The Montreal Canadiens are taking on the Boston Bruins for one last time this season, and never have the two points been more important. Here's everything you need to know ahead of the clash.
After Saturday night’s defeat at the hands of the Anaheim Ducks, Montreal Canadiens coach Martin St-Louis said he was disappointed with the way his team managed risks in the game, but he also looked frustrated because that’s been a recurring issue this season. To use St-Louis’ own metaphor, who once likened himself to a dad for his players, a huge part of being a parent is repeating the same thing until the kid finally understands what you want them to do and why, and it’s what he’s going through right now.
On Tuesday night, the Canadiens will host the Boston Bruins at the Bell Centre for one last time this season, and the stakes are as high as they could be. Montreal’s lead over the Bruins has melted to just one point. While most pundits thought the Massachusetts outfit would miss the playoffs this season, they’ve been having a very respectable season, and they even lead the season series 2-1. The Habs' sole win this season came in December, when they vanquished the Bruins 6-2, but Boston won the last time the two teams faced off, 4-3 in regulation.
Samuel Montembeault was in the net for the two defeats, while Jacob Fowler manned the net in the only win. The Canadiens have yet to confirm who will be on duty tonight, but it’s likely to be a choice between Fower and Jakub Dobes. Montembeault has faced the Bruins 13 times and has a 3-8-1 record with a 3.81 goals-against average and a .875 save percentage. Meanwhile, Dobes has never faced them, while Fowler won his only outing against the divisional rival, posting a .929 SV. The Tricolore will hold a morning skate at 10:30, and we should know then who St-Louis chose as his starter.
Jonas Korpisalo was in the net on Monday night when the Bruins took on the New Jersey Devils and lost 4-3 in the shootout, so Jeremy Swayman should be on duty, just like he was for the first three games against the two sides this season. He has a 11-2-1 record against the Habs with a 2.92 GAA and a .893 SV. As for backup, Korpisalo he’s 8-2-0 with a 2.49 GAA and a .916 SV when facing the Sainte Flanelle.
Up front, there are question marks about the Canadiens’ lineup. Brendan Gallagher was a healthy scratch on Saturday night, while Zach Bolduc got the chop on Sunday night, but Kirby Dach was hurt early in the game against the Ducks, and we have yet to get an update on his status. If he can’t play, Bolduc should draw back in. If Gallagher plays, he will be skating in his 900th game with the Canadiens. On the backend, Arber Xhekaj played well on Sunday but only had one shift in the third frame, and one has to wonder what that means for tonight.
Gallagher is historically the Canadiens’ most productive player against the archrivals with 30 points in 46 games, but he’s been held off the scoresheet in the three duels this season. Nick Suzuki is second with 18 points in just 21 meetings, while both Josh Anderson and Noah Dobson have 13 points in 23 games. The Bruins should definitely keep an eye on Lane Hutson, though. The blueliner has eight points in just six duels, and after having a couple of tough games, he will want to bounce back. Suzuki and Juraj Slafkovsky both have three-game point streaks going, and the Habs will need them to keep it up if they are to come out on top Tuesday night.
As for the Bruins, David Pastrnak has always been a thorn on the Canadiens’ side; he has 46 points in 35 games against Montreal, and he’s on a six-game point streak. Ellias Lindholm comes in second place with 25 points in 37 games, followed by blueliner Charlie McAvoy, who's on a seven-game point streak, with 19 points in 26 games.
Boston has a 5-3-2 record in its last 10 games but is still catching up to the Canadiens. The Habs are third in the Atlantic division with 82 points, just one point ahead of the Bruins. Meaning a win for the visitors would drop the Habs into a wild-card spot. The Canadiens also have a 5-3-2 record in their last 10 games, but have lost their last two. The Bruins have won seven of the last 10 matches between the divisional rivals and have outscored the Canadiens 40-32 in the process.
The game is set for 7:00 PM, and you can catch it on RDS, TSN2, and NESN. Furman South and Wes McCauley are set to officiate, while Jesse Marquis and Brandon Grillo will be the linemen. The Canadiens will travel to Michigan on Wednesday, where they’ll take on the Detroit Red Wings in another crucial tilt on Thursday night.
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