Montreal – It feels like there’s more Montreal Canadiens news every hour, and we’re all bound to miss a story or two. On Sundays, we always recap relevant NHL news you may have missed, to help you stay in the Canadiens loop.
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Montreal Canadiens News and Notes
- Elliotte Friedman officiated in the first round series between the Habs and Lightning. Or more precisely, they immediately discussed a penalty, which at first seemed imaginary, but was actually a legitimate penalty on Oliver Kapanen. In this particular case, I would argue the point was that the referee’s hand did not go up until Dominic James oversold the contact moments later. Either way, the Canadians cannot focus on umpiring in this series, as it is a factor they cannot easily control.
Here is the Kapanen penalty.
When I saw it…I thought there was an obvious high-stick above the hashmark – and those penalties were being called all series. Obviously, the Canadiens (and their fans) feel the hand was raised late or an actual penalty was ignored/missed. pic.twitter.com/fTgS9coIzm
– Elliot Friedman (@FriedgeHNIC) 27 April 2026
- Even though the results on the ice at 5v5 have been less than ideal, Lane Hutson has done a great job when tasked with defending star players 1v1.
Lane Hutson defending Nikita Kucherov 1v1: pic.twitter.com/UAXZVeFxvs
– Montreal Hockey Now (@MTLhockeynow) 27 April 2026
- Lost in the shuffle over the weekend, the Canadiens re-assigned defenseman David Rickenbacker to the Laval Rocket (AHL). The Rockets’ playoff push begins on Wednesday, with a series against the Toronto Marlies on the menu.
The Canadiens have loaned defenseman David Rickenbacker to the Laval Rocket.
– X – Canadiens Montreal (@CanadiensMTL) 27 April 2026
- Members of the organization who met with the media on Monday included Alexandre Texier, Alex Newhook and head coach Martin St-Louis.
Follow Canadians’ media availability
Tune in now for live Canadian media ops #GoHabsGo https://t.co/cZHoLurSSf
– X – Canadiens Montreal (@CanadiensMTL) 27 April 2026
- The Habs are now one game away from advancing to the second round of the NHL playoffs. Veteran Brendan Gallagher was again included in the lineup, and he made an immediate impact by scoring the opening goal of the game. Kirby Dach and Alexandre Texier provided the other goals in a vital 3–2 win. [Canadiens Highlights: Gallagher Leads Way In Huge Win]
- Rookie netminder Jacob Dobbs was great, stopping 38 of 40 shots sent his way, including nearly 10 high-danger saves.
Rookie netminder Jacob Dobbs made 38 saves to secure the win #GoHabsGoIncluding 10 high-threat defenses! pic.twitter.com/2rvoPaCHjR
– Montreal Hockey Now (@MTLhockeynow) 30 April 2026
- Defensive defenseman Lane Hutson had another outstanding game. It should also be noted that he has maintained his ridiculous production rate in the playoffs. The phenom has registered his name on the scoresheet 10 times in 10 games of his career.
NHL game score impact card for Montreal Canadiens on 2026-04-29: pic.twitter.com/9Iaw9UTCwU
– hockeystatcards (@hockeystatcards) 30 April 2026
- While the Canadiens were taking a series lead against the Lightning, the Laval Rocket were busy doing the same in the AHL. Laval beat the Toronto Marlies 3-1 on Wednesday to take a 1-0 series lead. Florian Czekaj, Joshua Roy and Samuel Blais scored for the Rockets, while Kaapo Kakkonen made 20 saves to ensure the win.
Florian 🚨 1-0 pic.twitter.com/SxI6DRC2NO
– xy – Rocket de Laval (@RocketLaval) 29 April 2026
- The entertainment factor is through the roof when it comes to this Lightning Fan Crash.
This Tampa Bay Lightning fan is in shambles right now pic.twitter.com/diDdhqL1wB
– /r/Habs (@HabsOnReddit) 30 April 2026
- That’s not the case anymore, but there was a time when some doubted whether Lane Hutson’s impressive production would translate to the NCAAs. And then he questioned whether he could do it in the World Championship. And World Juniors. In the nhl. And finally, the playoffs. At this (very early) point in his career, there is little left to prove.
Lane Hutson (10 GP) scored his 10th career playoff point and required the fewest games by a defenseman to reach the mark. @CanadiensMTL history, besting Chris Chelios (13 GP). #Stanley Cup
TUNE IN 🇺🇸 (@ESPN 2), 🇨🇦 (@sportsnet, @TVASports), 🌍: https://t.co/dT34F4MhkC pic.twitter.com/uIVGxEiKkL
– NHL Public Relations (@NHLPR) 30 April 2026
- Sniper Cole Caulfield is one of the finalists for the Lady Byng Memorial Trophy, which is awarded annually to the player in the league who displays the best type of sportsmanship throughout the season. In 81 games played, Caufield accumulated only 14 penalty minutes. [Caufield Among Finalists For Lady Byng Memorial Trophy]
- The French call of Alexandre Texier’s game-winning goal is absolutely brilliant.
