The Montreal Canadiens are back home after a seven-game road trip, and they'll take on the Calgary Flames on Wednesday night at the Bell Centre. Here's what you need to know before the game.
While the Calgary Flames have a 6-4-0 record in the last 10 games, they’re not having a great season. With just 40 points and in second-to-last place in the Pacific Division, most agree that the Alberta outfit will be a seller come trade deadline day, whether GM Craig Conroy is ready to admit it or not.
When they faced the Montreal Canadiens in October, we were treated to a fantastic goalie battle that ended in overtime on a Mike Matheson goal. Dustin Wolf made 26 saves on 28 shots and had a .929 save percentage, while Jakub Dobes was outstanding with 36 saves on 37 shots for a .973 save percentage.
Canadiens: Laine Continues Rehab With Adam Nicholas
Canadiens Have 2 Flames Trade Targets To Consider
Canadiens: Hughes Believes His Team Is Ahead of Schedule
Martin St-Louis has confirmed that Jacob Fowler will be in the net for the Canadiens on Wednesday night, he has never faced the Flames. Meanwhile, Jakub Dobes has a 1-1-0 record, a 1.01 goals-against average, and a .967 save percentage against st Calgary. As for Montembeault, he has faced the Flames three times and has a 0-2-1 record with a 2.69 GAA and a .913 SV%.
At the other end of the ice, Wolf has a fantastic record against the Habs. He’s 3-0-1 with a 1.49 GAA and a .948 SV. As for backup Devin Cooley, he has never faced Montreal and has appeared in only 13 games this season. Considering the Flames last played on Monday, Wolf would be well-rested, but tonight’s tilt with the Habs is part one of a back-to-back for the visitors who’ll be facing the Boston Bruins on the road tomorrow. Statistically, at least, the Bruins are the easier match-up this season; they are second-to-last in the Atlantic Division with 46 points.
Up front, Nick Suzuki is the Canadiens’ most productive forward against Calgary with 14 points in 20 games, followed by Phillip Danault with 11 points in 30 games and Brendan Gallagher wraps up the top three with eight points in 22 games. The latter now only needs one goal to tie Mats Naslund as the 14th-best goal scorer in team history, and one assist to join Chris Chelios in 37th place in the team’s all-time assist leaders’ rankings. As for Alexandre Texier, he is chasing his 100th career point, and playing alongside Suzuki and Cole Caufield on the first line can only help in that department.
Meanwhile, Jonathan Huberdeau leads the Flames in points against the Habs with 32 points in 37 games, followed by Nazem Kadri with 24 points in 43 games, and Blake Coleman wraps up the top three with 14 points in 21 games.
World Junior Championship standout Zayne Parekh is set to rejoin the Flames on their current road trip. The 19-year-old has set a new record for most points by a Canadian defenseman in a single edition of the WJC. However, he got himself in trouble on New Year’s Day when he told the press he felt he could be more open with the media during the tournament—adding that NHL athletes often come across as robots with no personality, and that a lot of guys tell him to give really simple answers when with the Flames. He apologized for the comments after Canada’s bronze medal win.
The Canadiens have won six of the last 10 duels between the two sides, but the visitors have won the previous two matches at the Bell Centre. Gord Dwyer and Garrett Rank will officiate while Ryan Daisy and Shawn Oliver will be the linesmen. The game is set for 7:30 tonight, and you can catch it on RDS and Sportsnet.
Follow Karine on X @KarineHains Bluesky @karinehains.bsky.social and Threads @karinehains.
Bookmark The Hockey News Canadiens' page for all the news and happenings around the Canadiens.
Join the discussion by signing up to the Canadiens' roundtable on The Hockey News.
Subscribe to The Hockey News at THN.com/free. Get the latest news and trending stories by subscribing to our newsletter here.