標籤: important

The Montreal Canadiens (6-5) will take on the Buffalo Sabers (6-4) in Game 5 of their second-round series on Thursday, with puck drop scheduled for 7 p.m. ET.

Even though the Habs managed to beat the Sabers in Game 4, they failed to take advantage of many power play opportunities, scoring just once in seven chances.

Meanwhile, the Sabers took advantage of two of their four power plays and won 3–2 in the process.

It was far from a perfect game, but there were many positives worth discussing.

The first is that despite the lack of goals at 5v5, the top line enjoyed a legitimately great outing. They controlled more shots than in any other playoff game, controlling over 70% of shots, high-danger shots and expected goals.

With that in mind, it’s getting a little late in the season to discuss the healthy process. The first line is playing better, but the Habs need goals from their best players, not just solid underlying numbers.

Simply put, the Canadiens will not advance to the Conference Finals without the regular 5v5 contributions of Juraj Slafkowski, Nick Suzuki and Cole Caufield.

But for now, the cart is being put before the horse.

If the Canadiens are to return to the Bell Center with a 3–2 lead in the series, they will need a complete team effort in Game 5, including solid play from their various defensive pairings. The duo of Mike Matheson and Alexander Carrier have struggled in the playoffs, although it must be said that they have been facing very high quality competition.

It is important to note that the winner of Game 5 in a series tied 2–2 will win the playoff series 80% of the time, making this the most important game of the year for the Canadiens.

Possible Lineup Changes

Head coach Martin St-Louis doesn’t like to announce roster revisions publicly, meaning we’ll have to wait until pre-game warmups to confirm any changes to the Canadiens’ lineup.

If the Habs want to bring a little more energy and chaos into the mix, they need to look no further than forward Brendan Gallagher. Yes, he’s the oldest player in the organization, but he’s also well rested, has played brilliantly in the three games he’s played, and few other players around the league are willing to put their bodies on the line in the service of their teams, at least not at the same level as Gallagher.

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 5

Montreal Canadiens vs. Buffalo Sabres, Thursday, May 14, 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

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 (4-4) will face the Buffalo Sabers (5-2) in Game 2 of their second-round series on Friday, with puck drop scheduled for 7 p.m. ET.

The Habs dropped Game 1, although the 4–2 scoreline was slightly favorable to the host Sabres, a team that had scored four goals on its first nine shots. That doesn’t mean they didn’t deserve to win the game, but there were some key factors that suggest Montreal might have better luck in Game 2.

The first line, in particular, had an encouraging game, which is important, as Nick Suzuki, Cole Caufield and Juraj Slafkowski have had a very hard time making an impact at 5v5. And as we all know, a team without a functional first line is barely a team, especially in the playoffs.

With that in mind, we shouldn’t overlook Suzuki’s impact, as he currently leads the Canadiens with seven points in eight games.

Buffalo Sabers captain Rasmus Dahlin on Habs captain Nick Suzuki:

“I think he’s got the whole package. He can score, he’s foul foul and he can play defense. He’s just a legitimate first line center in this league, so he really definitely deserves that (Selke) nomination.” pic.twitter.com/59feGVCZzC

– /r/Habs (@HabsOnReddit) 8 May 2026

Montreal also received significant and regular offensive contributions from its depth players, which was a recurring theme in April and May. This certainly wasn’t the case for most of the regular season, but fans certainly won’t be looking a gift horse in the mouth at this point in the schedule.

Players like Kirby Dach, Alex Texier and Josh Anderson have done wonders to complement the goal output, including a stellar individual effort from Dach in Game 1.

Very good! What a goal from Kirby Dach! #GoHabsGo pic.twitter.com/S70CqWC9Fn

– Montreal Hockey Now (@MTLhockeynow) 7 May 2026

Possible Lineup Changes

The Canadiens did not practice Friday or make their players available to the media.

Given that this is the playoffs, any changes to the lineup will have to be confirmed after the teams take the ice for pre-game warm-ups.

