GAME DAY | Wild – Canadiens: Preview, Lines, Goalies, TV, Fantasy

• After a scary incident on Thursday night, in which P. K. Subban was stretchered off the ice, it was revealed that he hasn’t suffered any serious injury to his neck. We wish him a speedy recovery. Captain Max Pacioretty had this to say about Subban’s injury: “It was impossible to concentrate after that. Maybe for me more so than other guys. Now I know how guys felt when that happened to me [referring to the incident involving Zdeno Chara on March 8, 2011]. All we can do is be supportive. Any time you get an injury to that area, it’s very, very scary.”
• Alex Galchenyuk has finally emerged as a top threat on the Canadiens’ offensive unit. With 8 goals in his last five games (and 9 total points in that same span), it is quite apparent that Galchenyuk is breaking out and deserves to center the top line.
• Michel Therrien had this to say about Galchenyuk’s recent surge in production: “He’s taking advantage of the opportunities he has right now. A lot of credit goes to him with the way he’s developed. He’s not the same player that he was maybe three months ago. We started the year with the intention to give him the opportunity to play on the top two lines as a centerman. We didn’t get the results we were looking for”
• Although the Canadiens’ suffered through a historically terrible streak throughout majority of this season (which seems to have started after their game versus the Devils on November 28, 2015), things are starting to turn around of late. The Canadiens have won three games in a row and seven of their last eight games on home ice. Not to mention the fact that Carey Price is getting closer to game action every day.
• While the Canadiens have a 6-16-3 record versus teams in the Western Conference this season, the Wild have a 11-13-2 record against teams from the East.
• So far this season, the Canadiens have a 3-8-2 record versus teams in the Central division, while the Wild have a 7-4-1 record versus teams coming from the Atlantic.
• The Canadiens have moved down in the standings for the goals against category, as they are currently in 21th in the league in goals against, with 190 in 68 games. The Wild have allowed 171 goals in 68 games and find themselves in 11th in the league.
• The Canadiens have dropped down in the standings for the goals scored category as they are currently in 12th place in the NHL, with 186 over their first 68 games. The Wild are 18th in this category with 178 goals scored in their first 68 games.

• Top scorers for the Wild on the road this season are:

1. Zach Parise (with 22 points in 27 games)
2. Mikael Granlund, Mikko Koivu and Ryan Suter (all with 21 points in 34 games)

• Top scorers for the Canadiens at home this season are:

1. Tomas Plekanec and P. K. Subban (both with 26 points in 33 games)
2. Max Pacioretty (with 23 points in 33 games)
3.  Alex Galchenyuk (with 21 points in 33 games)

* – Currently injured

Player stats from War-on-Ice, NHL.com and Yahoo Sports.