Game 46: Montreal Canadiens @ Boston Bruins
Start time: 7:00 PM EST / 4:00 PM PST
In Canada: CBC, CityTV (English), TVA Sports (French)
In the Bruins region: NESN
Streaming: CBC Gem, ESPN+, Sportsnet+
Maybe if the Montreal Canadiens could have capitalized on their prime scoring chances early in their match versus the Ottawa Senators things would have gone differently than the eventual 6-2 loss. But the Canadiens didn’t have the energy to match a forechecking team in a sixth game in nine days, and couldn’t overcome two demons they’ve dealt with all season long: the second game of a back-to-back, and seeking a third consecutive win.
The Habs enjoyed a necessary day off on Friday, and there are two more to look forward after tonight’s game, so expect the players to leave whatever is left in their tanks on the TD Garden ice as they face the Boston Bruins for the third time this season.
| Canadiens | Statistics | Bruins |
|---|---|---|
| 19-19-7 | Record | 27-8-9 |
| 44.7% (29th) | Scoring-chances-for % | 50.6% (17th) |
| 2.69 (28th) | Goals per game | 3.34 (11th) |
| 3.38 (24th) | Goals against per game | 2.61 (4th) |
| 18.4% (21st) | PP% | 27.2% (5th) |
| 73.0% (28th) | PK% | 84.6% (4th) |
| 1-1-0 | Head-to-Head Record | 1-0-1 |
Montreal already has a win versus Boston this season, playing a similar game to the ones that earned them consecutive victories over the Colorado Avalanche and New Jerseys Devils before travelling to Kanata. The team is proving it has the ability and the desire to go toe-to-toe with the league’s top teams, and even win versus clubs it probably shouldn’t — at the same time it fails to post victories against teams it should.
The Canadiens were just the third team to hand Boston a loss within the Bruins’ first 14 games of the season. After a rough stretch through the end of November and December, the Bruins are back to that level of performance. They went into the Christmas break on a four-game losing streak, but are 8-1-3 since, and six of those wins have been by three goals or more.
Improved execution on the power play is one reason for the recovery, ranking second in the NHL at 34.2% since December 27, but the entire roster has been producing the past three weeks. They have played 12 games since that date, and five players have double-digit point totals: Jake DeBrusk and defenceman Charlie McAvoy have 11, Brad Marchand and Charlie Coyle have 13, and David Pastrnak doesn’t just lead the team, but the entire NHL with 20 points since the holiday break.
This game will offer another test of the Canadiens’ ability to contain top offensive talent. They should have Samuel Montembeault back in the net to help deal with all the chances, and fresher defencemen to make better breakout decisions than we saw on Thursday.
If we expect Montreal’s top line to be occupied with Pastrnak and company, the Canadiens will need to find offence elsewhere if they want to make a good defensive effort count. In the last couple of games, the most dangerous line has been that of Joel Armia, Sean Monahan, and Joshua Roy. Roy is starting to get comfortable playing in the NHL, and has dealt with tough opponents already, but the first match versus Boston is a different story. As Cole Caufield mentioned, he’s an unflappable player who has a history of performing well in big moments, so a first appearance in the Habs-Bruins rivalry shouldn’t be an overwhelming one.
