Game 73: Montreal Canadiens vs. Carolina Hurricanes
Start time: 7:00 PM EDT / 4:00 PM PDT
In Canada: CityTV (English), TVA Sports (French)
In the Hurricanes region: Bally Sports South
Streaming: ESPN+, Sportsnet+
Facing one of the league’s best defensive teams in the Philadelphia Flyers, the Montreal Canadiens looked like one themselves in a 4-1 win on Thursday. They’ve strung together three such efforts, and that has coincided with their first streak of three victories of the season. Cayden Primeau did an excellent job in the net to stop the shots that got through, but the players in front of him did well to limit his workload, at least until a late-game flurry by the Flyers.
Defence was the most important aspect the team needed to figure out. The Canadiens organization has been rebuilt by targeting defencemen, and that has to be the focus of development and coaching staff alike when bringing the team up to contender status. Montreal has shown some glimpses of solid play throughout the season, but this current stretch may be their best display yet.
It’s a perfect time to have that sorted out, because the Carolina Hurricanes are the next team on the schedule. Montreal has lost eight consecutive contests to the team from Raleigh, surrendering at least four goals in seven of those matches dating back to October of 2021. Containing the Colorado Avalanche was an impressive feat on Sunday, and managing to do that versus a Hurricanes team that always finds offence easy against the Habs would be another indication that Montreal is figuring things out.
They will have to do so without Kaiden Guhle, who has been suspended for this game after he slashed Travis Konecny from the bench. The sophomore had averaged just over 23 minutes in this three-game run and sported a +6 goal differential. He was also sitting on a three-game point streak with five points, so his loss will be felt at both ends of the ice. All of Arber Xhekaj, Jordan Harris, and Jayden Struble will have to step up in Guhle’s absence to ride out the Hurricanes’ attack.
| Canadiens | Statistics | Hurricanes |
|---|---|---|
| 28-32-12 | Record | 46-21-7 |
| 44.7% (29th) | Scoring-chances-for % | 57.4% (1st) |
| 2.72 (27th) | Goals per game | 3.38 (7th) |
| 3.33 (25th) | Goals against per game | 2.62 (4th) |
| 17.8% (23rd) | PP% | 26.5% (3rd) |
| 76.9% (23rd) | PK% | 85.6% (1st) |
| 0-2-0 | Head-to-Head Record | 2-0-0 |
That means paying particular attention to tying up sticks in front of the net, something that has been an issue for the players. Carolina plays a type of offence that fires pucks in from the wings looking for tips and rebounds, and that strategy has clearly been effective versus Montreal in recent years. They may lead the league by a significant margin in low-danger shots in the offensive zone, but are also third in rebound shots.
The strategy was already quite effective at generating offence, but the organization approached the deadline looking for a naturally gifted playmaker. They added that in the form of long-time Pittsburgh Penguins winger Jake Guentzel. They also gave Evgeny Kuznetsov a new opportunity after his time with the Washington Capitals.
Carolina has only improved since making those additions. They’re 9-2-1 in the 12 days since the deadline passed, and are one of several clubs in the race for the Presidents’ Trophy. Guentzel has 14 points in the 10 games he’s played with his new team, mostly assists as he sets up linemates Sebastian Aho (eight goals since the deadline) and Seth Jarvis (nine).
Montreal has already lost twice to Carolina this season by a combined score of 9-4, and the offence is that much more of a challenge now. A win might be too tall an order for the Habs, but there’s still an opportunity to show that progress has been made by keeping the team to three goals, and at least having the game within striking distance late.
