Habs vs Big Ben | PREVIEW: MTL @ DET

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Sam Gerber
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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

Game Preview 

A Look Back

The Habs started off the season with a comeback win! Cole Caufield was the first star of the night with a two-goal game and Josh Anderson scored the game winner late in the third period. The Habs dressed three players making their NHL debut including Kaiden Guhle, who led the team in minutes. The Habs young blue line will continue to be tested as veteran defenceman Mike Matherson was put on injured reserve leaving the rookies to learn on the fly.

Last game: MTL 4  TOR 3  F

For a complete game recap: A Thrilling Start | RECAP: TOR @ MTL

Players to Watch

  • Jake Evans
    Evans had the least amount of ice-time against the Maple Leafs. While he has just started a three year contract, the Habs have find themselves with depth at center. This means Evans needs to show Marty St. Louis that he is a reliable forward and can be dependable at both ends of the ice.
  • Sean Monahan
    Monahan enjoyed his first goal as a Canadien on his birthday. Now healthy, Monahan looks to prove he still has lots of game left and give the Habs a top-six scoring threat that they have been missing.
  • Cole Caufield
    It was great to see Caufield have a great start to the season. It looks as if Caufield knows exactly what he needs to do to be a scoring threat in the NHL and should be a game changer for the Habs all season.

Keys to Victory

  • Take a breath
    This is going to be a big test for several of the young Habs players against the Red Wings for their home opener. Wings fans are excited about their team as they continue to improve each year and many believe they will be a hard team to play against. The Habs need to shift by shift and breathe.
  • Limit turnovers
    Early in the season teams are still shaking off the rust which can lead to several turnovers. The Habs did a great job in their first game capitalizing on turnovers and will need to do the same again tonight.
  • Use your speed
    The Habs want to be known as a fast-moving offensive team and they need to show that tonight. Teams are going to do everything they can to disrupt the Habs offence but the Habs need to overcome this if they want to continue their winning ways.
Statistical Matchup for Game 2
Little Caesars Arena, Detroit, MI | October 14, 7:00 PM ET | TV: TSN2, RDS, ESPN+, BSDET

2022-23  statistics
RED WINGS CANADIENS
0 (–) Points (rank) 2 (12th)
0-0-0 Record 1-0-0
— Streak W1
0-0-0 Last 10 1-0-0
0.00 (–) GF/G (rank) 4.00 (16th)
0.00 (–) GA/G (rank) 3.00 (18th)
00.0 (–) PP% (rank) 00.0 (28th)
00.0 (–) PK%  (rank) 100.0 (13th)
00.0  Faceoff % 51.0
Pre-game Quotes
David Savard

  • “It’s a big loss for us. [Mike Matheson] is an excellent player and it would be nice to have him in our squad every night. But you have to live with that. It’s part of the reality of the National League. Injuries happen often and there are two big pieces we miss. Hopefully [Joel Edmundson] will be back soon. For the moment, we are concentrating on our matches.”
Projected Forwards, Defense and Goaltenders (subject to change)
Forwards
Bertuzzi – Larkin – Raymond
Vrana – Copp – Perron
Soderblom – Rasmussen – Sundqvist
Kubalik – Veleno – Erne		 Caufield – Suzuki – Anderson
Monahan – Dach – Hoffman
Slafkovsky – Dvorak – Gallagher
Pitlick – Evans – Dadonov
Defensemen
Chiarot – Seider
Maatta – Hronek
Hagg – Lindstrom		 Guhle – Savard
Harris – Kovacevic
Xhekaj – Wideman
Out of the lineup
Scratched: Zadina, Suter, Oesterle
Injured: Fabbri, Walman		 Scratched: Pezzetta, Drouin, Schueneman
Injured: Matheson (abdominal strain), Armia (upper-body), Edmundson (back), Heineman (finger), Byron (hip), Price (knee)
Goalies
Ville Husso Jake Allen
Record: 0-0-0
GAA: 0.00
Sv%: .000
SO: 0
Alternate: Alex Nedeljkovic		 Record: 1-0-0
GAA: 3.01
Sv%: .906
SO: 0
Alternate: Sam Montembeault
 Game Expectations
This should be a very exciting game. The Wings are a young and talented team led by  Moritz Seider. The young defenceman can do it all, finishing with 50 points in his rookie season. The Habs are also very young and are looking to show that they are an improved team as well. It will be interesting to see how they react to a rested and eager Wings squad.

Bottom Line

The Habs want to be a competitive team and should be able to go toe-to-toe with the Wings. It will need to be a complete team effort in order for the Habs to start the season with a second win.
 Video Highlights

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