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GAME PREVIEW | Canadiens – Lightning: Habs Look to ‘Play to Strengths’

Sam Gerber

GAME DAY | Canadiens – Lightning: Preview, TV,  Start Time, Statistical Match-up, Projected Lines, Starting Goalies, Keys to Victory, Tickets

Game Preview by Sam Gerber
Last game : MTL 1  NSH 3   The Canadiens top line were completely outplayed by Nashville. The game featured a goalie battle between Pekka Rinne and Carey Price with each goaltender making spectacular saves through the game.  The Predators capitalized on numerous Montreal mistakes.

For a complete game recap: Habs Mistakes Costly Against Preds

Players to watch

  • Jesperi Kotkaniemi
    Kotkaniemi has exceeded expectations this season by a wide margin. Playing against top teams has provided yet another challenge for him. He has not yet scored on the road this season and this could be the night.
  • Jonathan Drouin
    After two solid outings, Drouin was dreadful against the Predators committing turnovers and looking completely disengaged. Fans are certainly expecting Drouin to have the game of the season against his former team.
  • Carey Price
    Price has carried the Canadiens since the beginning of December but he can’t do it alone. Montreal needs a much better effort tonight than they showed in Nashville and Price will do the rest. 

Keys to Victory

  • Compete hard
    The Canadiens need to have a full team commitment to outwork the Lightning in every zone on the ice. 
  • Be consistent
    Montreal played just one strong period against the Predators. They will need a 60-minute effort to defeat Tampa Bay.
  • Create traffic
    Canadiens forwards will have to fight through a strong Lightning defence to create traffic in the Tampa crease. 
Statistical Matchup by All Habs staff
Amalie Arena, Tampa, FL | February 16, 7:00 PM ET | TV: SNE, TVAS, CITY, SUN 

2018-19 statistics
LIGHTNING CANADIENS
90 (1st) Points (rank) 69 (10th)
43-11-4 Record 31-19-7
16-6-2 Home/Away 17-10-3
7-1-2 Last 10 6-2-2
3.88 GF/G 3.00
2.72 GA/G 2.89
29.8 PP% 13.3
84.4 PK% 79.7
51.82  CF%  54.14
Pre-game quotes
Brendan Gallagher
  • “We know if we play to our strengths we give ourselves a shot every night. It’s always a fast-paced hockey game here. It’s going to be fun.”
Projected forward lines, defense pairings and goaltenders
Forwards
Palat – Stamkos – Johnson
Gourde – Point – Kucherov
Killorn – Cirelli – Miller
Erne – Paquette – Joseph		 Drouin – Danault – Gallagher
Tatar – Domi – Shaw
Lehkonen – Kotkaniemi – Armia
Deslauriers – Thompson – Weise
Defensemen
 Hedman – Girardi
McDonagh – Cernak
 Stralman – Sergachev		 Mete – Weber
Reilly – Petry
   Kulak – Benn
Out of the lineup
Scratched: Coburn, Martel, Callahan
Injured: 
 Scratched: Hudon, Folin, Peca
Injured: Byron
Goalies
Andrei Vasilevskiy Carey Price
Record: 24-7-4
GAA: – 2.39
Sv%: – .927
SO: 5
Alternate: Louis Domingue		 Record: 23-14-5
GAA: – 2.56
Sv%: – .915
SO: 3
Alternate: Antti Niemi
 What to Expect by Sam Gerber
The last time these two teams met was on Boxing Day. A struggling Antti Niemi was in goal for Montreal that night. The Canadiens have a better chance this time around with Carey Price in goal but it won’t be easy to defeat Tampa in their own barn. If the Habs have any chance at making noise in the playoffs, they need to consistently beat clubs that are higher in the standings.
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