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Debut for Matheson | PREVIEW: PHI @ MTL

Sam Gerber

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

Game Preview 

A Look Back

A tie game after two periods turned into a high scoring affair that saw the Habs lack of experienced leadership and coaching exposed. The Blue Jackets had answers for the Habs in the third and the visiting team became unraveled. No team expects to win a game giving up 5 goals and the Habs will have to be much tighter defensively after back to back games of giving up at least five goals.

Last game: MTL 4  CBJ 6  F

For a complete game recap: ‘Worst Period of the Year’ | RECAP: MTL @ CBJ

Players to Watch

  • Mike Matheson
    It’s the long awaited debut for Matheson tonight. He was the return for Jeff Petry and Ryan Poehling. Matheson is a Quebec native who is known as a mobile all around defender with an offensive touch.
  • Juraj Slafkovsky
    Slafkovsky recorded his first NHL assist last game. So far his season his play has been underwhelming but there are a lot of things to like. Slafkovsky has been learning this entire season. Once he learns the ins and outs of the NHL there should be a dramatic improvement in his game.
  • Nick Suzuki
    After two tough losses the Habs leadership will need to lead by example and the Habs will need a great game from their captain. Suzuki is having a great season and has only been held pointless five times out of his seventeen games played.

Keys to Victory

  • Focus on defence
    After giving up more than five goals or more in each of the last two games the Habs will have to be much better defensively.
  • Shoot the puck
    The Habs will want to pile on the shots tonight but also try to get shots thru as the Flyers will be blocking everything they can.
  • Play with an edge
    The Flyers are a classic John Tortorella team that will be hard to play against and make you pay physically and the Habs will have to be ready for that.
Statistical Matchup for Game 18
Bell Centre, Montreal, QC | November 19, 7:00 PM ET | TV: CITY, SNE, TVAS,  ESPN+, NBCSP

2022-23  statistics
FLYERS CANADIENS
17 (19th) Points (rank) 17 (20th)
7-7-3 Record 8-8-1
L1 Streak L2
2-5-3 Last 10 5-4-1
2.47 (32nd) GF/G (rank) 3.00 (20th)
3.06 (12th) GA/G (rank) 3.47 (22nd)
17.9 (27th) PP% (rank) 17.0 (28th)
74.1 (27th) PK% (rank) 80.0 (11th)
45.3  Faceoff % 51.2
Pre-game Quotes
Mike Matheson
  • “Yeah, it’s really exciting. I had been waiting for this day for a long time. I think it will be really special for my family and me. I will finally play for the Canadiens.”
Projected Forwards, Defense and Goaltenders (subject to change)
Forwards
Laughton – Hayes – Farabee
Tippett – Cates – MacEwen
Willman – Frost – Bellows
Deslauriers – Sedlak – Brown		 Caufield – Suzuki – Dach
Hoffman – Dvorak – Gallagher
Dadonov – Monahan – Anderson
Pezzetta – Evans – Slafkovsky
Defensemen
Provorov – DeAngelo
Sanheim – Braun
Seeler – Ristolainen		 Guhle – Savard
Matheson – Edmundson
Xhekaj – Kovacevic
Out of the lineup
Scratched: Zamula
Injured: Konecny, Ellis, Couturier, Atkinson, van Riemsdyk, Allison		 Scratched: Wideman, Harris
Injured: Byron (hip), Price (knee), Drouin (upper-body), Armia (upper-body)
Goalies
Carter Hart Jake Allen
Record: 6-3-3
GAA: 2.55
Sv%: .925
SO: 0
Alternate: Felix Sandstrom		 Record: 5-6-0
GAA: 3.29
Sv%: .901
SO: 0
Alternate: Sam Montembeault
 Game Expectations
After two high scoring games the Habs will try to be much more disciplined and try to keep this one a low scoring game. The Flyers should be happy to play that style as well. The Flyers have lost five straight and have struggled to score multiple goals over that stretch. With that said the Habs and Flyers are currently tied at seventeen points and both teams just sit outside of the wild card spots. This should be a very tight checking game where both teams will wait for each other to make a mistake.

Bottom Line

It’s still early in the season but the Habs can’t afford to lose three straight and make the playoffs. This is a game they need and it will come down to who wants it more in the end.
 Video Highlights

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