Head coach Martin Saint-Louis seemed quite satisfied with his team’s performance in Game 1, suggesting there will not be any major changes in Game 2.

However, don’t be surprised if he revises his third pairing and fourth line, with Jaden Struble potentially replacing Arbor Zekaj while Joe Velano makes way for Brendan Gallagher.

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

Caden Guhle – Lane Hutson

Arbor Zekaj* – Noah Dobson

jacob dobbs

jacob fowler

Buffalo Sabers Projected Lineup

Peyton Krebs – Tage Thompson – Alex Tuch

Jason Zucker – Ryan McLeod – Jack Quinn

Zach Benson – Josh Norris – Josh Doan

Jordan Greenway – Tyson Kozak – Beck Malensteen

Rasmus Dahlin – Mattias Samuelsson

Bowen Byram – Owen Power

Logan Stanley – Connor Timmins

Alex Lyon

Ukko-Pekka Luukkonen

How to watch Hubs Vs. saber

Montreal Canadiens vs. Buffalo Sabres, Friday, May 8, 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

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

Eight days into his tenure with the New Jersey Devils, the real work has begun for new general manager Sunny Mehta.

Mehta has a long list of items to address this offseason, and when you think about it, he doesn’t have two months to prepare between now and the 2026 NHL Draft.

There are a lot of important questions that need to be answered if New Jersey is going to reach the tipping point Mehta believes they will. More information on the above questions is given in the link below.

Elsewhere, Detroit is having a fire sale? Buffalo charges, and Pittsburgh is backed into a corner.

Devil’s Trade Rumors and News

New Jersey Hockey Now: There is no exaggeration in the fact that this offseason could be one of the most important in franchise history. Sunny Mehta has outlined his work with his newly inherited team. Here are eight key questions regarding an important offseason for New Jersey.

📺 devil’s rink report: So, what priorities will Mehta face as he steps into his new role as general manager in New Jersey? We break it down in the latest Devils Rink report.

Full episode here 👇🏼

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NHL Trade Talk, News and National Hockey Now

Buffalo hockey now: Josh Norris couldn’t get any break. The Buffalo Sabers forward missed Game 3 due to injury, while their exciting rookie returned to the lineup.

Forever Blueshirts: The New York Rangers rookie explains that it’s easier to get into the NHL than it is to stay in the NHL. Jim Cerny explains that he should accept the challenge.

Athletic ($): Connor McDavid avoided the worst with a potential injury. However, so far, the Anaheim Ducks have kept him off the scoresheet. Chris Johnston says now comes an even bigger question.

Pittsburgh hockey now: The Pittsburgh Penguins are on the brink of elimination and their backs are against the wall. Trailing 3-0 in Game 4, one of their key players knows what it’s like to overcome that hurdle.

Detroit hockey now: Is there a Devil’s Trade partner available? Detroit Red Wings GM Steve Yzerman says no one is untouchable.

Montreal hockey now: Mark Dumont breaks down which Montreal Canadiens forwards are performing well in the playoffs and which defensemen need to step up.

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

Sunny Mehta is living his dream as the general manager of the New Jersey Devils.

He himself had said this in his opening statement.

“First and foremost, I really want to thank David Blitzer, all of Devils ownership, Josh Harris and Bob Myers, Tad Brown for hiring me not only today, but 12 years ago,” Mehta began. “I can definitely tell you that my career wouldn’t be the same without these people. And it’s a thrill. To be honest, it’s a dream to be back here.”

The local boy has come home – where he previously worked as Director of Analytics – but now in a very different role.

However, he has returned before. When the Florida Panthers won the Stanley Cup — in both 2024 and 2025 — Mehta brought Lord Stanley back to his days in New Jersey with the trophy.

For Mehta, it’s always been New Jersey.

It was here that he fell in love with hockey. It was here that he fell in love with devils. And that is why he is in this position today.

There was not a single revelation in Mehta’s initial press conference. This is the 48-year-old officers’ second day on the job. He revealed that he has had at least one conversation with everyone in the organization, including the coaching staff and every player on the roster.

