Winter has hit and the Montreal Canadiens and the weather in the city are both in the midst of cold streaks. The Canadiens (13-14-4) have dropped their last three games (0-2-1), all at home, and all against Western teams. This evening they’re facing the New Jersey Devils, a team that has been given new life this season, currently third place in the Metropolitan Division.
In their last game, Montreal faced another slumping team in the Edmonton Oilers. Both teams were expected to do well this season, but Edmonton has also found themselves near the bottom of the Western Conference. However, an early jump by the Oilers got them up 4-0 just two minutes into the second period. After allowing four goals on 14 shots, all-star goaltender Carey Price was yanked. Edmonton wound up winning 6-2. Montreal got goals from forwards Alex Galchenyuk and Phillip Danault.
The Devils (17-9-4) young core is definitely a helping hand in their resurgence. With three of their rookies helping lead the way with Jesper Bratt, Nico Hischier and Will Butcher all tied in second in scoring on the team with 20 points. Former first overall pick Taylor Hall is having a superb season, with 31 points in 30 games.
In their last game, they had a rematch of the 2012 Stanley Cup Finals, but instead of losing like they did the Cup that year, they came out strong and wound up beating the Los Angeles Kings by a 5-1 score.
Last season Montreal dominated New Jersey, winning all three games, and outscoring them by a 12-6 margin. The Habs captain, Max Pacioretty, who has been slumping this season, led the team with four of the team’s goals. Two of the games came at the Prudential Center in Newark, New Jersey and the one game played at the Bell Centre was a 5-2 victory on December 8.
Tonight’s game is their last before the Centennial Classic versus Ottawa on Saturday evening. They then have a huge six-game road trip that sees them travel to Western Canada, and then Carolina before two tilts in Florida. They won’t see action on their home ice until January 2.
Puck drop at the Bell Centre is at 7:30 PM EST / 4:30 PM PST.
How to watch
In the Canadiens region: TSN2, TSNGO (English), RDS (French)
In the Devils region: MSG+2
Elsewhere: NHL.tv/NHL GameCentre Live, NHL Center Ice
Montreal Canadiens projected lineup
Forwards
| Left Wing | Centre | Right Wing |
|---|---|---|
| Alex Galchenyuk | Jonathan Drouin | Andrew Shaw |
| Max Pacioretty | Phillip Danault | Paul Byron |
| Charles Hudon | Tomas Plekanec | Brendan Gallagher |
| Nicolas Deslauriers | Byron Froese | Daniel Carr |
Defencemen
| Left Defence | Right Defence |
|---|---|
| Jordie Benn | Shea Weber |
| Karl Alzner | Jeff Petry |
| Joe Morrow | David Schlemko |
Goaltenders
| Goaltenders |
|---|
| Carey Price |
| Antti Niemi |
Scratched: Jakub Jerabek
Injuries: Ales Hemsky (concussion-like symptoms), Arturri Lekhonen (upper body), Al Montoya (concussion)
New Jersey Devils projected lineup
Forwards
| Left Wing | Centre | Right Wing |
|---|---|---|
| Jesper Bratt | Nico Hischier | Drew Stafford |
| Blake Coleman | Travis Zajac | Brian Gibbons |
| Miles Wood | Pavel Zacha | Stefan Noesen |
| Jimmy Hayes | Brian Boyle | Nick Lappin |
Defencemen
| Left Defence | Right Defence |
|---|---|
| John Moore | Sami Vatanen |
| Andy Greene | Steven Santini |
| Will Butcher | Damon Severson |
Goaltenders
| Goaltenders |
|---|
| Cory Schneider |
| Keith Kinkaid |
