Game 39: Montreal Canadiens vs. New York Rangers
Start time: 7:00 PM EST / 4:00 PM PST
In Canada: Sportsnet East, CityTV (English), TVA Sports (French)
In the Rangers region: MSG 2
Streaming: ESPN+, Sportsnet
Returning home at .500 to start a stretch of five of six games at home, the Canadiens’ play at the Bell Centre once again let them down versus the Buffalo Sabres. It was the first time they allowed six goals since November 16 versus the Vegas Golden Knights, which was also a home game.
Montreal just didn’t play the same style it had in the previous seven games on the road, and that was apparent in a first period allowing 13 shots when they’d gone the previous three matches giving up no more than five in the opening 20 minutes. The Sabres were the better team throughout the game, and earned the win to move within a point of the Canadiens in the standings.
It’s going to be very difficult to respond to that loss with a win over another visitor from New York. The Rangers aren’t just the best team from the state, but the second-best team in the entire NHL.
| Canadiens | Statistics | Rangers |
|---|---|---|
| 16-17-5 | Record | 26-10-1 |
| 45.8% (28th) | Scoring-chances-for % | 50.4% (17th) |
| 2.74 (27th) | Goals per game | 3.38 (9th) |
| 3.45 (27th) | Goals against per game | 2.73 (6th) |
| 18.2% (21st) | PP% | 30.4% (2nd) |
| 72.1% (31st) | PK% | 84.1% (7th) |
| 1-1-1 | Head-to-Head Record (22-23) | 2-1-0 |
The Rangers have lost consecutive games just one time this season on the way to a 26-10-1 record. Their five-point lead is the biggest gap between the top two teams in any division, made more impressive by the fact that seven of the eight Metropolitan Division clubs sport winning records.
New York’s goal differential is zero at even strength (75 goals for, 75 against), and they have an expected -goals-for percentage under 50% in that situation. Yet they hold the NHL’s seventh-highest goal differential. The reason for that mark of +24 is their league-best power play.
It seems like the Canadiens have been doing a tour of teams proficient on the man advantage in the last couple of weeks. Tonight, their penalty kill will be tested by a team that scores of 30.4% of its opportunities, which have been relatively rare; 115 chances in 37 games. For context, Montreal ranks sixth in the NHL with 132 opportunities with an extra skater.
Chris Kreider is back to being the team’s most dangerous goal-scorer while up a man. He had just eight power-play goals last season after a whopping 26 the year before, but is already up to nine on the season. And he’s not alone making opposing teams pay for taking penalties, as Artemiy Panarin has eight goals, Mika Zibanejad has six, and Vincent Trocheck has five.
No matter what they try, the Habs are probably going to surrender a goal or two while short-handed tonight (which might just drop them down to 32nd in the league in that category as well). The only hope is to try to score a few goals themselves, and to that end the team has recalled Emil Heineman and his blistering shot from the AHL to put an end to the 11-forward, seven-defenceman formation it’s been running with since Christian Dvorak got injured.
Before the Buffalo debacle, the Canadiens had been playing well versus some good teams to end their road trip. January’s schedule holds a lot more such teams, so Montreal needs to rediscover that form right away.