What it revealed was that their optimism stemmed from some of the parts the Devils already had.

“I’m extremely optimistic about this team,” Mehta said. “We have a lot of talented players, and I really believe that these talented players are going to reach a turning point and get over that hurdle. It’s my job to make sure this roster continues to be filled with the amount of talent needed to be a championship team, and I intend to do that.”

And while that’s all well and good, it’s the results that will speak the loudest.

So, what was the biggest takeaway from his introductory press conference?

Everything is under evaluation

Mehta decapitated the snake at the beginning of his introductory press conference. He explained to everyone and everything working under him is for evaluation.

It starts with Sheldon Keefe – who was present at Mehta’s introductory press conference – and extends to Nico Hischier, Simon Nemec and Arseny Gritsyuk.

This also extends to his personal cabinet, assistant coaching staff and scouting department.

“As far as the short term is concerned, moving forward, there is going to be a period of evaluation for all the players, coaches and staff,” Mehta said. “No decisions are made on anything related to him. As for David.” [Blitzer] As indicated, this is literally day two for me.”

So, there is no answer today as to who will be the head coach when the puck drops in September. And no, we don’t know the level of urgency to lock down some key pending free agents.

However, we will soon find out.

Worth noting is that when he was asked who he wanted to be like as GM, Mehta said, “I want to be like Sunny Mehta.”

In a copycat league, that’s definitely the right mindset to have going into this position.

expense for cap

The story is that the Devils owners are cheap and don’t spend where necessary.

Uh, have you seen the net worth of Harris Blitzer Sports & Entertainment Enterprises?

With Devils co-owner David Blitzer in attendance, he answered the question everyone, including Mehta, wanted to hear.

In fact, Mehta sat on his chair as soon as he heard the answer. There is no bond on the new Devils GM. He is free to spend as he sees fit.

“It’s fair to say that we intend to spend up to the limit,” Blitzer explained.

We’ll see how it looks in the offseason. However, this is not the strongest crop of free agents. This does not mean that Mehta cannot work for top talents in the trade market. It is interesting to note that there is no restriction on this.

However, Mehta’s gutted reaction to Blitzer’s answer was obvious. It’s clear he’s excited to scout the Devils roster and put his fingerprints on it.

familiar territory

Yes, Mehta grew up in Wyckoff, New Jersey, after moving to the Garden State at the age of four. Sure, he played high school hockey in Ramapo, New Jersey.

However, that’s not why Mehta is in familiar territory as the Devils’ new GM.

Mehta arrived in the Florida Panthers organization in 2020 as vice president of hockey strategy and an analyst. The Panthers were still in turmoil. They finished the season with a 35–26–8 record, and lost in the qualifying round of the playoffs during the second half of the COVID cutoff season.

However, since that time Mehta has helped the Panthers become two-time Stanley Cup champions. Still, not without some changes. Mehta is looking to do the same thing for the Devils.

“I see a lot of similarities [in New Jersey’s roster] Because when I got to Florida, they were going through some tough times recently,” Mehta said. “But they had some very talented players. There are some things we need to keep and some things we need to change.”

After consecutive first and second round exits, Mehta played a hand in sending key players Jonathan Huberdeau and McKenzie Weegar to the Calgary Flames in exchange for Matthew Tkachuk in a blockbuster deal.

That’s when the culture of Florida changed.

The Panthers then made their second appearance in the Finals, but ultimately lost to the Vegas Golden Knights in 2023. And then, they became consecutive Stanley Cup champions in 2024 and 2025.

“I think the biggest thing is that I was already involved in that decision-making process, I was fortunate that I got a chance to work under my last boss, Bill Zito. Our backgrounds were a little different, in the sense that he went into law, I went into finance. But, he’s also a guy who grew up in hockey like me, and he’s also a guy who never played professionally. But I think that’s Bill’s biggest strength, and the fact that he’s a group of guys in Florida. Our biggest strength was the idea of having a diverse group of different people with hockey backgrounds and different perspectives. Bill did a phenomenal job of gathering those different perspectives and coming to a decision, and that’s what I intend to do here.

