreal Canadiens stats are 5v5, via Natural Stat Trick, unless otherwise noted.

Mark has been covering the Habs for over a decade. He previously worked for the Journal Metro, The Athletic, The… More about Mark Dumont

The Montreal Canadiens are clearly one of the most exciting teams in the NHL, due to the fact that they are the youngest organization in the league.

And while they currently hold a 2-1 lead in their second-round series against the Buffalo Sabres, there is one particular number that has remained consistent.

Canadiens Star Players at 5v5

10 playoff games in, some of their most electric point producers have yet to find the back of the net at 5v5.

Juraj Slafkowski, who set a new career high with 73 points in 82 games in the regular season, has no points.

Cole Caufield, who finished second in goal scoring with 51 goals in the regular season, did not have any points.

Calder Trophy finalist Ivan Demidov has no points.

This is the type of situation that will sink most teams, especially teams like the Habs who rely on the first line.

However, thanks to key contributions from Zachary Bolduc, Alex Texier and Kirby Dach, among others, the Canadiens are not only moving forward, but they have offered back-to-back dominant performances against the Sabres.

Of course, sticking to 5v5 ignores their powerplay production, with both Caufield and Slafkowski scoring significant powerplay goals in Game 3, which is an indicator that they can eventually take turns at equal strength.

As head coach Martin Saint-Louis explained on Tuesday, powerplay touches can go a long way in restoring a player’s confidence once the man advantage is gone. He was talking about Dach in this particular case, but the logic also applies to Slafkovsky, Demidov, and Caufield.

Hear the team’s pregame comments ahead of tonight’s Game 4 against Buffalo

Tune in now for live pregame media ops ahead of tonight’s Game 4 against the Sabers #GoHabsGo https://t.co/GnwYezrnbJ

– X – Canadiens Montreal (@CanadiensMTL) 12 May 2026

depth value

Here’s how 5v5 production breaks down across the lineup. Zachary Bolduc leads the way with two goals and four assists, including Newhook, Dach and Texier.

If I had told you heading into the playoffs that the three players in question would go scoreless for 10 games at 5v5, you probably would have asked me how they could possibly avoid being eliminated in the first round.

And the answer is that the Habs have somehow managed to produce a hero every night, one who is not among the highest-paid players in the lineup, and one who does not enjoy playing on the first line.

In other words, the depth players have responded well beyond expectations given the circumstances.

All Montreal Canadiens stats are 5v5 via Natural Stat Trick.

Mark has been covering the Habs for over a decade. He previously worked for the Journal Metro, The Athletic, The… More about Mark Dumont

The Montreal Canadiens were in Detroit on Thursday night, facing the Red Wings in a game steeped in playoff fallout.

In the end, the Red Wings emerged with a 3–1 victory, and in the process won one of the most important games of the schedule.

Let’s look at the highlights!

To assault

Neither team managed to break the ice in the first period, as makeshift hockey was on the menu, although it must be said that the Canadiens did a better job when it came to creating high-danger chances. The Habs took a 5–3 lead on high-quality shots, including a great scoring opportunity for Juraj Slafkowski that was set up by captain Nick Suzuki.

Great pass by Suzuki to set up Slafkowski for a great scoring chance. #GoHabsGo pic.twitter.com/lDiteUfVI0

– Montreal Hockey Now (@MTLhockeynow) 19 March 2026

Powerplay threat

There is a saying in hockey that states that generating a penalty will result in a potential windfall.

Or, more traditionally, put the puck on net and good things will happen.

The Canadiens don’t exactly follow this adage, as they take fewer shots with the man-advantage than most NHL teams, despite having a top-10 power play.

On Thursday night, we got a prime example of the principle at work, when a low-quality shot from Cole Caufield bounced off John Gibson and went straight onto the blade of Slafkowski. The 21-year-old Slovak player made no mistake and scored his 25th goal of the year.

If we wanted to be pedantic, we could describe it as a quick pass by Caufield rather than a shot, but the point stands.

