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Canadiens @ Oilers: Habs Begin Road Trip | PREVIEW

Rick Stephens

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

Game Preview

A Look Back

It was another game where the Habs were flat and never got going. It started early with the Senators taking advantage of a bounce and they didn’t look back. The Habs provided little pushback which gave the Sens their first shutout of the season. While the Habs may be a playoff team they have several question marks going into the postseason, if they make it that far.

Last game: MTL 0  OTT 4

For a complete game recap: Senators @ Canadiens: Simply Unacceptable

Players to Watch

  • Jonathan Drouin
    The Habs couldn’t be more desperate for some offense and when things haven’t been going your way it starts to take a toll. Drouin needs to get the monkey off his back and start helping his team. It hasn’t looked good for the Drouin trade since it happened.
  • Jeff Petry
    It has been seven seasons since Petry was an Oiler, since then he has risen to a top four defenceman in the league. However of late he has been nothing close to that which makes one wonder if something is bothering him.
  • Paul Byron
    In what could be Byron’s last season with the Habs he has 14 points and has been far from the swiss army knife he was when he signed his lucrative $3.5 million contract. Byron has also been careless with the puck and needs to change up his game if he wants to remain with the Habs.

Keys to Victory

  • Shut down McDavid
    The Habs have done an excellent job this season shutting down McDavid stuffing him in the neutral zone not allowing him to generate speed or get into open space. The Habs have to be ready for McDavid to counter this as he won’t stay quiet against them for long.
  • Play with heart
    The Habs seem to be missing a lack of heart in their game. There has been a lack of will for some time now. Tonight’s game is a chance to prove they have a lot left and that being a member of the Habs is all they could wish for.
  • Shoot the puck
    Three shots on goal in one period is pathetic last game. The Habs can’t say that they tried their best out there and with no coaching adjustments, it is just a shame. If the Habs aren’t firing everything on the net tonight they deserve a chance at the post season.
Statistical Matchup
Rogers Place, Edmonton, AB | April 19, 9:00 PM ET | TV: TSN2, RDS, SNW

2020-21 statistics
OILERS CANADIENS
54 (13th) Points (rank) 47 (16th)
26-15-2 Record 19-14-9
13-8-0 Home/Away 9-4-7
6-2-2 Last 10 4-6-0
3.19 GF/G 2.95
2.79 GA/G 2.76
27.0 (3rd) PP% (rank) 19.1 (21st)
79.5 (16th) PK% (rank) 77.2 (22nd)
48.40  CF% 55.11
Pre-game Quotes
Dominique Ducharme
  • “Every time we lose or we don’t play the way we wanted to play, it’s an opportunity to rebound. We’re lucky because we don’t just play one game per week like in football, especially this year. We’re back on the ice quickly. It’s a good opportunity to show it tonight.”
Projected Forwards, Defense and Goaltenders (subject to change)
Forwards
Draisaitl – McDavid – Puljujarvi
Kahun – Haas – Yamamoto
Archibald – Khaira – Chiasson
Nygard – Shore – Kassian		 Toffoli – Suzuki – Armia
Tatar – Danault – Anderson
Drouin – Kotkaniemi – Byron
Lehkonen – Staal – Perry
Defensemen
Nurse – Barrie
Russell – Larsson
Jones – Bear		 Chiarot – Weber
Edmundson – Petry
Romanov – Kulak
Out of the lineup
Scratched: Stalock
Injured: Koekkoek, Klefbom, Nugent-Hopkins, Kulikov (COVID protocol)
 Scratched: Frolik, Evans
Injured: Gallagher (hand), Merrill (COVID protocol), Gustafsson (COVID protocol)
Goalies
Mike Smith Carey Price
Record: 15-4-2
GAA: 2.36
Sv%: .922
SO: 3
Alternate: Mikko Koskinen		 Record: 12-7-5
GAA: 2.67
Sv%: .900
SO: 1
Alternate: Jake Allen
 Game Expectations
The Habs and Oilers will play each other four more times this season, the Oilers may have a slight lead on the Habs but taking three out the remaining four games could give the Habs a chance at third place in the East. The Oilers are a rested team that haven’t played a lot of hockey lately.

Bottom Line

The Habs need to be ready from the start and can’t afford to play from behind. Price will get the start. He loves to play out West and will look to carry his team to playoffs.
 Video Highlights

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