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

New Jersey Devils win general manager free agent frenzy.

Sunny Mehta was named Devils GM on Thursday evening. Mehta wanted devils. And the devils wanted him.

The stars aligned with it.

Mehta, an analytical guru, will bring a fresh perspective to the position left by former GM Tom Fitzgerald. Said approach begins immediately.

The Devils have a long list of things to address ahead of the 2026 NHL Draft and free agent frenzy.

So, where does he start?

Decision on Sheldon Keefe and coaching staff

First and foremost, Mehta will have to decide whether Sheldon Keefe will remain as head coach.

Keefe made a case for himself during the 2025–26 regular season with a healthy Jack Hughes in the lineup. New Jersey went 14-10-1 after the Olympic break. Before Hughes’ injury, the Devils were 11–4–1. If you remove the sandwich from the season when Hughes was injured that’s a combined 104-point pace.

Did he rely sufficiently on the powers of New Jersey? Certainly not when Hughes was out, nor when he was less than 100%.

The question becomes, can they get enough value from the rest of their roster if Hughes gets injured again in the future?

It depends on Mehta.

The rest of the coaching staff is also not in trouble. The power play and penalty kill were mediocre. The goaltender, namely Jacob Markstrom, was hit or miss – and most of the time, Markstrom missed.

Most, if not all, of the support staff were working on expiring contracts. Mehta will soon evaluate the work and decide whether to renew or not.

strengthen his cabinet

Mehta joins fellow assistant general managers Martin Brodeur, Dan MacKinnon and Kate Madigan.

It is unlikely that Brodeur—perhaps the most famous devil of all time—will be relieved of his duties. However, would Mehta want to surround himself with forward thinkers like him?

These are decisions that can come later. We know there are GM positions open in Nashville, Toronto, and as of this morning, Vancouver.

With only so many positions to fill, candidates can remain in their current roles, or look for something new if they wish.

Would Jamie Langenbrunner like to work for the organization he used to captain? How about Brett Pietersen? Does he want to continue working with Mehta after working together with the Florida Panthers?

If true change is going to happen, bringing in like-minded managers like Mehta will definitely turn things around.

Evaluate the scouting department

Fitzgerald has a poor track record in the draft.

They performed well alongside names like Luke Hughes, Lenny Haminaho and potential stud goaltender Mikhail Yegorov.

Simon Nemec is still in question as to his draft status, but it looks like this could work out. However, players like Logan Cooley and Cutter Gauthier—who had just scored 40 goals—were there for the taking. An argument can be made that he still misses out on the second overall pick in 2022.

And that’s exactly it. A large number of upsets and misses by Fitzgerald in key draft positions, such as when he selected Alexander Holtz and Chase Stillman, have hurt today’s roster.

What is depth scoring? Well, substitute Logan Stankoven for Stillman or Seth Jarvis for Holtz and maybe you’ll find out.

Mehta needs scouts he can trust to find gems outside the first handful of players. And he knows how to find them himself, advocating for Jesper Bratt when the Devils drafted him in 2016, when Mehta was head of the analytics department.

Sort out the major pending free agents

The Devils have three major contract issues they can address this summer.

Two, they have no choice. Arseniy Gritsyuk is a pending restricted free-agent. He is another man who chose to come to the devils and the devils chose to have him. His first NHL season after making a name for himself in the KHL was spectacular. In fact, it got so good, even Jack Hughes sees it as an original part.

He loves New Jersey, and New Jersey loves him. This should be easy to solve.

Perhaps the namecheck will be a little more difficult to sort out. The 22-year-old defenseman took a step forward this season, but you can still see where he lacks.

Offensively, the touch is there. He scored 11 goals in 68 games this season and found a clutch level the Devils could use.

However, there are still questions over his play defensively. It is reported that he could start by asking for a contract similar to Luke. Sure, he won’t be able to do that, but how far can Mehta bring down Namek and his camp?

