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

A Look Back

The Canadiens last game was on New Year’s day. Montreal began the game with 11 forwards and five defencemen but lost Cedric Paquette early in the contest. The Canadiens shutdown all activities after the completion of this game until January 9th.

Last game: MTL 2  FLA 5  F

For a complete game recap: ‘We Didn’t Quit’ | RECAP: MTL @ FLA

Players to Watch

• Jake Allen
  This will be the first game action for Allen since December 14th as he found himself on the Habs COVID protocol list. Allen has five wins in 23 starts so far this season and has acknowledged that, while the Habs won’t be making the playoffs, that he wants to build a positive momentum in the second half of the season.
• Christian Dvorak
  The Canadiens promised that they would be a better team with Dvorak in the lineup. That has been far from the case. Dvorak has just five goals and has been the worst defensive forward for Montreal at 4.3 goals against per 60 minutes. Dvorak needs to earn a place on the roster for next season.
• Chris Wideman
  Wideman has been a pleasant surprise for the Canadiens this season. He has quietly been effective defensively and has chipped in with nine points. Wideman was selected by NHL.com editors as their choice to be the Canadiens representative for the NHL All-Star game.

Keys to Victory

• Play smart
   After such a long layoff for many players on the Canadiens, it will be important to make simple plays. The Habs will be facing a team that is on a roll and it will be key to slow the game from the outset.
• Keep shifts short
  With so many Canadiens returning from the COVID-19 list, the players will be excited to be on the ice but must manage their ice-time. The effect of the virus on conditioning may affect players differently but the Canadiens must sustain their effort against the Bruins for a full 60 minutes.
• Stay disciplined
  Despite the disparity in talent, a Boston – Montreal matchup is going to be emotional.  The Canadiens do not want to give the Bruins power-play too many opportunities by taking needless penalties.

2021-22  statistics

• “Having our guys refreshed mentally and physically, the biggest challenge is to be able to sustain the game for 60 minutes and be consistent doing everything that we want to do. We don’t want to be cracking at one point.”

Bottom Line