GAME PREVIEW | Canadiens – Red Wings: Habs Look for Win In Motown

By
Sam Gerber
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GAME DAY | Montreal Canadiens vs Detroit Red Wings: Preview, TV,  Start Time, Statistical Match-up, Projected Lines, Starting Goalies, Keys to Victory, Habs Tickets

Game Preview by Sam Gerber
Last game : MTL 2  WPG 3  F   Mental mistakes on all three goals once again cost the Habs. You know things aren’t going right when the Habs give up a 2-on-0 while on the power-play. Cale Fleury had some bad luck giving the Jets a breakaway resulting in the game-winner. The positives for the Habs: Ben Chariot, Carey Price and Ilya Kovalchuk all came to play. Chariot scored a pair, Kovalchuk was very impactful on the ice and Price kept the Habs in the game.

For a complete game recap: Habs ‘Aren’t Quitting’ Says Coach

Players to watch

  • Ilya Kovalchuk
    It was one game but Kovalchuk won over many fans. He had one assist, was a plus-2, four shots, and hits showing that he may have something left in the tank. After not playing since early November, it will be interesting to see if Kovalchuk has the same energy on the second night of a back-to-back.
  • Dale Weise
    Weise is playing like his NHL career depends on it and it really does. If it weren’t for the injuries, Weise would still be in the AHL. Since being called up, Weise has used his size, helping the fourth line to be impactful.
  • Ben Chiarot
    Chariot had his first career two-goal game and is five points behind his career high with half a season left to play. He has had some tough games recently but has mostly exceeded pre-season expectations.  

Keys to Victory

  • Win special teams
    Giving up a short-handed goal and being shut out on the power-play is never a good sign. But the man advantage with Shea Weber and Ilya Kovalchuk gave the Habs a different look and should provide some good chances.
  • Score goals
    The Habs haven’t been able to score like the beginning of the year since the injuries. The Habs depth players have been providing the offence but Phillip Danault has really been struggling to generate any offence during the losing streak.
  • Limit mistakes
    The Habs continue to get victimized on their mistakes. They’ll have to do a much better job by making better decisions.
Statistical Matchup by All Habs
Little Caesars Arena, Detroit, MI | January 7, 7:30 PM ET | TV: TSN2, RDS, FS-D

2019-20 statistics
RED WINGS CANADIENS
23 (31st) Points (rank) 43 (24th)
10-30-3 Record 18-18-7
6-14-1 Home/Away 10-8-3
2-8-0 Last 10 3-6-1
2.14 GF/G 3.12
3.81 GA/G 3.21
15.7 PP% 21.7
73.6 PK% 76.9
46.41  CF% 53.94
Pre-game quotes
Ben Chiarot

  • “We feel like we’re playing the right way for the most part, just obviously not scoring as many goals as we need to. We’re doing the right things, we’re just not finishing around their net. So that’s going to have to come by committee right now, and we’re going to have to dig around their net a little harder.”
Projected forward lines, defense pairings and goaltenders by All Habs
Forwards
Bertuzzi – Larkin – Fabbri
Glendening – Filppula – Zadina
Helm – Nielsen – Erne
Perlini – Ehn – 		 Tatar – Danault – Kovalchuk
Lehkonen – Domi – Suzuki
Poehling – Kotkaniemi – Cousins  
Vejdemo – Thompson – Weise
Defensemen
Nemeth – Green 
Biega – Hronek 
Lashoff – Bowey 		 Chiarot – Weber
Scandella – Petry
Mete – Kulak
Out of the lineup
Scratched: Abdelkader 
Injured: Ericsson, Athanasiou, DeKeyser, Mantha, Daley
 Scratched: Weal, Fleury
Injured: Drouin, Byron, Peca, Gallagher, Armia
Goalies
Jonathan Bernier Charlie Lindgren
Record: 8-12-2
GAA: – 3.04
Sv%: – .904
SO: 1
Alternate: Jimmy Howard		 Record: 0-1-0
GAA: – 2.03
Sv%: – .943
SO: 0
Alternate: Carey Price
 What to Expect by Sam Gerber
With the Habs losing their sixth game in a row, the schedule did the Habs a bit of a favor and gave them the Wings. The Wings are last in the league and the Habs desperately need a win. The Habs should know better than to take the Wings lightly as Detroit has won both games against Montreal this season.
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