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The Montreal Canadiens just missed out on the 2018-19 playoffs. What has the team done during the off-season to try and return to the playoffs for the first time since 2017? Let’s preview the Habs’ season: Notable Players In: Keith Kinkaid, Riley Barber, Phil Varone, Ben Chiarot Embed from Getty Images Notable Players Out: Tomas Plekanec, Antti Niemi, Jordie Benn, Adam Plant, Daniel Audette First Key Game: Detroit Red Wings – October 10th Odds to win the division 40:1 (5th overall) (via Betway) Is this a bet worth taking? This would be akin to many nights out in Montreal: you think ‘What do I haveRead More →

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Max Domi‘s ‘gutless’ punch on Aaron Ekblad in a preseason game can only mean one thing; fall will soon be here and we can all rejoice at the impending return of the NHL. Here at 4th Line Towers we can’t wait to watch some proper hockey again. This year we’re approaching our previews in a different way; the word count for each team’s preview has been dictated by the number of points that team scored last season. To further mix things up, we’ve divvied up the teams between our writers. Let the Atlantic division preview begin! Our other previews can be found here: Metropolitan Division 2018/19Read More →

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Putting it bluntly, the Montreal Canadiens are not on the upswing any time soon. General Manager, Marc Bergevin, has made few moves within the last few years that have benefited the historic franchise. Short or long term. The 21-time Stanley Cup organization has a monster opportunity at hand: the 3rd Draft selection. For most NHL teams, a top 3 selection could do wonders. But there is a problem: Bergevin rarely makes good decisions. The Habs are lucky to hold such power in the Draft but I cannot imagine fans are confident that it matters. Yesterday, I posted a poll on Twitter for hockey fans toRead More →

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There is only one predictable occurrence for the Buffalo Sabres as the NHL Draft approaches: selecting Rasmus Dahlin. Immediately, the course of the franchise will be altered due to the defenseman’s dynamic skill set. Acquiring Dahlin is similar to having a fourth, phenomenal forward on the ice. He can dance with the puck in a way many forwards cannot. Embed from Getty Images As important as the decision is with the first pick in the Draft, it will also be GM Jason Botterill‘s easiest. Dahlin will have an impact but as all know from the past season, the Sabres have holes galore. The worst goal-scoringRead More →

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It almost seems that every move by Marc Bergevin sets the Montreal Canadiens back 10 years. Big trades have been executed by the fifth-year General Manager, one being historically bad, leaving his team to be the equivalent of the Kansas City Chiefs: good in the regular season but cannot get it done in the playoffs. And when it appeared they were going to be on the brink, it got worse. At this point, the direction of the team, as a result of decisions by Marc Bergevin, should have the Molson family (majority owners) focusing on the next guy as improvement. Embed from Getty Images HowRead More →

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With all the hype that swallows up the NHL’s Entry Draft, it’s easy to forget the player who wasn’t quite good enough, in the scouts’ eyes at least, to be chosen first overall. This short series will be looking that the other guy; the fella who went second. We’ve already looked at Eric Staal, Tom Lysiak, Jason Spezza, Dave Babych and Trevor Linden, and as there’re 7 days to go until Christmas, here’s #97 in the 4th Line Podcast’s top 12 2nd Overall Picks. 7. Kirk Muller Embed from Getty Images Drafted 1984, New Jersey Devils Games Played 1349 Points 959 The 1984 Entry Draft gave us 18 players whoRead More →

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In: Atlantic Division
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After eight games played; the Montreal Canadiens have just three points from a possible 16. This is the team’s worst start since the points format changed after the 2004/05 lockout. Naturally there’s a lot of talk about how much trouble the team is in, but is this a blip? Or are the Canadiens actually in serious trouble? The team has scored just 13 goals and has a goal difference of -20. The least and worst in the league, at time of writing. Let’s compare the team’s paltry three points with previous seasons. To keep things simple, we’ll go back to the lockout. The profile view ofRead More →

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As the playoffs rumble on Joel, Joe and Mike are here to take a look at which players teams should protect from the upcoming Las Vegas Golden Knights expansion draft. Today, we’re looking at the Eastern Conference teams eliminated in round one of the playoffs. Click here and here to read about the teams that couldn’t even make it that far. While the Western conference surprised with which teams were knocked out, the east has been somewhat less exciting. Pittsburgh, Washington, Ottawa and New York all advanced while the Boston, Montreal, Toronto and Columbus all exited. Those latter four teams are the four we’ll be looking at, saving Joel’sRead More →

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Washington Capitals forward Alex Ovechkin and Montreal Canadiens goaltender Carey Price could easily be two of the best players at their respective positions to never win the National Hockey League’s biggest prize; the Stanley Cup. However, it is at no fault of their own. Let’s first take a look at Ovechkin. The Russian forward was the first overall pick in the 2004 NHL draft. He has been one of the most dominate players in the league netting 1035 points in his 12 year career. Ovechkin has set countless NHL records along with records for the Capitals. Yet, there has always been a thorn in hisRead More →

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The NHL season is less than 2 weeks old, which means that it’s much too early to jump to conclusions. But that has never stopped anyone. Auston Matthews scoring a hat trick in the first 21:25 of his NHL career meant that he was on pace 695 goals in the entire season. This would put him right ahead of Mark Messier for 8th on the all time goal list. Trust or bust: Auston Matthews will be 8th in career goals after this season. BUST. It’s that easy. What are some of the other early season successes and will they continue?   Vancouver Canucks: BUST AfterRead More →