After enjoying the New York Islanders on the highway on Saturday night time, the Montreal Canadiens now return dwelling to face the opposite New York-based squad, the Rangers, on Tuesday on the Bell Centre. After three-straight losses, head coach Martin St. Louis’ aspect should reckon with one of many league’s prime groups. Listed here are a few of the main storylines heading into the sport.
Canadiens Want Some Magic Versus Shesterkin
The early-season story, at the very least so far as the offence is worried, has been Cole Caufield. With six objectives in six video games, it looks as if good issues occur each time he touches the puck. He was the principle purpose the Habs earned some extent on Saturday towards the Islanders. Down 3-2 late within the third interval and searching toothless on the assault, Caufield wristed a shot from – the place else? – the left aspect that fooled netminder Semyon Varlamov. He raised his arms and seemed upwards into the rafters as if to have a good time his personal greatness. Of observe, his anticipated objectives determine is at the moment 3.7, greater than half of his six markers, as per MoneyPuck.
Regardless of Caufield’s success, there are questions on the place the remainder of the staff’s offence will come from towards arguably the most effective netminder within the league, Igor Shesterkin, along with his 1.97 goals-against common (GAA) and a beguiling .935 save proportion (SV%). He flustered a well-oiled Toronto Maple Leafs group on Saturday night time in a 4-1 Rangers win. You’d suppose that when Auston Matthews and William Nylander register 9 and eight pictures on purpose, respectively, the puck would go in additional than as soon as.
Fellow The Hockey Writers Canadiens author Blain Potvin steered enjoying younger stud Emil Heineman within the prime six. He’s seemed good this season, though he was largely invisible on Saturday night time with 10:36 of ice time. Then once more, it was a sport the place nearly no person confirmed attacking grit or inventiveness. Brendan Gallagher had a really intelligent however failed deflection try sail simply over the publish. These pucks want to search out the again of the web towards the Rangers.
Montembeault Must Be a Hero
With Cayden Primeau getting the decision on Saturday – and enjoying properly, to his credit score – all eyes can be on Samuel Montembeault on Tuesday. There was lots of hoopla about his efficiency up to now, and it’s been merited for essentially the most half, though his final two outings weren’t as sensational (a 6-3 loss to the Pittsburgh Penguins and a 4-1 loss to the Los Angeles Kings).
Loads goes towards the Canadiens on this sport, together with that Montembeault isn’t a greater goalie than Shesterkin. For one, the Rangers have the most effective offence within the NHL by way of 5 contests, averaging 4.80 objectives per sport, and so they aren’t even near the highest of the league in pictures on purpose. They’ve fired 165 pictures, good for 12th.
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Not solely is their taking pictures effectivity a formidable 14.6% (ranked fifth), however in addition they launch an unbelievable variety of high-danger makes an attempt. The Rangers are tied for second with the New Jersey Devils at 19.
Talking of high-danger probabilities, the Rangers are third league-wide in rebound pictures with 21 and tied for third with a trio of rebound objectives. Montreal is already third-worst in rebound objectives towards (three) and seventh-worst within the proportion of objectives towards from rebounds (18.75%). Essentially the most lugubrious determine is the 24 high-danger pictures towards, which places the Habs within the NHL basement.
Will Arber Xhekaj Return to the Lineup?
23-year-old defenceman Arber Xhekaj was overlooked of the lineup towards the Islanders. There is no such thing as a phrase on any attainable harm that stored him from enjoying. It seems to have been a coach’s determination.
Xhekaj’s sport has not been as much as par. His preseason was eventful, however the numbers haven’t seemed nice within the common season. He’s the blueliner with the second-worst plus-minus on the staff at minus-4 (David Savard is minus-7), and his 9.75 high-danger shot makes an attempt per 60 minutes are by far the worst on the membership.
That’s a matter of positioning and studying the play. It’s simple to neglect that the Hamilton, Ontario, native is simply enjoying in his third NHL season. He performed 51 matches in 2022-23 and 44 in 2023-24 due to accidents. In different phrases, he’s performed in simply over the equal of a full 82-game marketing campaign. There may be time for him to study from his errors.
The Rangers are large and tactically sound. They know learn how to play properly and will not be simple to shove round. Having Xhekaj could be higher than not having him. If he’s wholesome, then Tuesday night time could be a heck of a take a look at. St. Louis absolutely sees him as a part of the Canadiens’ defensive future.
Montreal has a wierd schedule this week, which makes a victory over the Rangers on Tuesday all of the extra necessary. By puck drop, 72 hours can have elapsed for the reason that disappointment versus the Islanders. After the Rangers, they don’t play once more till Saturday at dwelling versus the St. Louis Blues and on Sunday night towards the Flyers in Philadelphia. Will probably be tough to search out any rhythm this week, however two factors of their pocket would really feel good once they go to mattress on Tuesday night time earlier than one other few days off.
