Habs Hebdo: The Playoffs Have Begun for Several Canadiens Prospects!

Welcome to this new edition of the Habs Hebdo, your weekly column on the Montreal Canadiens’ prospects. For all previous columns: Habs Hebdo Section.

Sean Farrell, Prospect of the Week

Before reviewing the performances of the Habs’ prospects in the playoffs, we must acknowledge Sean Farrell’s performances once again this week. With a production of 3 goals and 3 assists in 3 games, the American forward earns the title of prospect of the week. Farrell is simply dazzling with the Rocket at the moment. He is carrying the team while Joshua Roy and Owen Beck receive call-ups for evaluation. Will Sean Farrell get his chance this season?

Since scoring his first goal of the season after a difficult statistical start, Sean Farrell has not looked back. He has tallied 24 points in his last 17 games. In a post-game interview, Sean Farrell and Pascal Vincent spoke of a real turning point at a specific date:

« I think that starting to score goals and playing with Condo really help my confidence. […] I think I was playing good hockey before the holidays, but I wasn’t capitalizing on my chances. I think when the goals started coming in, I kept building my confidence. » – Sean Farrell

« His first goal in Hartford, it was like a relief for him. He was playing well, his details were solid, his attitude was excellent, as was his work ethic. » – Pascal Vincent

Jacob Fowler: Dissecting THE Biggest NCAA Surprise

This was THE biggest surprise in all NCAA playoff series this week. Boston College, the top-ranked team in the country, was eliminated by Northeastern (ranked 23rd). Despite finishing 9th in the Hockey East division, the Huskies had given the Boston Eagles a tough time during the season, except for their Beanpot clash, which was clearly in Boston’s favor (9-2). Could Jacob Fowler have done more to prevent this shocking elimination of the NCAA’s best team?

During the match, Boston did not generate many high-quality scoring chances. Northeastern clogged the slot, forcing most shots to come from the flanks. They successfully neutralized the team’s offensive talent, and Cam Whitehead’s stellar goaltending provided a huge boost. On the other hand, Jacob Fowler faced only 17 shots. However, the Huskies often managed to screen him. As I’ve often mentioned, Fowler frequently faced easy games where high-danger chances were rare. Making him move or screening him remain two effective ways to beat him, and he hasn’t had many games where he had to deal with this kind of offensive pressure during the season.

After the first period, the Huskies had attempted only 12 shots, with 7 on target. Meanwhile, Boston had attempted 27 shots, with 13 on goal. Northeastern scored in the second period, capitalizing on Boston’s inability to finish its chances.

On the first goal, Jacob Fowler was beaten glove side. Forward Cameron Lund used a Boston defenseman as a screen. It was a perfect shot—credit to Lund. On the second goal, which came just minutes after the first one, Jacob Fowler mishandled a rebound off his blocker, leaving it right in front of him. Joe Connor simply lifted the puck over Fowler. It’s rare to criticize Fowler’s rebound control, but it was also unacceptable for Connor to be left alone so close to the net.

I would like to say that Jacob Fowler did everything possible to keep his team in the game during the third period, but he simply wasn’t tested. The Huskies defended their zone well they managed only three shots on goal. In short, Boston’s embarrassing defeat was not Fowler’s fault. The team didn’t show up, and Fowler can’t score goals. He didn’t make any spectacular saves because the Huskies didn’t create many dangerous scoring chances throughout the game—except for their two goals (the third was an empty-netter).

Bogdan Konyushkov: More Fear Than Harm

In the KHL, Torpedo played three games this week, and Bogdan Konyushkov missed the first one. In the March 8 game, the defenseman played only one period. Watching the game, it was clear that Konyushkov took a puck to the face during his first shift of the second period. He did not return and missed the next game on March 11. Fortunately, he was back in the lineup on March 13 and 15 to complete his week of work. He was wearing a protective cage to shield his face.

This season, Torpedo’s captain has accumulated 17 points in 65 games. That’s a drop in production compared to last year, but he remains the most utilized player on his team. His effectiveness on the ice is well established. Konyushkov provides stability and reliability with and without the puck. He has offensive skills, but Torpedo’s system rarely relies on defensemen leading the charge.

NCAA Playoffs

Here’s a quick summary of the NCAA playoffs. To understand the selection process for the Frozen Four tournament, we recommend our article on the subject, available via the link HERE. In summary, each division has regional tournaments. Some use a best-of-three format, while others play single-elimination games. The winners advance to the Frozen Four. Other teams are selected based on their season performance. Ultimately, the best teams in the country get invited, even if they lost in the regional tournaments.

– Minnesota (L. Mittelstadt) lost its best-of-three quarterfinal in the Big Ten division against Notre Dame. However, the Gophers are likely to be selected for the Frozen Four tournament, as they rank 4th nationally according to Pairwise.

– Minnesota-Duluth (J. Smith) lost both regional tournament games to Arizona State. Ranked 42nd in Pairwise, Smith’s season is over, and his team will not be selected for the Frozen Four.

– Providence (L. Sawyer) lost its single-elimination game in the Hockey East tournament. The team is eliminated but has a strong chance of being selected for the Frozen Four, as it ranks 8th in Pairwise.

– Denver (S. Harris) came back after losing the first game of its best-of-three series, defeating Colorado College 6-3 and 9-2. Denver advances to the NCHC semifinals against Arizona State.

– Michigan is in a tough spot. The Wolverines lost their best-of-three series in two games against Penn State, scoring a total of 7 goals. Michael Hage finished with one assist. Michigan is ranked 14th in Pairwise. The selection committee will review their case carefully, but there’s a real chance Michigan will not be chosen this season. Stay tuned for the next Hebdo CH!

– Dartmouth (E. Croteau) advanced to the second round by winning both quarterfinal games in the ECAC division. Croteau secured both wins, a great sign given that his starting position was not guaranteed at the beginning of the year. Interestingly, Dartmouth will face Clarkson in the semifinals—Croteau’s former university.

IN BRIEF

– Yevgeni Volokhin started against Ivan Demidov’s team, delivering his least poor performance of the week. After replacing Nikita Tulinov, who was pulled against Kunlun, Volokhin allowed 2 goals on the first 8 shots. However, five days later, after facing Demidov, Volokhin was pulled after two periods (5 goals on 35 shots).

– Aatos Koivu’s demotion paid off! Sent to Finland’s Sm Sarja U20 after struggling in Liiga, he scored a hat trick and added an assist on March 15. In Liiga, he wasn’t given an offensive role, so returning to U20 allows him to play a more prominent role.

– Filip Eriksson is starting his Allsvenskan playoffs with Djurgårdens—a good opportunity for those tracking Anton Frondell (2025 draft).

– Oliver Kapanen will take a short break as Timrå skips the SHL round of 16. He finishes his first professional season in Sweden with 35 points (15-20) in 36 games.

Statistics collected from March 9, 2025, to March 16, 2025.

Goalies