And, of course, the captain needs a new deal on July 1, 2027. Does Mehta want to let that narrative continue for an entire season? Find out how far Hischier does or doesn’t want to commit to New Jersey and that decision will be made as soon as possible. The longer this goes on, the worse it will be for the devils.

address dougie hamilton

And finally, Mehta will have to address the Dougie Hamilton situation.

The Devils defenseman has not spoken publicly since December 17, when speculation arose that he had rejected a trade, and then allegations of a trade being made public by his agent.

It was later confirmed that Hamilton declined a deal that would have sent him to the San Jose Sharks.

It seems quite clear that Hamilton is unhappy with the current situation. Can Mehta improve it?

Or, does it give him a reason to move out of the $9 million cap hit that will give him the flexibility he needs to be a top-six forward?

One thing is certain. Clarity is needed with Hamilton. Either he is staying or he is going. Any uncertainty will only increase tension.

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

Former FC Twente boss Marino Pucic has revealed that he received an offer from Arne Slot to join them liverpool In 2023.

Pusic, who is now managing Al-Jazeera in the United Arab Emirates, revealed that Slott had contacted him after his first season at Shakhtar Donetsk.

But despite the prestige of a move to Liverpool and the chance to be reunited with Slot, Pusic walked away from the opportunity.

“Arne asked if I wanted to join him at Liverpool. I considered it a great honour, but it didn’t feel right to leave.” Pusic told Voetbal International.

Why did Pusic say no to Liverpool?

Marino Pusic’s decision wasn’t about football. Instead, it was his loyalty to Shakhtar, a club operating under the unimaginable stress of war, that made him feel the times had become impossible.

During his two years at the club, he guided Shakhtar through a period he describes as emotionally overwhelming and uniquely demanding.

He said, “No club in the world has performed as well as Shakhtar during the war: one national title, two national cups and thirteen points in two Champions League campaigns.”

Players and staff were regularly faced with news of loved ones killed in the conflict. Puzik said that in those moments, coaching became something deeper than strategy.

“You’re talking about life and death together. That’s how you build a close relationship.”

Love of slots for Dutch coaches

Arne Slot’s approach to reuniting with Marino Pusic is not at all surprising. The pair worked together successfully at Feyenoord before Slott transferred to Liverpool in 2024.

Slott then hired Jonny Heitinga as his assistant, then replaced him with Giovanni Van Bronckhorst when Jonny Heitinga left for Ajax the previous year.

He also wanted to take Etienne Rejan with him to Anfield. But the Feyenoord assistant could not get a work permit, which ultimately led to Heitinga’s arrival.

Sander Westerveld also asked Slott to contact Puzik again When it came to replacing Heitinga last year.

Now Puzik has admitted that the offer was there at one time. However, he could not turn his back on Shekhar at that time.

What does this mean for liverpool

Marino Pusic’s revelations have added a fascinating footnote to Arne Slot’s early recruitment plans at Liverpool.

He was clearly someone Slott had great confidence in, enough to move him into one of the biggest jobs in world football. Had he accepted, Liverpool’s backroom team would look very different today.

In fact, last season could have been very different. Many credited his replacement Heitinga for playing a key role in their title success last season.

Instead, Pusic decided to remain loyal to Shakhtar, a decision he apparently does not regret.

The Washington Capitals (39-30-9) playoff chances took a big blow on Sunday night. They lost 8–1 completely against the last-place New York Rangers (33–36–9) at Madison Square Garden.

The Capitals looked to be in good shape after upsetting red-hot Buffalo on Saturday. However, a second period collapse and lack of coverage led to a significant loss on the road.

After the Rangers took an early 1–0 lead, Connor McMichael scored the only goal for the Capitals to tie the score at 1–1. The first period looked to be a more competitive contest.

Unfortunately, the second period is when the wheels completely came off for the Capitals. The defense broke down and Rangers surrendered five goals.

It was also a tough night for Charlie Lindgren, who had lost his last 10 games and was playing his second consecutive half. The 32-year-old netminder finished the night by stopping 24 of 32 shots.

