Comments / New

Canadiens vs. Sharks: Game preview, start time, Tale of the Tape, and how to watch

The Montreal Canadiens have now lost four straight on the road. They were shut out in their previous game against the Florida Panthers on Saturday night, and have only scored three goals in the past four games. The offence has been sputtering for a while.

The Canadiens probably feel as if nothing is going their way. When they could score, Carey Price was struggling. Now that Price is back on form, they cannot buy a goal.

Outside of the lack of scoring, the Habs have been hit by the flu, though it seems it is starting to clear out of the room.

The defence is still without Shea Weber, but got former Shark David Schlemko back last game. In goal, it will most likely be Price once again.

How to watch

Puck drop: 7:30 PM EST / 4:30 PM PST
In the Canadiens region: TSN2 (English), RDS (French)
In the Sharks region: NBCSCA
Elsewhere: NHL GameCentre Live/NHL.tv, NHL Center Ice

Tale of the Tape

Canadiens Statistic Sharks
16-19-4 Record 20-12-4
0-1-0 H2H Record 1-0-0
51.1% Corsi-for pct. 52.9%
99 Goals for 98
122 Goals against 92
19.0% PP% 21.9%
77.7% PK% 85.5%

On the Sharks front, they are third in the Pacific Division behind the Vegas Golden Knights and the Los Angeles Kings. Brent Burns has gone through a massive slump this season and has only six goals on the season after scoring 29 last year.

The Sharks are also without Patrick Marleau, who left them for the Toronto Maple Leafs. However, the Sharks still have a few dangerous weapons, including the ageless Joe Thornton.

The Habs are once again at a disadvantage against the Sharks. San Jose has been superior by every metric this season, including goaltending. However, Price’s stats are still affected by his horrendous start.

If the Canadiens are keen to snap their losing skid, they will be best served by avoiding the penalty box and keeping a potent power play off the ice. With two of the league’s bottom-five offences facing off, special teams may be the only opportunity to get on the score sheet, and the visitors have the clear upper hand in that department.

Support Habs Eyes On The Prize by signing up for Norton 360