🏒 While the media — hockey media included — loves to build up the next big thing, let’s take a breath on the Montreal Canadiens hype. Yes, the Habs have piled up 45 wins. Sounds impressive — until you look a little closer. Only 32 of those wins have come in regulation time. The other 13 required overtime or a shootout.
No surprise, really. With a roster full of quick, skilled smurfs, Montreal is built to thrive in 3-on-3 hockey and breakaway contests. But here’s the part nobody’s talking about: there is no 3-on-3 in the playoffs. Overtime reverts to full 5-on-5 hockey — where time and space disappears. If you get there at all.
So, before we award Lord Stanley’s mug to Montreal in advance, it’s worth noting one simple fact: after 77 games, the Canadiens have won in regulation just 32 times — about 41% of the time.
🏒 The Lost-Vegas Golden Knights are clearly no strangers to smoke-and-mirror magic shows. The latest illusion? Firing Stanley Cup winning coach Bruce Cassidy in favour of hot-headed retread John Tortorella. Funny how that move just happened to line up with games against three Pacific Division soft spots — Vancouver, Calgary, and Edmonton — a division recently dubbed the “Pillow Fight Division” by Connor McDavid. So yes, Torts is off to a “great” start, and Vegas management can pat itself on the back. But when the playoffs hit, reality returns. Tortorella can’t fix the fact that this same “brilliant” front office failed to secure a reliable goalie. Nor can he magically make one of the league’s slowest teams suddenly “play fast” as Torts has been demanding. But at least we get to watch Tortorella go bonkers and turn six shades of blue behind the bench.
🏒 Think back to last fall, just before the 2025–26 season began. Show of hands — who had Buffalo, Pittsburgh, Philadelphia, and Anaheim sitting in playoff spots on April 6? And who had Florida, Toronto, the Rangers, New Jersey, and Washington already dusting off their golf clubs in early April? Hands down now… we don’t believe you.
🏒 Oh goody — playoff time. Also known as face-wash season. Once the puck drops in the post-season, players feel obligated to gather after every whistle and go through the ritual: gloves-on face washes, half-hearted choke-holds from behind, and the usual “your mother wears army boots” chirping sessions. The NHL could end this staged nonsense tomorrow if it wanted to — first offender gets a solo trip to the box. But they won’t… because they don’t.
🏒 If the league’s insiders are to be believed — cough, cough, wink, wink — Brad Treliving marched into the Leafs’ front office and said, “If you’re going to fire me, fire me now.” To which MLSE boss Keith Pelley supposedly replied, “Okay, you’re fired.” Meanwhile, former Islanders bench boss Patrick Roy is left wondering, “Hey… I didn’t even ask. What gives?”
🏒 And finally, a modest proposal for NHL GM of the Year voters: just give the Jim Gregory Award to former Buffalo GM Kevyn Adams—fired roughly 15 seconds before his hand-picked roster suddenly blossomed into a playoff team for the first time in 15 years. Please, oh please. Just this once. Do it.