With the loss, the Capitals are now three points behind the second wild card spot in the East and third place in the Metropolitan Division. Next, Washington will look to bounce back when they visit Toronto on Wednesday night.

capitals analysis

After Connor Sherry opened the scoring, Tom Wilson played a nice pass to McMichael for a breakaway goal to tie the score at 1–1. Unfortunately, that first period matchup was really the only highlight of Washington’s offense all night.

The middle structure is when the capitals became completely separate. First, the Rangers went on the power play as JT Miller deflected a rebound. Then, Will Cooley scored on an even play by going backdoor and redirecting the puck past Lindgren.

Quayle scored his second goal, beating Lindgren from the right circle and making the score 4–1 Rangers. Adam Sikora then capped the blowout with a one-timer and Adam Fox’s shot through traffic resulted in a power-play goal.

The Rangers led 6-1 at the second intermission as the Capitals had no answer. The defense looked shaky and Lindgren struggled in his first game since March 12.

Early in the third, Vincent Trocheck beat Lindgren in the five-hole to cut the Rangers’ lead to 7–1. Then, with 31.5 seconds remaining, Quayle fired away from the slot to finish the night with a hat trick.

The Capitals were so disappointed with the results that three players left the opposition. Jacob Chychrun, Brandon Duhaime and Hendricks Lapierre were all given five-minute majors.

While the Capitals had recently been successful based on individual gains, their struggles made a sudden return. The team went 0-3 on the power play, as they failed to create chances.

capitals report card

Team: F

The performance of the Capitals, who are trying to keep their playoff hopes alive, has been absolutely disappointing. That second period is further proof of this.

Charlie Lindgren 😀

It didn’t help that Lindgren sat out the last 10 games for Logan Thompson. The netminder looked lost in the net as he conceded eight goals.

Capitals Special Teams: F

Somehow, the Capitals’ special teams struggles returned in the worst way possible. The team went 0-3 on the power play and gave up two goals on the penalty kill.

Harry Lichtman is an award-winning journalist who covers the Washington Capitals for SportsNut. He also contributes to the sites… More about Harry Lichtman

The Charlotte Hornets may not be quite there, but they have arrived as a winless team in the Eastern Conference. Since the beginning of the 2026 calendar year, the Hornets have posted the fifth-best record in the NBA at 27–12. Their strong performance this year continued on Tuesday, as they swept the Sacramento Kings and demolished them with a 134-90 victory.

Making the jump from bad to good isn’t as easy as the Hornets are making it out to be. But under the tutelage of head coach Charles Lee, they are doing just that. They have made a habit of winning and never let their foot off the gas pedal – which explains their historic average margin of victory this season.

After the game, Lee explained what makes Why the Hornets are so good and why they are so dominant whenever they are on victory lane.

“Every play is meaningful, every possession is meaningful,” Lee said via HornetsReddit.

🎙️ Charles Lee: “Every play is meaningful, every possession is meaningful.”

“To see that group compete at the end of the game and see the way they communicated… it shows, from up and down the roster, the level of commitment, everybody’s ‘care factor’ is really high.” pic.twitter.com/Dy8yijDNQE

– r/CharlotteHornets (@HornetsReddit) 25 March 2026

The Hornets enjoy embarrassing other teams, and this killer mentality of theirs bodes well for their chances of making the jump from good to great in the coming years.

The entire Hornets roster has been purchased

The Hornets have been one of the best teams in the NBA over the past few months, and it’s no coincidence. Lee’s team is playing for each other every single game, and the team is humming as a result.

Charlotte has one of the best starting five players in the association (LaMelo Ball, Kon Knueppel, Brandon Miller, Miles Bridges and Moussa Diabate), and their bench team consists of Ryan Kalkbrenner, Coby White, Zion James, Josh Green and Grant Williams, who are playing their roles in the team.

The Montreal Canadiens hosted the high-flying Carolina Hurricanes on Tuesday night, aiming to secure two very important points in the race to qualify for the playoffs.

It was far from a perfect game, as shown by the fact that rookie netminder Jacob Dobbs had to make over 40 saves, but in the end, Montreal was able to pull out a crucial 5–2 victory.

