Game 19: Montreal Canadiens @ Anaheim Ducks
Start time: **10:00 PM EST / 7:00 PM PST**
In the Canadiens region: TSN2 (English), RDS (French)
In the Ducks region: Bally Sports West
Streaming: ESPN+, RDS, TSN+
All the leaves are brown (all the leaves are brown)/And the sky is gray (and the sky is gray)
— “California Dreamin'”, The Mamas & the Papas
I’ve been for a walk (I’ve been for a walk)/On a winter’s day (on a winter’s day)
I’d be safe and warm (I’d be safe and warm)/If I was in L.A. (if I was in L.A.)
It hasn’t been a great month for the Montreal Canadiens. After a 5-2-2 run to start the season, the team is 2-7 in November, and the mood surrounding the team has fallen as fast as the autumn Canadian foliage. All in all, it’s not a bad time to skip town. And where better to go than the sunny shores of California?
Historically, the Canadiens have had little to look forward to on their trips to the Golden State. Their last two trips have yielded identical results: a win against the San Jose Sharks and losses to the Anaheim Ducks and Los Angeles Kings. The Habs did not win in San Jose between 1999 and 2021. They have not won in Anaheim since 2014, and have only two victories in Los Angeles since the most recent lockout.
However, they have some reason for optimism this year. The Kings are potential Stanley Cup contenders, but the currently 3-14-1 Sharks are having a historically bad year and the Ducks are one season removed from a 58-point campaign. In theory, this is the best opportunity in recent memory for the Canadiens to come out of California with more than two points.
| Canadiens | Statistics | Ducks |
|---|---|---|
| 7-9-1 | Record | 9-9-0 |
| 47.0% (24th) | Scoring-chances-for % | 45.9% (27th) |
| 2.83 (24th) | Goals per game | 2.83 (23rd) |
| 3.56 (26th) | Goals against per game | 3.11 (12th) |
| 20.0% (17th) | PP% | 19.7% (18th) |
| 74.4% (25th) | PK% | 81.7% (13th) |
| 0-2-0 | Head-to-Head Record (’22-’23) | 2-0-0 |
Unfortunately, theory and reality have a habit of not aligning. The Ducks have been inconsistent, but have more than enough firepower to take an unprepared team by surprise. The offence is led by Frank Vatrano, a 500-game veteran with a single-season career high of 24 goals who is currently on pace for 55. He’s backed up by 2021 third-overall pick Mason McTavish, who is clicking at a near point-per-game pace as the team’s second-line centre. Second-overall selection from 2023 Leo Carlsson’s NHL debut has gone rather smoothly, with the 19-year-old tallying six goals in 12 games. Veterans Ryan Strome (14 points) and Adam Henrique (nine points) round out the forward corps.
On the back end, Cam Fowler and 2022 10th-overall pick Pavel Mintyukov lead the charge with 10 points apiece, but Jackson LaCombe (39th overall, 2019) has surprisingly pulled heavy minutes. The rest of the blue line comprises Radko Gudas, Urho Vaakanainen, and Ilya Lyubushkin.
Lukáš Dostál (.893 save percentage, 3.78 goals against average) and John Gibson (.926, 2.27) have more or less split goaltending duties, and while Gibson has far superior stats, Dostál has the better record (5-3 to 4-6). Head coach Pat Verbeek has been giving Dostál every third start over the past 10 games, which means the Czech native would be slated to face the Canadiens. However, since the Ducks have not played since November 19, it remains to be seen whether Verbeek will hold to that plan.
While the Canadiens don’t know who they will face in net, they do know that they will not be facing Trevor Zegras and Jamie Drysdale. After some off-season contract issues, Zegras has gotten off to a slow start in 2023-24, recording only two points in 12 games. Part of the forward’s struggles may stem from a lower-body injury that eventually forced him onto the injured reserve list retroactive to November 10. Zegras has been eligible to return from the IR for a week now, but little information has been made available about his injury status. Drysdale, on the other hand, has not played since the second game of the campaign. There is no timetable for his return.
The Canadiens, of course, are no strangers to injury. In addition to Kirby Dach, none of Arber Xhekaj, Rafaël Harvey-Pinard, and Jordan Harris will take the ice at the Honda Center on Wednesday night. In their place, the Canadiens have recalled Jayden Struble and Mattias Norlinder from the Laval Rocket, with at least one of the duo poised to make his season debut. Struble likely has the inside track in this endeavour, practising as a member of the third pairing on Tuesday.
At 9-9-0, the Ducks have surprised in 2023-24. However, they have also been streaky, starting the season 1-4, winning six in a row, and then stumbling to a 2-5 stretch since. They meet the Canadiens having dropped three straight, scoring only four goals combined during those games. If the Habs are serious about showing year-to-year progress, another tepid start akin to the one showcased against Boston or Vegas will not be acceptable. Not allowing the Ducks a foothold into the game will be essential to leaving Orange County with two points.
