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

A Look Back

The Habs got the job done in an exciting back and forth game. Ben Chariot was the hero of the game, scoring not only the tying goal of the game but the overtime winner too.  There were two key injuries as Jake Evans left with an upper-body injury after taking multiple hits to the head and Andrew Hammond was placed on injured reserve with a lower-body injury.

Last game: MTL 5  CGY 4  F/OT

For a complete game recap: Habs Shock Flames | RECAP: MTL @ CGY

Players to Watch

• Rem Pitlick
  The addition of Pitlick off waivers was a solid move by Jeff Gorton. Pitlick is a great skater with tremendous speed and a high compete level. He has recorded 10 points in 19 games providing supplementary scoring as a impactful depth forward.
• Ben Chiarot
  Chiarot scored a pair of goals against Calgary giving him seven on the year. That ties him for 19th in goals scored by defenseman this season. He is tied in that category with Drew Doughty, Adam Fox and Alex Pietrangelo, some of the league’s top pairing defencemen.
• Nick Suzuki
  Suzuki had one of the best games of his career with a goal and two assists in more than 23 minutes of ice time. The big story of the game was how he stepped up after Jake Evans went down with an injury, double-shifting and playing like a true number one centre.

Keys to Victory

• Defend smartly
  Against the Flames, blown defensive zone coverage led to Calgary goals. Good teams will always take advantage. The Habs will have to do a much better job as the Oilers have two of the best forwards in the league and will easily take advantage of shoddy coverage.
• Win special teams
  The Habs scored a power-play goal last game but it is an area that has continued to struggle under Marty St. Louis. Execution is key on the power-play and the Habs have to do a much better job at that if they want to move up the rankings.
• Mind the gap
  The Habs could be in trouble against Connor McDavid as they simply do not have the speed on the backend to match him. That’s where their spacing will be key. Finding the right gap to disturb the superstar will be key.

2021-22  statistics

• “I’m not surprised that we are fighting, I think the guys have confidence in the way we play: we are never out of a match.”

Bottom Line