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Oilers @ Canadiens: Looking for ‘A’ Game | HABS PREVIEW

Sam Gerber

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

Game Preview

A Look Back

A weird game that saw the Maple Leafs superstars go quiet while the Habs were flat all night. A lack of emotion and effort by the Habs allowed the Leafs to take the second straight game and increase their lead for the Canadian division.

Last game: MTL 2  TOR 4  F

For a complete game recap: Maple Leafs @ Canadiens: Habs Outworked, Outplayed

Players to Watch

  • Brendan Gallagher
    When the Habs are flat and need some energy, Gallagher has been the spark for several years, he was no where to be found last night and knows he has to make up for that.
  • Jonathan Drouin
    With the offense starting to slow down Drouin needs to become a leader and start finishing the chances his line has created.
  • Phillip Danault
    Danault has been invisible offensively almost to the point when he is on the ice you can expect nothing to happen. He has also been unreliable defensively this season.

Keys to Victory

  • Play with urgency
    The Habs lacked urgency last game, it could be due to the lack of fans but the Habs have been flat the last few games.
  • Use speed
    To get back to the way the Habs were playing at the beginning of the season the Habs need to start using their speed again.
  • Win special teams
    The Habs had some chances to get some momentum last game but failed to do anything on the power-play. The Habs need to capitalize on the opportunities giving to them. 
Statistical Matchup
Bell Centre, Montreal, QC | February 11, 8:00 PM ET | TV: TSN2, RDS, SNW, ESPN+

2020-21 statistics
OILERS CANADIENS
16 (15th) Points (rank) 18 (4th)
8-7-0 Record 8-3-2
4-3-0 Away/Home 3-3-0
6-4-0 Last 10 6-3-1
3.47 GF/G 3.85
3.47 GA/G 2.62
24.1 (11th) PP% (rank) 21.3 (16th)
75.0 (24th) PK% (rank) 80.4 (16th)
48.47  CF% 53.50
Pre-game Quotes
 Claude Julien
  • “There are highs and lows in every season. We aren’t playing as well as we did at the beginning of the year. There’s been a small decrease in energy. We’re trying to rectify the situation to play at a level we believe we can play at in order to have success. We’ve just got to make sure that we bring our A-game, which I think hasn’t quite been there in the last few games. We’ve got to kind of up our A-game to a level I know we can play at. Right now, it’s not terrible, but it’s just not good enough.”
Projected Forwards, Defense and Goaltenders (subject to change)
Forwards
Nugent-Hopkins – McDavid – Puljujarvi
Kahun – Draisaitl – Yamamoto
Neal – Turris – Chiasson
Archibald – Khaira – Ennis		 Drouin – Suzuki – Anderson
Toffoli – Danault – Gallagher
Tatar – Kotkaniemi – Armia
Lehkonen – Evans – Byron
Defensemen
Nurse – Barrie
Lagesson – Larsson
Russell – Bouchard –		 Chiarot – Weber
Edmundson – Petry
Kulak – Romanov
Out of the lineup
Scratched: Jones, Koekkoek
Injured: Haas, Kassian, Bear
 Scratched: Mete
Injured:
Goalies
Mike Smith Jake Allen
Record: 1-0-0
GAA: – 1.00
Sv%: – .964
SO: 0
Alternate: Mikko Koskinen		 Record: 4-1-0
GAA: – 1.81
Sv%: – .940
SO: 0
Alternate: Carey Price
 Game Expectations
After a flat performance the Habs should come out with fire tonight.

Bottom Line

It won’t be an easy task as the Oilers still have two of the best offensive players in the league.
 Video Highlights

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