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‘Execute the Plan’ | PREVIEW: MTL @ SJS

Rick Stephens

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

Game Preview (with contributions from Cole Jurzyniec)

A Look Back

Whether it was a flawed plan or failed execution is open for debate but the Canadiens were not able to handle Seattle’s strong transition game. As a result, Montreal was unable to create grade-A scoring opportunities. As the Kraken added to their lead, the Habs effort level dropped off a cliff.

Last game: MTL 1  SEA 5  F

For a complete game recap: Kraken Crush Canadiens | RECAP: MTL @ SEA

Players to Watch

  • Mike Hoffman
    Hoffman missed the first three games due to injury but since joining the lineup has potted two goals in four games. With the Canadiens struggling to create 5-vs-5 offensive chances, Hoffman can be the key to jumpstarting the power-play.
  • Artturi Lehkonen
    Lehkonen is the most used forward on the Canadiens penalty-kill and with good reason: he is consistently the best at shot suppression. At 5-vs-5, Lehkonen’s line  leads in the Canadiens in takeaways this season.
  • Alexander Romanov
    With two blocked shots near the end of the game in Seattle, Romanov has demonstrated that he is playing hard until the final buzzer. Romanov is second in hits and third in blocked shots among Habs defencemen. He is also second in giveaways behind the struggling Jeff Petry.

Keys to Victory

  • Get to the net
    The Habs are 28th in the league in high-danger scoring chances. The primary reason is that Montreal is playing a perimeter game in the offensive zone leaving the front of the opposition goal untouched.
  • Play with the puck
    Montreal has finished in the top-four in puck possession over the past three seasons. This year, the Habs are chasing the play and find themselves in the middle of the pack at 14th in the league in that category.
  • Clear the zone
    The Canadiens are missing Carey Price in numerous ways including his ability to play the puck. Dominique Ducharme wants to limit defence-to-defence passes preferring the rearguards to move the puck up and out of the zone quickly.
Statistical Matchup for Game 8
SAP Center, San Jose, CA | October 28, 10:30 PM ET | TV: TSN2, RDS, ESPN+

2021-22  statistics
SHARKS CANADIENS
8 (11th) Points (rank) 2 (30th)
4-2-0 Record 1-6-0
L2 Streak L1
4-2-0 Last 10 1-6-0
3.33 GF/G 1.57
2.33 GA/G 3.57
25.0 (12th) PP% (rank) 8.0 (31st)
85.7 (10th) PK%  (rank) 64.0 (29th)
52.6  Faceoff % 45.9
Pre-game Quotes
Cedric Paquette
  • “Win battles, work hard and execute the plan.”
Projected Forwards, Defense and Goaltenders (subject to change)
Forwards
Dahlen – Couture – Meier
Eklund – Hertl – Balcers
Cogliano – Bonino – Labanc
Pederson – Weatherby – Barabanov		 Hoffman – Suzuki – Gallagher
Drouin – Dvorak – Anderson
Toffoli – Perreault – Caufield
Lehkonen – Paquette – Armia
Defensemen
Ferraro – Burns
Middleton – Karlsson
Simek – Vlasic		 Chiarot – Petry
Romanov – Savard
Niku – Kulak
Out of the lineup
Scratched: Viel, Gadjovich, Hatakka, Nieto
Injured: Knyzhov
 Scratched: Brooks, Wideman
Injured: Evans (undisclosed), Edmundson (family), Norlinder (lower-body), Price (player assistance program), Byron (hip), Weber (multiple injuries)
Goalies
Adin Hill Jake Allen
Record: 3-1-0
GAA: 2.92
Sv%: .890
SO: 1
Alternate: James Reimer		 Record: 1-5-0
GAA: 3.04
Sv%: .890
SO: 0
Alternate: Sam Montembeault
 Game Expectations
The Canadiens have not won in San Jose since November 23, 1999, and overall have lost 10 straight games to the Sharks. In the fourth game of this season, San Jose beat the Habs 5-0 at the Bell Centre. Both teams are coming off a loss in their last game.

Bottom Line

Montreal’s top players must step up and show their leadership on the ice. That means Brendan Gallagher, Jeff Petry and Nick Suzuki have to leave behind their slow start and make an offensive contribution.
 Video Highlights

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