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Habs Begin Western Road Trip | PREVIEW: MTL @ SEA

Rick Stephens

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

Game Preview 

A Look Back

The Red Wings struck early on a power-play but the Canadiens got it back and took the lead before the first period ended. The Habs did not let off the gas scoring three more times on Detroit netminder Thomas Greiss, chasing him in the second period. Mathieu Perreault scored into an empty net in the third period to cap off his hat trick.

Last game: MTL 6  DET 1  F

For a complete game recap: Habs Come Alive for First Win | RECAP: DET @ MTL

Players to Watch

  • Jeff Petry
    In the past when taking on the role of first-pairing defenceman, Petry has struggled. Despite playing 24 minutes per game, Petry is scoreless in six games to start the season. The Canadiens are counting on his offensive contribution particularly on the power-play.
  • Jake Evans
    Evans appears far more comfortable as the fourth line centre particularly between two players with whom he already has established chemistry. Artturi Lehkonen and Joel Armia. The wingers are two of the hardest workers on the team and as a line the trio can be tough to play against.
  • Jake Allen
    Allen had a tough training camp and start to his season. Last game, he lost his net giving up a goal to Detroit that he would want back. But Allen battled through finishing with his first win of the season. He’ll need to have a solid set of games on the road to fully help his confidence return.

Keys to Victory

  • Start strong
    Montreal has scored first in just one of their six games this season. It will be important to start strong and get the first goal to silence the loud Seattle crowd.
  • Win faceoffs on the power-play
    The Canadiens have just two power-play goals in 23 opportunities. Starting the man advantage with the puck should be the first priority towards improvement as the Habs are just 41.7 percent at the faceoff dot on the power-play, worst in the NHL.
  • Score early and often
    Despite their outburst against the Red Wings, the Habs are 32nd in the league in producing offence. But the Kraken may be the cure as they have given up the fifth most goals per game so far this season. 
Statistical Matchup for Game 7
CP Arena, Seattle, WA | October 26, 10:00 PM ET | TV: TSN2, RDS, ESPN+

2021-22  statistics
KRAKEN CANADIENS
3 (14th) Points (rank) 2 (32nd)
1-4-1 Record 1-5-0
L3 Streak W1
1-4-1 Last 10 1-5-0
2.17 GF/G 1.67
3.83 GA/G 3.33
17.6 (22nd) PP% (rank) 8.7 (31st)
85.7 (10th) PK%  (rank) 57.1 (30th)
44.9  Faceoff % 46.8
Pre-game Quotes
Paul Wilson, Senior Vice President, Public Affairs and Communications
  • Paul Wilson of the Canadiens tells us that Shea Weber has not retired, he has not signed any papers to that effect. He is still on the long-term injured list. (via Chantal Machabee)
Projected Forwards, Defense and Goaltenders (subject to change)
Forwards
Schwartz – Gourde – Jarnkrok
McCann – Wennberg – Eberle
Tanev – Geekie – Donskoi
Bastian – Sheahan – Appleton		 Hoffman – Suzuki – Gallagher
Drouin – Dvorak – Anderson
Toffoli – Perreault – Caufield
Lehkonen – Paquette – Armia
Defensemen
Giordano – Oleksiak
Lauzon – Larsson
Soucy – Dunn		 Chiarot – Petry
Romanov – Savard
Niku – Kulak
Out of the lineup
Scratched:
Injured: Jarnkrok, Johansson, Driedger, Blackwell
 Scratched: Brooks, Wideman
Injured: Evans (undisclosed), Edmundson (family), Norlinder (lower-body), Price (player assistance program), Byron (hip), Weber (multiple injuries)
Goalies
Philipp Grubauer Jake Allen
Record: 1-3-1
GAA: 3.80
Sv%: .869
SO: 0
Alternate: Joey Daccord		 Record: 1-4-0
GAA: 2.65
Sv%: .905
SO: 0
Alternate: Sam Montembeault
 Game Expectations
There is history between the two cities as the Seattle Metropolitans met the Montreal Canadiens to compete for the Stanley Cup in 1919. The championship was cancelled  due to the Spanish flu epidemic. This season, each team has just one win in their first six contests and both clubs have a minus-10 differential. The Kraken will be focused on securing their first home win.

Bottom Line

So far, the Kraken have had difficulty closing games unable to maintain their performance level for a full sixty minutes. The Canadiens need to use this to their advantage continuing to pressure Seattle in every zone until the final buzzer.
 Video Highlights

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