Game 37: Montreal Canadiens @ Vegas Golden Knights
Start time: **3:00 PM EST / 12:00 PM PST**
In Canada: TSN2 (English), RDS (French)
In the Golden Knights region: SCRIPPS Sports
Streaming: ESPN+, RDS, TSN+
The Montreal Canadiens would like to scrub their memory of the first game of the season series with the Vegas Golden Knights. Meeting following an unusual four-day break in the November schedule, the Habs allowed five goals in the second period, including three in the span of just over two minutes, and lost 6-2 in a game they didn’t seem prepared for.
Fortunately, it’s easy for those auld embarrassments to be forgot with the form the Canadiens are currently showing. That loss already came at a time when Montreal was generally playing better than in the first month of the season, but they’ve hit a new level since … well, it was another embarrassing loss, 9-2 to the Pittsburgh Penguins in a game that held implications in the wild-card race. Playing a block of Eastern Conference teams in the past six games, Montreal has gone 5-1, and is looking the best it has also season after beating the Florida Panthers and Tampa Bay Lightning by a combined score of 9-2 over the weekend. The Habs have gotten out to a 2-0 start on this end-of-December road trip when they usually go into a new year just hoping to salvage a point or two.
The Golden Knights also aren’t the same team they were in that game in November. It came during a stretch when the 2023 Stanley Cup champions were trading wins and losses. One of those losses was a 6-0 defeat versus Utah, and that has served as their wake-up call. Las Vegas has a record of 10-1 since, vaulting to the top of the Presidents’ Trophy chase.
Forget the Winter Classic. This afternoon’s game at T-Mobile Arena is the feature matchup of two of the league’s hottest clubs.
| Canadiens | Statistics | Golden Knights |
|---|---|---|
| 16-17-3 | Record | 25-8-3 |
| 47.7% (26th) | Scoring-chances-for % | 50.2% (14th) |
| 3.03 (18th) | Goals per game | 3.56 (4th0 |
| 3.44 (28th) | Goals against per game | 2.72 (7th) |
| 21.4% (16th) | PP% | 25.3% (7th) |
| 82.5% (9th) | PK% | 81.0% (14th) |
| 0-1-0 | Head-to-Head Record | 1-0-0 |
In Montreal, it’s Jake Evans who has elevated his game to make life a lot easier for his teammates. For the Golden Knights, it’s former Buffalo Sabres power-play specialist Victor Olofsson providing the boost. Olofsson leads the team with three goals on the man advantage in December, but also has seven points at even strength in 11 games played; He’s nearly a point-per-game player through just 16 matches he’s dressed for this season, coming into it with a career high of 49 points.
Defenceman Shea Theodore leads the team in points in the calendar month with 12 of them in the 11 matches, including three goals of his own. And of course there’s Jack Eichel who is thriving with the Golden Knights after successful disc-removal surgery, tied with 12 points but having one less goal than his teammate.
Missing from the equation has been Ivan Barbashev, who hasn’t played since December 15 with a lower-body injury. Barbashev had a goal and two assists versus Montreal in the first game this season, and it sounds like he could be ready to return in time to face them for the final one of the series, but that won’t be known until closer to game time today.
Las Vegas would of course love to have one of its top producers back for the final game of 2024, but the fourth-best offence in the NHL has been getting by perfectly well without him, winning all five contests in his absence. For the first time all season. Montreal is beginning to receive contributions from every line and defence pairing, scoring 28 times in this 5-1 run. There are sure to be a few early fireworks when those forces collide on New Year’s Eve.
