Home Featured GAME PREVIEW | Wild – Canadiens: Cousins, Fleury in Habs Lineup

GAME PREVIEW | Wild – Canadiens: Cousins, Fleury in Habs Lineup

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GAME PREVIEW | Wild – Canadiens: Cousins, Fleury in Habs Lineup

GAME DAY | Montreal Canadiens vs Minnesota Wild: Preview, TV,  Start Time, Statistical Match-up, Projected Lines, Starting Goalies, Keys to Victory, Habs Tickets

Game Preview by Sam Gerber
Last game : MTL 1  TBL 3  F   The Canadiens started well outchancing last year’s winners of the President’s Trophy. The first period ended with Montreal looking lost in their own end and skaters watching the Lightning take turns shooting on Price. With seven seconds left in the period Tampa scored. That goal changed the entire game for the Habs. Mentally they weren’t the same team making mistake after mistake in the second leading to two early goals against. The Habs were down 3-1 to start the third but could not generate many high quality scoring chances. The Habs power-play was unable to score again going 1-for-5.

For a complete game recap: Habs Fail to Sustain Start

Players to watch

  • Brendan Gallagher
    Gallagher may have six points in six games but they came in a pair of games. He knows that he needs to play better. In his last game Gallagher only had two shots on goal with no hits. Gallagher knows he leads by example and if he’s not getting his chances he has to be physical.
  • Nick Cousins
    Byron has had a quiet start, playing mostly fourth line and special teams. He has yet to use his speed like we’ve seen in the past and something he’ll need to start doing to make a difference for the Habs.
  • Brett Kulak
    Kulak has some chemistry with Jeff Petry but, given the state of the Habs defence, is playing in a role beyond his talent. A change is desperately needed as Victor Mete has struggled so far this season and there is no solution in sight for the top pair.

Keys to Victory

  • Change lines smartly
    The Habs have been careless with line changes going back to last year. Poor changes result in odd man rushes and minor penalties. There is no excuse for these careless mistakes and the coaching staff must take responsibility.
  • Be better in own zone
    Montreal’s defensive coverage has been lacking. Given the holes on defence, it will be necessary for forwards to help out. Failure to get the puck out early and disrupt the forecheck has led to long shifts resulting in goals against.
  • Play smart
    The Canadiens need to keep it simple and make smart plays more often. Preventable mistakes are multiplying leading to breakdowns.
Statistical Matchup by All Habs
Bell Centre, Montreal, QC | October 17, 7:00 PM ET | TV: TSN2, RDS, FS-N

2019-20 statistics

WILD CANADIENS
2 (30th) Points (rank) 6 (21st)
1-5-0 Record 2-2-2
1-4-0 Away/Home 1-2-0
1-5-0 Last 10 2-2-2
2.33 GF/G 3.50
4.17 GA/G 3.83
15.0 PP% 23.8
77.3 PK% 61.1
50.00  CF% 51.66
Pre-game quotes
Claude Julien

  • “They’re a big team; they play a pretty physical game. They always give us a hard time. They’re well-structured. They’re a team that protects the front of their net well. They also reply well defensively.”
Projected forward lines, defense pairings and goaltenders by All Habs
Forwards
Parise – Koivu – Zucker
Mayhew – Staal – Hartman
Foligno –  Eriksson Ek – Kunin
Fiala – Donato – Greenway
Tatar – Danault – Gallagher
Lehkonen – Domi – Byron
Drouin – Kotkaniemi – Armia
Cousins – Thompson – Suzuki
Defensemen
Suter – Spurgeon
Brodin – Dumba
Seeler – Hunt
Mete – Weber
Kulak – Petry
Chiarot – Fleury
Out of the lineup
Scratched: Soucy
Injured: Rask, Pateryn, Zuccarello
Scratched: Reilly, Folin, Weal
Injured: 
Goalies
Alex Stalock Carey Price
Record: 1-0-0
GAA: – 0.71
Sv%: – .973
SO: 1
Alternate: Devan Dubnyk
Record: 2-2-1
GAA: – 3.33
Sv%: – .896
SO: 0
Alternate: Keith Kinkaid
 What to Expect by Sam Gerber
Montreal and Minnesota who are two teams that have struggled out of the gate and will play each other twice in the next four days. With tonight’s game, the Habs need to come out strong. The Wild have struggled to score only netting 14 goals in six games while giving up 25. The Habs numbers aren’t much better. The Canadiens will have to be careful as the Wild are a bigger and much more physical team that will start throwing their weight around if the game gets out of reach early. 
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