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Edit: Carr scratched, Canadiens host red-hot Hurricanes |
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Andrew Saadalla
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Update: Daniel Carr will reportedly be a healthy scratch tonight, as Charles Hudon is slated to take his place on the fourth line:
Despite a 5-4-1 record over the course of their last 10 games, the Montreal Canadiens continue to sit atop the National Hockey League’s standings with 30 points. They are three points ahead of their Atlantic Division rivals Tampa Bay Lightning who have played one more game and the Habs have a game in hand over the Eastern Conference’s second-place New York Rangers who boast 29 points. Tonight, they will face off against a red-hot Carolina Hurricanes team that has won five in a row in decisive fashion.
Over the course of their last five outings, head coach Bill Peters’ team has limited its opponents to a mere five goals. Part of the credit is due to goaltender Cam Ward who has come into form recently after an underwhelming month of October. The 32-year-old netminder is 6-1-2 in November with a 1.53 goals against average and .946 save percentage during that stretch. He’s allowed no more than 14 goals in his nine starts, and is expected to get the nod tonight. The Hurricanes will hope to make it six in a row against a team they rallied together to defeat despite being outperformed on most fronts less than a week ago in Raleigh, North Carolina.
Carey Price will be in net, and Joel Hanley has been sent down to the AHL’s St. John’s IceCaps while the Canadiens proceeded to recall Mark Barberio who will feature on the third defensive pairing alongside Greg Pateryn. Both have a lot to prove to the organization in light of Nathan Beaulieu’s short-term absence due to injury, as they will need to keep their game simple and effective in order to maximize their output.
Speaking of which: is there anybody who still isn’t convinced of Alexander Radulov’s value to this team? The fan-favorite is tied for second with Andrei Markov and Shea Weber with 17 points while having played in two less games, and Alex Galchenyuk continues to lead the way with eight goals and 21 points in 20 games.
The kicker? Galchenyuk’s average ice-time is 16:01, which is the lowest amongst all five players ahead of him in scoring in the NHL.
Evidently he has his buddy Radulov to thank as their chemistry has been riveting, and the latter’s agent confirmed earlier today that there is certainly interest in sticking around long-term with the Habs:
Along with Paul Byron (20GP, 7G, 12 PTS), who last season posted eight goals and 11 points in his first 40 games with the Habs, the superstars are carrying the offensive load of a team that is second overall in goals per game with an average of 3.15. The power play is fourth as it converts on 23.4% of its chances with the extra man, and their 15th overall penalty kill (81.8%) will have to bring its A-game against the 10th overall power play (21.1%) and best penalty-killing group (91.8%). The Hurricanes have killed all 22 penalties in their last 10 games.
It’s clear that special teams will surely determine the outcome of tonight’s game, and staying disciplined will be essential if the Habs hope to build some momentum before embarking on a six-game road trip that begins with the Detroit Red Wings on Saturday.
In other news, Artturi Lehkonen and defenseman Zach Redmond have both been making progress and are on the ice at the morning skate that is currently underway in Brossard, Quebec:
More updates to follow after practice.
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