Let’s look at the highlights!

Nap first, hockey later

The Canadiens had a very bad start.

Or, to be more accurate, they failed to perform as the Hurricanes immediately jumped out to a 2-0 lead.

However, we’ve become accustomed to hubs requiring a certain amount of adversity before waking up, which is exactly what happened on Tuesday night.

Rookie Oliver Kapanen got the Habs on the board midway through the first period by scoring his 21st goal of the season.

A redirect from Kapanen keeps us on board!

A Kapanen redirect gets us on board!#GoHabsGo pic.twitter.com/8MIDiy773m

– Montreal Canadiens (@CanadiensMTL) 24 March 2026

you know who

Mister Saturday Night is somewhat of a misnomer. Yes, it’s true that Cole Caufield loves to score on Saturday nights, but he also enjoys scoring on days ending with ‘y’.

Caufield scored his 44th goal of the year early in the second period to tie the game, with the usual suspects, Juraj Slafkowski and Nick Suzuki getting their names on the scoresheet via assists in the game.

Tie, courtesy of Cole Caufield!

Tie game, courtesy of Cole Coffield!#GoHabsGo pic.twitter.com/mCLMqy0Zvz

– Montreal Canadiens (@CanadiensMTL) 25 March 2026

It appeared that Caufield had scored his 45th goal of the season moments later, but it turned out that the puck had deflected off Slafkowski before going in.

Nonetheless, the goal, which was Slafkowski’s 28th of the season, gave the Canadiens a delicate 3–2 lead heading into the second intermission. For the record, the Canadiens were outshot 26-15 in 40 minutes of play.

Habs take lead on Juraj Slafkowski’s goal pic.twitter.com/leCjB4Rkxw

– Sportsnet (@Sportsnet) 25 March 2026

rookie effect

With pressure mounting late in the third period, rookie Ivan Demidov capitalized on his breakaway opportunity with aplomb, putting the game out of reach.

As you can see in the video below, Demidov was clearly thinking about scoring a goal before the actual breakaway, and once he made his way into the offensive zone, it was already too late for the storm.

Gives up a great goal from Ivan Demidov on a breakaway #GoHabsGo Two goal lead! pic.twitter.com/RjfmwJeET5

– Montreal Hockey Now (@MTLhockeynow) 25 March 2026

The Montreal Canadiens will be back in action on Thursday, facing the Columbus Blue Jackets at the Bell Centre, with puck drop scheduled for 7 pm 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 Oklahoma City Thunder received an encouraging update regarding forward Jalen Williams as he recovers from a hamstring strain.

Thunder head coach Mark Daigneault recently indicated that Williams is making progress in his rehabilitation. The update was reported Saturday by OKC Thunder Wire’s Clemente Almanza on X, formerly known as Twitter.

“Mark Daigneault says Jalen Williams is making ‘progress’ in recovery from hamstring strain.”

Williams, 24, has been sidelined since February 11. His most recent appearance came in Oklahoma City’s 136–109 win over the Phoenix Suns. In that game, Williams gave one of his most efficient performances of the season, recording 28 points, five assists and four rebounds.

He shot 11 of 12 from the field, 4 of 5 from the free-throw line and converted both of his three-point attempts during 20 minutes of play. The performance helped the Thunder earn a dominant win before Williams’ injury absence began.

Thunder continue seven-game winning streak as Jalen Williams works toward comeback

Williams is currently in his fourth NBA season and remains a key part of Oklahoma City’s lineup when healthy. In 26 games this season, he has averaged 17.5 points, 5.4 assists, 4.7 rebounds and 1.3 steals per game. He is shooting 47.9% from the field, 31.3% from three-point range and 83.3% from the free-throw line, while averaging 29 minutes per contest.

Even during his absence, Oklahoma City continued to grow. The Thunder finished atop the Western Conference with a 52–15 record and entered their next contest with a seven-game winning streak.

The Thunder will attempt to extend that run on Sunday when they conclude a four-game homestand against the Minnesota Timberwolves, who enter the matchup with a 41-26 record. The game is scheduled for 1:00 pm ET and will be broadcast on ABC.