Alexander texiiiiiier#GoHabsGo pic.twitter.com/8mu7JfXdNn
– The Icebreaker (@TheIcebreakerFR) 30 April 2026
- Veteran Brendan Gallagher had his mother on his mind when re-inserting him into the lineup on Wednesday. Considering how much he has sacrificed for the franchise, it was a fitting start to their playoff run from the perennially underappreciated forward.
Brendan Gallagher on his playoff goal in tonight’s Habs win:
“For me, I think about my mother. I think about the people in my life who mean a lot to me. There’s a little moment where you enjoy it and you think about those things, then you get back to playing the game.” pic.twitter.com/KJ1iuPh1Zt
– /r/Habs (@HabsOnReddit) 30 April 2026
- Unfortunately for the organization, the Laval Rocket also dropped their playoff game, losing 6–2 to the Toronto Marlies. Laval actually established a 2–0 lead midway through the first period, but the Marlies’ four powerplay goals were too much to handle. [AHL]
- One of the main reasons the Canadiens have been able to keep up with the Lightning is because of the play on the team’s third line. Or is this his fourth line? Either way, Alexandre Texier, Kirby Dach and Zachary Bolduc are scoring at a first-line pace. [Caufield Among Finalists For Lady Byng Memorial Trophy]
- Caufield, one of the players who has struggled at 5v5, was quick to send his praise.
Cole Coffield on Bolduc-Dach-Texier’s Habs line today:
“They’ve been unbelievable. For them to be able to see the puck low low and see a lot of the puck in the O-zone, it definitely helps our whole team. I think everybody has stepped up in their own way and brought more… pic.twitter.com/FaqV2hy9po
– /r/Habs (@HabsOnReddit) 1 May 2026
- As for Bolduc, he is one of several young players in the province who were inspired by the experienced Brendan Gallagher.
When he was just a kid, Zachary Bolduc (left in photo) went to an autograph session in Trois-Rivières.
Who was giving autographs that day? Brendan Gallagher.
Today, not only are they teammates, but Zachary Bolduc told me this… pic.twitter.com/7BXNMB7HTj
– Anthony Martineau (@Antho_Martineau) 1 May 2026
- Gallagher is appreciative of the support he has received since returning to the lineup.
“I really appreciate the support I get from my peers!” -Gallagher pic.twitter.com/iWbaHIfT6o
– TVA Sports (@TVASports) 1 May 2026
- With all due respect to Henrik Lundqvist, the game clearly lacks respect for Jacob Dobbs. Sure, he’s a rookie, but you could argue he’s done just as good a job as the veteran Andrei Vasilevskiy.
.@HLundqvist Revealed his Eastern Conference hackings 👀 pic.twitter.com/X8pIEEZXN1
– NHLonTNT (@NHL_On_TNT) 30 April 2026
- big bill It truly epitomizes what it means to be a member of the Montreal Canadiens.
Apparently after being named the first NHL Conn Smythe winner on this day in 1965:
Initially Jean Beliveau did not like the trophy very much nor was she very keen on having photographs taken with it, as it was a silver replica of the Maple Leaf Gardens. https://t.co/aHY4VtnDZp pic.twitter.com/3Laa5oKALw
– /r/Habs (@HabsOnReddit) 1 May 2026
- Noah Dobson skated on Friday, and by all accounts, it looks like he’s as close as possible to returning to the lineup. There were also some whispers that he was almost cleared to play in Game 6.
noah dobson on ice #hubs Morning skate after missing the first five games of the playoff series vs. the Lightning due to a thumb injury. pic.twitter.com/2rmifJ6dOw
– Stu Cowan (@StuCowan1) 1 May 2026
- Juraj Slafkowski decided to take a shot at Max Crozier, who was taken out of the lineup for Game 6.
Juraj Slafkowski on running into the Lightning’s Max Crozier in Game 4 today:
“He got a good hit. Good for the guy. He doesn’t play a lot so maybe that makes him play a little more. Gotta take it, it doesn’t matter if I get a hit or anything, it’s (about) how I come back. I just… pic.twitter.com/0NRLsMnSO7
– /r/Habs (@HabsOnReddit) 1 May 2026
#Caufield #Trophy #Finalist #Depth #Scoring #Laval












