Dan’s Daily: Canadiens Sweep Jets; Jarry, Malkin Updates

While Dan is jet hopping today, you’re stuck with me. It’s feeling like 1993 for the Montreal Canadiens and for the Pittsburgh Penguins? Well, it’s feeling like goalie Tristan Jarry is going to get another shot to make next season feel more like 2009, 2016, and 2017.

PHN: As for the Pittsburgh Penguins, unless the John Gibson speculation from earlier in the season comes to fruition or Pittsburgh Penguins GM Ron Hextall can sign a proven goalie like Tuukka Rask – if he hits the free-agent market – you can throw away that rumor that the Penguins were actually thinking of exposing goalie Tristan Jarry. Or Evgeni Malkin. A team source confirmed to PHN on Monday…(read more)

Sportsnet: For the first time since they won their last Stanley Cup in 1993, the Canadiens have won seven in a row. After sweeping the Winnipeg Jets with a 3-2 overtime win in Game 4 of the North Division Final, Les Boys’ in the Bleu, Blanc, Rouge, are heading to the semifinals of the Stanley Cup Playoffs just two weeks after they fell down 3-1 to the Toronto Maple Leafs in the first round.

Canadiens winger Tyler Toffoli took a beautiful cross-crease pass from rookie winger Cole Caufield to score the overtime winner 1:39 into the extra frame.

“We’re proud. We worked extremely hard,” Montreal Canadiens center Philip Danault said. “Everybody is playing their best hockey at the same time. It’s great to see. We’re happy, but we aren’t satisfied. We want to keep winning. We’re having the time of our lives right now.”

So is the city of Montreal, which is just starting to reopen from COVID restrictions and is abuzz over that and their beloved Montreal Canadiens. Ole! Ole! Ole!

NHL & National Hockey Now:

PHN+: Could former New York Rangers Head Coach David Quinn be the solution to the Buffalo Sabres keeping Jack Eichel?

The AHL will be back up and running at full strength and playing for the Calder Cup again next season.

Colorado: After calling out his team’s effort in the last two games, Colorado Avalanche head coach Jared Bednar changed his tune on Monday and expressed confidence that his team can get it done and force a Game 7 with the Vegas Golden Knights.

Boston: After his team was the recipient of some soft calls (again) in the Boston Bruins Game 5 loss to the New York Islanders, Bruins head coach Bruce Cassidy absolutely went nuclear on the referees

Sound familiar? I know Dan pointed out similar in the Pittsburgh Penguins Round One series. The Bruins must now win Game 6 at Nassau Coliseum to force a Game 7 back in Boston.

NYI: They just keep winning. The Islanders took advantage of those aforementioned questionable calls and went 3-for-4 on the powerplay.

Detroit: Red Wings fans obviously want to get back to the glory days in Mowtown ASAP but at least they find the rebuild tolerable–for now.

San Jose: It was a rough season for the San Jose Sharks but at least forward Mario Ferraro got some Gold out of another losing season in San Jose. Ferraro was part of the Canadian squad that took home gold from the 2021 IIHF Men’s World Championship.