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Harris Returns | PREVIEW: MIN @ MTL

Sam Gerber

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

Game Preview 

A Look Back

The Habs had a tough weekend with back-to-back losses. With only six games left on the season, the Habs may just be looking to finish the rest of the season healthy and get ready for next season. The Habs didn’t have an answer for the Capitals who gave the Habs their first blowout loss in a long time. Ryan Poehling had a strong game, but many Habs did not including Sam Montembeault. Carey Price is expected to get a few more games before the season is over but the Habs plan to be very careful with him.

Last game: MTL 4  WSH 8  F

For a complete game recap: Roughed Up | RECAP: WSH @ MTL

Players to Watch

  • Ryan Poehling
    Poehling should be given the green light and high end minutes to finish the season. Poehling has often been given a bottom six role but with only a handful of games left the Habs need to test him and see if he can rise to the occasion giving him a goal to achieve next season.
  • Brendan Gallagher
    There are a lot of questions surrounding Gallagher. Could this season just be an injury-plagued season and an extended off-season be exactly what is needed for Gallagher to be an impact player again? Only time will tell but the veteran forward needs to find a way to stay healthy next season.
  • Joel Edmundson
    Edmundson has made a very strong presence since coming back from injury and has become a large leader for the Habs. Going into next season look for Edmundson to become one of the biggest leaders and if not have the “C” but an “A” on his jersey.

Keys to Victory

  • Use speed
    The Habs need to continue to use their speed as the NHL only continues to get faster, rather than getting left behind in the dust.
  • Tighten up defensive zone
    The Habs are going to have to step up defensively as the Wild will not quit and the Habs forwards have to do their part on the backcheck.
  • Limit turnovers
    The Wild are one of the strongest teams in the West and take no teams for granted, they are a big team that pounce on turnovers. The Habs have to make smart passes and eliminate their turnovers to have a chance in this game.
Statistical Matchup for Game 77
Bell Centre, Montreal, QC | April 19, 7:00 PM ET | TV: TSN2, RDS, ESPN+, BSN, BSWIX

2021-22  statistics
WILD CANADIENS
101 (8th) Points (rank) 51 (31st)
47-21-7 Record 20-45-11
W1 Streak L5
6-1-3 Last 10 2-8-0
3.68 (5th) GF/G (rank) 2.55 (31st)
3.08 (19th) GA/G (rank) 3.86 (32nd)
19.9 (20th) PP% (rank) 13.4 (31st)
75.4 (25th) PK%  (rank) 74.6 (28th)
47.3  Faceoff % 48.8
Pre-game Quotes
Carey Price
  • “It’s nice to get back into game action, and even when I wasn’t playing, being on the bench and taking in the game from ice level. I thought I had a good practice again [on Monday] and I’m getting ready for [Tuesday].”
Projected Forwards, Defense and Goaltenders (subject to change)
Forwards
Kaprizov – Hartman – Zuccarello
Jost – Eriksson Ek – Foligno
Fiala – Gaudreau – Boldy
Deslauriers – Bjugstad – Duhaime		 Caufield – Suzuki – Anderson
Hoffman – Dvorak – Gallagher
R. Pitlick – Dauphin – Perreault
Byron – Poehling – T. Pitlick
Defensemen
Middleton – Spurgeon
Brodin – Kulikov
Benn – Goligoski		  Romanov – Savard
Edmundson – Petry
Harris – Wideman
Out of the lineup
Scratched:
Injured: Merrill, Dumba, Greenway		 Scratched: Lagesson, Clague,  Schueneman
Injured: Evans (virus), Armia (family), Allen (lower-body), Barron (lower-body), Drouin (upper-body), Weber (multiple injuries)
Suspended: Pezzetta
Goalies
Cam Talbot Carey Price
Record: 29-12-4
GAA: 2.84
Sv%: .910
SO: 2
Alternate: Marc-Andre Fleury		 Record: 0-1-0
GAA: 2.04
Sv%: .895
SO: 1
Alternate: Sam Montembeault
 Game Expectations
The Wild may have a depleted lineup as they battle with Covid. This is a chance for the Habs to end their losing streak and give the fans a couple moments to celebrate before the season is over. The Wild are still a deep team that only got better since the deadline adding veteran and All Star goalie Marc-Andre Fleury. Fleury has given the Wild a great tandem in net and has won six of his last seven starts.

Bottom Line

With four of their final six games against playoff teams the Habs are in tough but the goal should be to give up nothing easy and to make teams have to work to beat them.
 Video Highlights

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