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

A Look Back

The Canadiens were unable to capture a win in their new reverse retro 2.0 sweaters. It was a back-and-forth contest in the first period, but the ice tilted into the second period when Jack Hughes sniped a powerful wrister past Jake Allen. At the 9:55 mark of the second period, Evgenii Dadonov picked up a loose puck in front to score his first goal of the season. The Devils controlled the rest of the match scoring three unanswered goals to get their 10th consecutive win.

Last game: MTL 1  NJD 5  F

For a complete game recap: Follow the Path | RECAP: NJD @ MTL

Players to Watch

• Evgenii Dadonov
  The 33-year-old Russian native has struggled early this season only picking up his first point against the Devils Tuesday night. He had a couple of strong chances to contribute more but fell short. With a goal in his pocket, this could spark some confidence and we could see some production in the near future.
• Juraj Slafkovsky
  The 6-foot-3-inch winger made his return after serving a two-game suspension. The  18-year-old has a great deal to learn yet, but the most important task for management is to properly develop the sizeable winger.
• Nick Suzuki
  The captain has been red-hot for the Canadiens. The former first rounder has been displaying his hockey IQ and has been an explosive center piece for the club. The 23-year-old has 19 points though 16 games, although the top line was held pointless against the Devils. This should not become routine as Kirby Dach and Cole Caufield  have accumulated 10 points in three previous games.

Keys to Victory

• Maintain pace
  The Canadiens came out firing in the first period against the Devils but were then held to 11 shots the remainder of the game. They need to recover when momentum swings and find a way to keep pressure on the opposition.
• Power the power-play
  Similar to the 2021-’22 season, the Canadiens find themselves at the bottom of the totem-pole with a 15.6 percent power-play success rate. They need to take advantage of these key man-advantage moments to influence the pace and take control.
• Help the netminder
  There were numerous mistakes made against the Devils resulting in turnovers that only added to Jake Allen having an off night. With Sam Montembeault slated to make the start, tidying up breakouts and transitioning through the neutral zone with authority are ways of limiting defensive errors.

2022-23  statistics

• “He had a chance to play. These chances were obviously not enough to allow him to return to the starting lineup.”

Bottom Line