The Canadiens get a quick chance to clean up the mess from their last outing when the Nashville Predators come to the Bell Centre on Thursday night.
Montreal’s opening three games have already stirred plenty of concern. The defense has looked shaky, three regulars have been knocked out of the lineup by injury, and Samuel Montembeault’s status is now in question as well. After three games, the Canadiens have only three points and sit seventh in the Atlantic Division.
Nashville arrives with the exact same record, 1-1-1, and a minus-two goal differential. The Predators are coming off a brutal 5-4 overtime loss to the Toronto Maple Leafs on the road after building a 3-0 lead and watching it slip away.
There are some new faces in the Predators’ room this season, including Jack Drury, Ross Colton, Adam Edstrom, Mavrik Bourque, and Alexander Kerfoot. Nashville also claimed William Trudeau off waivers, and the former Canadiens defenseman should be in the lineup Thursday.
The Canadiens handled the Predators well last season, taking both meetings. Montreal won 3-2 in overtime at the Bell Centre in October on a Cole Caufield buzzer-beater, then followed it up with a 4-1 win in Nashville at the end of March.
Goaltending is one of the biggest questions heading into this one. Jakub Dobes started the October win and owns a 2-0-0 career mark against Nashville with a 1.46 goals-against average and a .946 save percentage.
He hasn’t started the last three games, though, and after his most recent outing didn’t go well, another option would make sense for Tuesday night’s tilt. That could have been Montembeault’s season debut, but if he was injured in practice yesterday, that door looks close to shut.
If Montembeault can’t go, Jacob Fowler has been called up and could make his own season debut after a short stint in Laval. The Becancour native has a 4-1-0 record against the Predators with a 2.76 GAA and a .917 SP. Fowler has won his only game against Nashville and carries a 1.00 GAA and a .958 SV.
On the Nashville side, Juuse Saros handled the crease for the first three games and has a 5-3-2 career record against Montreal with a 2.91 GAA and a .899 SV. Backup Matt Murray has never faced the Canadiens. The 28-year-old has played four NHL games, and with Justus Annunen injured, he is in the mix for the next start.
At forward, the Canadiens’ most productive players against Nashville are Chris Kreider and Cole Caufield, who both have 11 points against the Predators. Kreider needed 22 games to get there, while Caufield did it in just 10.
Nick Suzuki rounds out Montreal’s top three with 10 points in 11 games. He has six points over the last two games, and Kreider has four in that same span.
For the Predators, Steve Stamkos leads the way with 52 points in 55 games against the Canadiens. Ryan O’Reilly sits second with 27 points in 33 games, and Jonathan Marchesseault is third with 17 points in 23 games. Stamkos also leads Nashville in points this season with four.
Montreal has won seven of the last 10 meetings between the clubs, including the last five. Puck drop is set for 7:00 PM, with the game on RDS in French and TSN 2 in English. Cody Beach and Kendrick Nicholson will referee, while Caleb Apperson and Jonathan Deschamps are the linesmen.
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Engstrom also stood out in a quieter way by leading Montreal defensemen in turnovers, though none of them turned into dangerous chances for the Predators. For a team trying to sort out its back end, that kind of performance makes the next lineup decision a little more interesting, especially if the Canadiens are looking for signs that a young defender can handle more responsibility. [Read more 🡒]
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The next step is what makes the situation worth watching. Kaiden Guhle is nearing a return, which could handle the open spot right away, while David Reinbacher remains the other major internal option if the club decides it needs a seventh defenseman. For a team trying to balance present needs with longer-term planning, the answer will say plenty about how the Canadiens see their depth chart right now. [Read more 🡒]
Canadiens Face A Delicate Dylan Larkin Test At Bell Centre
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What makes this one stand out is the backdrop around his arrival, which has turned the Canadiens home date into more than just another test on the schedule. TVA Sports reporter Anthony Martineau noted the growing conversation around how Larkin might be received in Canada, and whether the atmosphere inside the building could end up mattering beyond one night at the rink. [Read more 🡒]