5 THINGS: NEXT GAME
The Canadiens are in Newark, N.J., to play the Devils Monday (7 p.m., Sportsnet East, RDS, TSN Radio 690). Here are five things to know, writes
Pat Hickey: 1. It’s Montoya’s turn
This is the first game in a back-to-back set and that means Al Montoya will get his first start under Claude Julien. The veteran backup has done his job this season with a 7-5-3 record, a 2.56 goals-against average and a .913 save percentage. He has played most of his games on the road and has a 4-1-1 record in his last six games.
2. Offence continues to struggle
It was good to see Max Pacioretty, Alex Galchenyuk and Andrew Shaw score goals in Toronto Saturday because the Canadiens need their top players to step up. Montreal’s offence had dropped to 15th in the NHL before Sunday with 2.74 goals per game, but that number is under two with only 23 goals over the past 13 games.
3. Special teams update
While Julien hasn’t produced any major improvements on offence, the Canadiens have tightened things up on the penalty kill. Montreal had ranked 21st in the NHL before Sunday with a success rate of 80.5 per cent, but the Canadiens haven’t given up a power-play goal since Julien took over. A more aggressive approach has allowed them to kill 11 opposition power plays.
4. Devils lagging behind
The Devils took the New York Rangers to a shootout before losing 4-3 Saturday. They are 4-4-2 in their last 10 games and were eight points out of a playoff spot. The big problem has been a lack of offence. The Devils rank 29th in the NHL with 2.28 goals per game, which won’t get it done when the defence is giving up 2.85 goals per game.
5. Canadiens have the edge
With a 3-6-1 record in their last 10 games, the Canadiens can’t take anything for granted, but they are 2-0 against the Devils this season. New Jersey’s top scorer is Taylor Hall with 14 goals and 41 points. Kyle Palmieri leads the Devils with 18 goals. Former Canadien Michael Cammalleri has 10 goals and 20 assists and is being shopped around as the trade deadlines approaches.