This edition of the Hidden Game is dedicated to the memory of the Quebec Nordiques. And what great memories they provided.
For those too young to remember, the Nordiques played in the WHA from 1972-79 before joining the NHL, where they remained until 1995 before relocating to Denver.
And there was nothing to compare to their provincial rivalry against the Canadiens. It produced memorable regular season and playoff encounters, including the legendary Good Friday Massacre on April 20, 1984, when the teams met in the second round of the playoffs.
The sixth, and final, game of the series was played at the Forum and won by Montreal 5-3. It produced 252 penalty minutes. Eleven players were ejected.
As part of its 30-year anniversary, the Colorado Avalanche wore the Nordiques uniforms Saturday for the second time this season. Quite fittingly, they obliterated the Canadiens 7-2 at Ball Arena.
It was a massacre and showed how far removed the Canadiens are from being considered Stanley Cup contenders.
How good is the Avalanche?: Colorado won 10 consecutive games before losing in a shootout at Minnesota on Friday. The team has an 18-1-6 record; its only regulation loss coming on Oct. 25, against Boston. Twelve of its 18 wins have been by three goals or more. It hasn’t lost at home in regulation time, improving to 10-0-2. Colorado is on pace for an NHL-record 136 points, which would surpass the Bruins’ 135 points during the 2022-23 season when their record was 65-12-5. If the Avalanche don’t win the Stanley Cup, U.S. President Donald Trump should demand a congressional inquiry.
Our new favourite player: Colorado’s Ivan Ivan, a 23-year-old forward from the Czech Republic in his second NHL season. We wonder why his parents couldn’t think of a more original first name? He has a younger brother, Filip, who also plays the sport. One out of two ain’t bad. We only wish Ivan Ivan had a middle name — yeah, Ivan. He played 10:23, had one shot, one block and one hit against Montreal. Otherwise, we might refer to him as Ivan the Terrible.
Our second favourite player: Avalanche defenceman Brent Burns, only 40 years old, has played in 950 consecutive games. He scored Colorado’s third goal on Saturday.
Gabriel Landeskog (92) of the Colorado Avalanche fights for the puck against Canadiens’ Alexandre Carrier as Montreal goaltender Jakub Dobes sprawls on the ice on Saturday, Nov. 29, 2025, in Denver.
Sieve of the afternoon: We hate to pick on Jakub Dobes, who has won eight of the Canadiens’ 13 games and was battling to the end. But he was beaten on the third, sixth, 15th, 17th, 24th, 25th and 31st shots he faced. He allowed goals on the first shots in both the second and third periods. He received little support and faced 36 shots, but his save percentage was .806.
Milestone: Brock Nelson launched the scoring 7 1/2 minutes into the game before the floodgates opened. His seventh goal this season also was his 600th career point. He added a second goal and two assists.
Guess they didn’t get the memo: When Nelson made it 4-0 in the second period, hats rained down, the fans believing it was his third goal of the game. But the score that made it 2-0, originally credited to Nelson, was changed to Gabriel Landeskog. We’re assuming an announcement was made at the arena.
How things might have been altered: Of the Canadiens’ 12 shots in the first period, Zachary Bolduc, Brendan Gallagher and Josh Anderson easily could have scored.
Faceoff of the game: Nelson beat Oliver Kapanen and dropped the puck back to Burns. The goal came at 48 seconds of the second period. Early and late goals are killers.
But it wasn’t a totally wasted afternoon: Juraj Slafkovsky’s pass to Ivan Demidov provided Montreal with its first goal. Cole Caufield drew an assist on Lane Hutson’s third-period goal. Caufield now has a seven-game point streak.
This never happened when they used wood sticks: Late in the second period, Demidov fed Florian Xhekaj, who was in alone on Mackenzie Blackwood. He attempted a snap shot — and his $400 stick splintered like a twig. It was that kind of an afternoon.
Don’t break a nail: Yes, that was Kapanen and Martin Necas — two unlikely goons — mixing it up late in the second period. Mercifully, they didn’t decide to duke it out.
You know you’re getting old: When you see the kids of guys you covered playing. We made the mistake once of referring in print to former Canadiens’ defenceman Dave Manson as a human pylon. We never made that mistake again. His son, Josh, plays defence for Colorado. And he’s no pylon.
His timing is impeccable: Nathan MacKinnon, who makes great commercials with Sidney Crosby and Brad Marchand, jumped on the ice and promptly scored Colorado’s fifth goal in the final minute of the second period.
News you need: The Canadiens have now been outscored 36-24 in the second period this season.
Quick stats: Winning draws continues being a problem for Montreal. The Canadiens won only 44.8 per cent of their faceoffs, but did enjoy a 27-13 advantage in hits. Arber Xhekaj had nine hits, but was one of seven players that went minus-2. They’ll all be chasing clubhouse leader Alexandre Carrier at minus-3. Carrier did block five shots, but also was guilty of three giveaways. Jake Evans had three hits. Florian Xhekaj played 10:32.
They said it: “I thought we had a pretty decent start,” Nick Suzuki told the media in Denver. “Then we kind of had a few mental mistakes that cost us some goals. We didn’t defend well enough. I thought our coverage was sloppy at times.”
“I don’t know. Every period’s the same,” Suzuki added about the Canadiens’ second-period breakdowns. “I don’t know if there’s a specific reason. Obviously, we need to be better.”
“I thought we had a really good start,” head coach Martin St. Louis said in Denver. “Then we had a couple mistakes and they made us pay for it. Give credit to the Avalanche. It’s a good, veteran team. Lot of skill. Lot of speed and execute very well. They made some mistakes early that we didn’t capitalize on. It was a closer first period than a 2-0 game.”
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