Game 24: Montreal Canadiens vs. Detroit Red Wings
Start time: 7:00 PM EST / 4:00 PM PST
In Canada: CBC (English), TVA Sports (French)
In the Red Wings region: Bally Sports Detroit
Streaming: CBC Gem, ESPN+, Sportsnet+
In their first game home after a road trip that took them to Ohio by way of California, the Montreal Canadiens looked good in the opening 40 minutes versus the Florida Panthers. The Habs didn’t manage to score any goals in that time, but had done well to limit an offence that had sliced through them last season.
It turned out that offence was just waiting to pounce in the third, erasing a quality start for Cayden Primeau by picking on his glove hand, turning a 1-0 game into a 5-1 victory. It was the fifth consecutive game in the matchup won by Florida by at least three goals, following the 10-2 win by Montreal in the final game of 2021-22.
A visit from a team the Canadiens have already beaten this year might help to raise the spirits of the Habs after the loss. Their 3-2 win over the Detroit Red Wings is one of the six they’ve earned from games that have extended beyond regulation, featuring one of Cole Caufield’s three overtime winners.
| Canadiens | Statistics | Red Wings |
|---|---|---|
| 10-11-2 | Record | 12-7-3 |
| 45.7% (26th) | Scoring-chances-for % | 44.8% (30th) |
| 2.70 (29th) | Goals per game | 3.68 (4th) |
| 3.48 (24th) | Goals against per game | 2.91 (13th) |
| 16.7% (23rd) | PP% | 23.4% (8th) |
| 73.9% (26th) | PK% | 79.0% (17th) |
| 1-0-0 | Head-to-Head Record | 0-0-1 |
It was a rare case of the Red Wings not netting three goals in a contest. That has only happened six times through 22 games. Thanks to the addition of Alex DeBrincat, the Red Wings rank fourth in the NHL averaging 3.68 goals per game, almost one goal more per contest than last year when they finished seventh in the Atlantic Division. That jump in offence has also propelled Detroit up the standings, currently holding the top wild-card spot in the Eastern Conference, and somewhat comfortably.
The team has been opportunistic through the first quarter. The club actually ranks near the bottom of the league in expected-goals-for percentage, with only the San Jose Sharks and free-falling Anaheim Ducks below them. The club is surrendering chances worth about four expected goals per contest, well above the 2.91 opponents are actually scoring.
For a couple of seasons now, the Red Wings have gotten off to good starts and were then unable to hang with the top teams. To prevent that from happening yet again, their scoring rate will need to remain high to counter what appears to be a looming regression defensively. Fortunately for them, many of the players have previously shown that they can keep the offence flowing. J.T. Compher had 52 points with Colorado last season. Daniel Sprong had his breakout season at age 25 with the Seattle Kraken a year ago, netting 21 goals in 66 games. Shayne Gostisbehere put up 51 points with the Arizona Coyotes two season ago after a few tough seasons in Philadelphia.
One of the more interesting cases on the roster is Robby Fabbri. A player who has always had the talent to score has been cursed by the injury bug in his career, and this season is no different. He played just one game before being forced to miss a month of action with a lower-body injury. He’s now been in Detroit’s lineup for eight games since missing the match versus Montreal, and has eight points in that time, including five goals in the last five games.
There’s scoring depth all throughout the Red Wings’ lineup. Martin St-Louis has preferred to use Kaiden Guhle and Mike Matheson versus top opposition, but there will be no shielding players by matching them up against weak lines; Detroit has none. This will be a game to test the balance the head coach has been seeking all season long, and trust Jayden Struble with more assignments versus a top offensive team. The rookie has shown he can handle the NHL pace, and, barring substantial time for the special teams tonight, the stage is set for a new high in ice time for the recent call-up.
