Game 68: Montreal Canadiens @ Edmonton Oilers
Start time: **9:00 PM EDT / 6:00 PM PDT**
In the Canadiens region: TSN2 (English), RDS (French)
In the Oilers region: Sportsnet West
Streaming: ESPN+, RDS, TSN+
It seems like a long time ago that the talk of the NHL was the Edmonton Oilers’ shocking 2-9-1 start. With the month of November coming to an end, the Oilers were in 30th place, four points up on the San Jose Sharks at the bottom of the standings. Ranking as one of the worst teams defensively was nothing new for the organization, but having the superstar players combining for under three goals per game didn’t allow them to compensate.
Forty-seven games later, most of their problems have been fixed. The expected return to scoring form for Connor McDavid has taken place, from 0.89 points per game in the first dozen contests to the third-best mark in the NHL of 1.68 at this stage. He has contributed multiple points in 31 of his 63 games played, so that number may rise even further before the season is up.
Montreal has done a decent job of shutting down the league’s most gifted offensive player in recent years. He was contained to just a single assist when he visited the Bell Centre on January 13, and had been held pointless in three of the previous four meetings. But that fourth game was the last time Montreal had to face him on his home turf, when he scored two goals and added two assists. On the road, McDavid ranks ninth in the league, and second on his team behind Leon Draisaitl, with 1.22 points per game. At Rogers Place, that number is 2.16.
| Canadiens | Statistics | Oilers |
|---|---|---|
| 25-31-11 | Record | 40-21-4 |
| 45.0% (28th) | Scoring-chances-for % | 56.1% (2nd) |
| 2.72 (27th) | Goals per game | 3.52 (4th) |
| 3.43 (26th) | Goals against per game | 2.83 (9th) |
| 18.4% (23rd) | PP% | 26.6% (2nd) |
| 75.4% (27th) | PK% | 79.9% (14th) |
| 0-0-1 | Head-to-Head Record | 1-0-0 |
McDavid leads his team’s power play, where about one-third of his offence comes from. The Canadiens were doing an exceptional job of shutting down teams at four-on-five, until they arrived in Calgary to begin the road trip. They gave up not just their first power-play goal after six games not conceding, but a second one as well. The Habs’ penalty kill has adjusted to better cover two players near the goal line, but not the three the Flames were deploying.
The Canadiens will need to make some adjustments on the fly without Martin St-Louis, because the Oilers have used a similar strategy all season long. They have Draisaitl set up in a one-time spot at the bottom of the circle, Zach Hyman lurking at the post on the opposite side of the net, Ryan Nugent-Hopkins playing the bumper role, Evan Bouchard operating out at the blue line, and McDavid zipping around the zone trying to draw the defenders’ attention away from his teammates to open up lanes.
As good as Hyman has been on the power play, he’s an even better player at five-on-five, behind only former teammate Auston Matthews in even-strength goals with 33, as many as Draisaitl has in all situations. He’s rarely found more than a few feet from the goaltender in the offensive zone and has the hands to take advantage of that position. As much as Montreal will want to key on McDavid, it’s Hyman who will probably be the more dangerous threat to put the puck in the net.
If the challenge of correcting some defensive lapses versus one of the league’s best offences wasn’t enough, the Canadiens also have their own scoring to address. When they were holding their own versus top teams in the past few weeks, it was because they were able to keep pace with three goals each night. Lately they’ve only been able to muster one or two, and that’s not enough to stay in games. Joshua Roy is the only player with multiple goals since the overtime win in Nashville, so more players will need to join the rookie in that category to avoid a second consecutive one-sided score.
