Alex Newhook

Martin St-Louis stares down another gut-wrenching lineup choice as the Canadiens return from break with too many healthy bodies fighting for spots. He slots Alex Newhook back into the power play mix, leaving Zachary Bolduc on the outside looking in after a solid run. St-Louis calls it a good problem in a rebuilding roster now brimming with talent, but these decisions test even a coach who's mastered the art of tough love.

Macklin Celebrini notches his 30th goal and three assists while the Sharks blow a three-goal lead only to claw back for a wild 7-5 win over Montreal. Alex Newhook bags a pair for the Canadiens, who rally with three in the third before Kiefer Sherwood's power-play dagger seals it late. This barnburner snaps Montreal's seven-game point streak and keeps San Jose rolling with three straight, testing Martin St. Louis' maturity talk in a season where every point shapes the playoff push.

The NHL steps in with a rare scoring tweak following a wild Devils-Sharks clash that had everyone buzzing in the league's war rooms. Officials combed through the tape on a flurry of late goals, including those clutch markers from Newhook and Sherwood that flipped the script in the third. This kind of change doesn't happen without serious stakes, especially when playoff positioning hangs in the balance for two teams clawing their way up the standings.

The Ducks ride a scorching hot streak into Honda Center tonight, hosting a Canadiens squad still buzzing from Newhook's two-goal outburst in their shootout loss to San Jose. Anaheim's home dominance has been unreal lately, with nine wins in their last 10 at the pond, while Montreal's haunted by eight losses in nine trips here. This first meeting of the season carries playoff-like stakes for two teams jockeying in the standings, and the over is screaming given both sides' recent fireworks.

Newhook steps up big time after the whistle in San Jose, dropping nuggets that only a guy who's been grinding through this league for years would know. The Sharks locker room buzzed with that postgame electricity where truths slip out and agendas get exposed. Front offices across the NHL tune in for these unfiltered takes because they often signal bigger moves brewing before the deadline hits.

Martin St. Louis shakes up the Canadiens lineup after that gut-wrenching OT loss to the Islanders, slotting Zachary Bolduc and Jayden Struble back in against a surging Washington Capitals squad that's won three straight. The 23-year-old Bolduc, who's notched 10 goals this season, returns after making room for Alex Newhook, while Struble brings his steady defensive game to the mix.