Williams’ continued progress could give Oklahoma City a timely boost as the team heads toward the postseason.

With the Miami Heat getting a crucial 128-120 win against the Charlotte Hornets on Friday night, the team will be led by star performances from Tyler Herro and Bam Adebayo. Just as Herro’s sensational night for the Heat set the tone with Adebayo, it would be Jaime Jacquez Jr.’s performance that was eye-opening in more ways than one.

While Jacquez has had an impressive third season, making him one of the candidates for the NBA’s Sixth Man of the Year award, the 25-year-old has recently displayed a new aspect that could be a permanent part of his game. As the UCLA product finished the game with 21 points on eight of 13 shooting from the field with four assists and two rebounds, he also made four of six shots from three-point range.

This will be the second time this month that Jaquez has made more than one three-point shot in a game, the last time Jaquez made multiple deep shots was on Jan. 19, before last Tuesday’s win over the Brooklyn Nets where he made two. Friday saw Jacquez get hot from beyond the arc, as his game involves getting into the paint or downhill from mid-range, he will be asked if he is specifically focusing on his deep shooting.

“No, not really. I’m just trying to continue my game,” Jacquez said via the team’s YouTube page. “And if I get shots, I just shoot them. I work on my threes every day. It’s something I constantly try to get better at. And shooting is not linear. You’ll have ups, you’ll have ups and downs… so just keep shooting with confidence.”

Heat’s Erik Spoelstra on Jaime Jacquez Jr.’s improvement

While the Heat is preparing for the playoffs, the team invites Jacquez to add another aspect to his game, but the player himself will say that this season, he focused too much on his three-point shot during the fall of his sophomore year. His strength is his downhill attack, if the three ball can be complimentary, it could work in Jaquez’s favor as head coach Erik Spoelstra talked about this improvement.

“I think it’s just a byproduct of Jaime being a great competitor. Does that mean he’s going to shoot four-on-six every night? I don’t know, but he wants to make an impact. And you have a game that feels like, Jaime is going to put his fingerprints on the game in some way or another,” Spoelstra said.

At any rate, Jaquez and Miami will look to continue that in the next game on Sunday against the Detroit Pistons.

Montreal Canadiens general manager Kent Hughes met with the media on Friday afternoon following the NHL trade deadline, which resulted in no deal for the Habs.

According to Hughes, the Canadiens had the outlines of a potential deal, however it fell through in the final minutes of the deadline.

“We spent a lot of time on one case in particular,” he said. “And it came down to the wire, but that doesn’t stop us from revisiting it in the summer.”

Without trying to read too much between the lines, it seems like the Habs were actively involved in a trade for a player like Robert Thomas or Vincent Trocheck, two talented centers who should still be available in a trade after the regular season and playoffs are over.

When pressed for more details about a potential deal, Hughes once again pointed to the possibility that a trade could be completed in a matter of months.

He said, “I’d love to answer, but maybe you’ll find out in the summer.”

As far as pending unrestricted free agent Patrik Laine is concerned, Hughes suggests that despite all the trade talks approaching the deadline, he won’t be a distraction moving forward.

Hughes explained, “Patrick is part of the team like the other players, he’s not a distraction.” “I expect Patrick to be available for the team based on the decisions made by the coaches.”

If the Habs had pulled off a significant trade, Hughes noted that it would likely have resulted in other trade dominoes falling.

“We had some things that would have happened if the deal we were working on had gone through,” he said. “Yes, it was an important business for us.”

Montreal Canadiens Brass Tacks

As for the lack of action, Hughes reminded fans that the team actually made some big deals earlier in the season, including the trade that brought star defenseman Noah Dobson to the Canadiens.

“I think our players are happy to be here and they’re happy with the group,” Hughes said. “They are not unaware of the fact that we have taken significant steps since the end of last season to improve our team.

“Part of the message to the group is that we like these players, we have good hockey players, and we have good hockey players that are not playing.”

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