If you want to take a boat ride in the river, you have to go down the river.

This is an important lesson that Canadians should keep in mind moving forward.

More shots. Always more shots.

Juraj Slafkowski scored his 25th goal of the year #GoHabsGo 1-0 lead! pic.twitter.com/n1joZ5wiXQ

– Montreal Hockey Now (@MTLhockeynow) 20 March 2026

coaching ireland

The Red Wings tied the game in the third period when a point shot by Patrick Kane hit Jacob Dobbs and then deflected off JT Comfer on what, all things considered, was an innocuous play. However, Canadiens head coach Martin Saint-Louis was furious, with most of his anger directed towards Alex Newhook and possibly Ivan Demidov.

Martin was angry on the St. Louis bench after Red Wings goal pic.twitter.com/lDM4eP6F8q

– TVA Sports (@TVASports) 20 March 2026

one mistake too many

It was a tight contest, usually requiring a bad bounce or a bad changeup to decide the outcome. In this case, Mike Matheson provided a terrific layup that gave Detroit its first lead of the game with about three minutes left in the third period. Shortly thereafter they would score an empty-net goal to seal the win.

Brutal turnaround for Mike Matheson.

The Red Wings took the lead with about 3 minutes left in the third. pic.twitter.com/nvjaEoio8s

– Montreal Hockey Now (@MTLhockeynow) 20 March 2026

The Montreal Canadiens are back in action on Saturday facing the New York Islanders at the Bell Centre. Puck drop is scheduled for 7pm ET.

All Montreal Canadiens stats are 5v5, via Natural Stat Trick, unless otherwise noted.

Mark has been covering the Habs for over a decade. He previously worked for the Journal Metro, The Athletic, The… More about Mark Dumont

隨著 NHL 奧運會休息時間的臨近，這是討論蒙特利爾加拿大人隊下一波前景的絕佳機會。

為了建立我們的初步前景排名（該排名將在整個賽季剩餘時間進行更新），我們希望加拿大人隊球迷投票選出前 10 名 Habs 前景。

一旦球迷排名確定，我們將利用它們發布蒙特利爾加拿大人隊的前景實力排名，該列表重點關注各個前景的最新結果，以確定哪位年輕球員每週表現最好。

蒙特利爾加拿大人隊前景排名說明

這是一個簡單的過程，但我們需要您的幫助來建立我們的列表。

從下面嵌入的表格中選出蒙特利爾加拿大人隊的前 10 名新秀，並將他們排名在 1 到 10 之間，其中 1 是可用的最高排名。

請僅對 10 名玩家進行排名，否則您的提交將無效。

根據您認為他們在團隊的潛在客戶渠道中擁有多少價值來對他們進行排名。每列只允許有一個答案。

要獲得進入我們名單的資格，球員必須年滿 23 歲或以下。如果他們目前在 NHL 打球，他們就不再符合資格。誠然，這是一個任意的截止點，因為每個渠道對潛在客戶的定義差異很大，但目標是關注尚未在整個賽季的 NHL 中留下痕蹟的年輕球員。

換句話說，儘管萊恩·赫特森、伊万·德米多夫和尤拉伊·斯拉夫科夫斯基等球員都很年輕，有資格進入我們的排名，但他們不再被視為新秀，因為他們是全職 NHL 球員。

另一方面，雅各布·福勒曾效力於 NHL，但目前效力於拉瓦爾火箭隊，因此有資格進入該名單。

潛在球員按字母順序列出，守門員列在表格底部。與 AHL 簽訂合同的球員沒有資格。

根據屏幕的大小，您可能需要向右滾動才能看到最後幾列。

如果該表格在您的設備上無法正常顯示，您可以點擊此處直接訪問。

蒙特利爾加拿大人隊前景排名表

馬克報導棲息地已有十多年了。他之前曾在《Journal Metro》、《The Athletic》、《The Athletic》等雜誌工作過……更多關於馬克·杜蒙特 (Marc Dumont) 的信息