The Habs finished their road trip with a great third period effort against the Blue Jackets where they out-shot Columbus 23-to-5. But volume was not enough to beat Sergei Bobrovsky who secured the win for his team. Brendan Gallagher scored again and reached a career high in goals.

For a complete recap: Habs Penalty-Kill Fails Them

Players to watch

• Alexander Radulov
  Radulov is flourishing in Dallas and his return to Montreal will be hard for Habs fans to watch as he is sure to put on a show.
• Jordie Benn
  Benn has struggled the last two games with turnovers and needs to play more simple. Benn is an experienced player and is making mistakes that NHLer’s don’t make.
• Jamie Benn
  The more famous of the Benn brothers plays hard and can surprise players with his physical presence, just ask Jeff Petry.

Keys to Victory

• Disciplined coverage
  Claude Julien’s defensive system requires players to out man the puck carrier. Players must keep their heads on a swivel.
• Stay out of the box
  The Habs penalty kill is awful. They need to do everything they can to avoid being penalized.
• Take advantage of opportunities
  Players need to step up and take advantage of their opportunities.

2017-18 statistics

After a long road trip the Habs are happy to be home. Given the number of injuries, it can be considered a decent road trip despite the 1-3-2 record. The Stars are hanging on to one of the wild card spots and desperately need every point they can get. It’s normal for teams to be a little sluggish after returning from a road trip. So displaying some early energy and staying out of the box will be key to fend off the high-powered offence of the Stars.

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