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

A Look Back

The Golden Knights were able to capture their seventh win in a row in what was a close contest until the third period where seven goals were scored. Cole Caufield notched his eighth goal of the season while Nick Suzuki also picked up his eighth. Juraj Slafkovsky netted his third goal of the season on heads-up play by Kaiden Guhle.

Last game: MTL 4  VGK 6  F

For a complete game recap: Battling ‘Til the End | RECAP: VGK @ MTL

Players to Watch

• Kaiden Guhle
  The 20-year-old Albertan continues to play impeccable defensive hockey. Guhle picked up two assists against the Knights including a thread-the-needle pass to Juraj Slafkovsky. It’s obvious that Guhle has incredible vision and hockey IQ. He’ll be relied on to bolster the blue line as he develops into a key piece for the Canadiens.
• Nick Suzuki
  Suzuki has collected eight points in the last four games. He’s opened up the scoring five times for the Canadiens in the 12 games played and currently leads the team with 15 points. The 5-foot-11-inch centerman continues to prove why he deserves to wear the “C” as he continues to lead at clutch moments.
• Juraj Slafkovsky
  The 18-year-old winger is slowly progressing and adjusting to the pace of NHL. He’s been able to find the net three times in the past five games with limited ice-time. It’s still too early to judge him in any capacity but from what we’ve seen, the Slovakian  has got a knack for the net.

Keys to Victory

• Control the pace
  The Canadiens had a total of 18 giveaways against the Knights. They should focus on dictating the pace, making smart moves starting with the break-out and moving through the neutral zone, apply pressure in the offensive zone and making smart passes against a strong Detroit team.
• Limit opposition shots
  In last six games the Habs have been outshot in five of them. Keeping the offensive pressure on and winning puck battles in the defensive zone will be key.
• Stay out of the penalty box
  The team has accumulated 76 penalty minutes in the past three games. They need to tone down the level of aggression and turn to more intelligent plays and clean transitional hockey. Better execution on the back-check and fore-check as well as avoiding getting caught flat-footed will be crucial.

2022-23  statistics

• “Of course we would like [Brendan Gallagher] to find the back of the net, but his intentions are very good.”

Bottom Line