Game 26: Montreal Canadiens vs. Los Angeles Kings
Start time: 7:00 PM EST / 4:00 PM PST
In the Canadiens region: TSN2 (English), RDS (French)
In the Kings region: Bally Sports West
Streaming: ESPN+, RDS, TSN+
Over the last two years, the Los Angeles Kings have been overshadowed by the likes of Vegas, Colorado, Dallas, and even Edmonton when talking about Stanley Cup contenders from the Western Conference. But despite two consecutive first round defeats to the aforementioned Oilers, the Kings have been quietly laying the foundation to a juggernaut. A 44-win season, followed by a 47-win campaign, set the stage for this year’s coming-out party. This year, the 15-4-3 Kings will not be ignored.
| Canadiens | Statistics | Kings |
|---|---|---|
| 11-11-3 | Record | 15-4-3 |
| 46.1% (27th) | Scoring-chances-for % | 56.6% (3rd) |
| 2.80 (27th) | Goals per game | 3.86 (2nd) |
| 3.48 (26th) | Goals against per game | 2.32 (2nd) |
| 17.8% (22nd) | PP% | 19.2% (18th) |
| 73.4% (29th) | PK% | 88.4% (3rd) |
| 0-1-0 | Head-to-Head Record | 1-0-0 |
The Kings are historically (and stereotypically) known as a defensive colossus that scores just enough goals to win a game. The current Kings are working to dispel that notion. From 20th two years ago to 11th last year, the 2023-24 Kings are presently second in goals per game. Terrifyingly, that offensive output hasn’t dampened their defensive resolve — Los Angeles sits second in goals allowed per game.
Building this juggernaut has been a group effort. Los Angeles has five players hovering around a point-per-game pace: Adrian Kempe, Trevor Moore, Kevin Fiala, Anze Kopitar, and Quinton Byfield. Ten players have five or more goals. This scoring-by-committee has allowed the Kings to not really worry about missing Viktor Arvidsson, or that off-season acquisition Pierre-Luc Dubois has yet to fire on all cylinders. Cam Talbot’s resurgence between the pipes doesn’t hurt matters either. The Kings may rank second-best in shots allowed per game, but when one does get through, Talbot’s .930 save percentage is a more-than-adequate Plan B.
The Canadiens should be very familiar with just what the Kings have to offer. Just under two weeks ago, they were effectively smothered into oblivion during a matinee at Crypto.com Arena. The 4-0 scoreline may have actually flattered a Habs team that generated 12 even-strength shots on goal all afternoon. The Kings demonstrated their cutthroat nature by putting their opposition to the sword in a particularly dominant third period. Granted, the Canadiens were playing the second game of a back-to-back, but it’s not like the Habs have been able to execute in a similar manner when the shoe has been on the other foot this season.
If there’s anything that the Canadiens can take from that game, it’s that the top six were able to somewhat hold their own. Nick Suzuki’s top trio, featuring Alex Newhook and Brendan Gallagher, stood out in particular, contributing the team’s only high-danger scoring chances. Although the composition is different, the talent is still there at the top of the lineup. Similarly, the bottom six, utterly crushed in late November, no longer exists in that configuration. Michael Pezzetta, Jake Evans, and Jesse Ylönen were unable to muster a single shot attempt in Los Angeles. One hopes that Mitchell Stephens, Ylönen, and Joel Armia will fare better.
Do the Canadiens have a chance? Sure. The Kings may be one of the best teams in the Western Conference, but every team has their speed bumps. Los Angeles trailed the Columbus Blue Jackets 3-0 in their most recent game heading into the third period before roaring back and winning in overtime. But the Habs will need to come out with a much better effort this time around, and will also rely on a solid performance from their goaltender.
Given how Jake Allen played in the last game versus L.A., while Cayden Primeau’s form has been inconsistent from period to period, Samuel Montembeault was the logical choice for this start, The Canadiens had not started the same netminder in consecutive matches since the opening week of the season, but these back-to-back outings could be the unofficial coronation of Montembeault as the Habs’ number one.
