RED WINGS AT CANADIENS
The Habs aim to keep rolling on Saturday (7 p.m., Sportsnet, TVA Sports, TSN 690 Radio) at the Bell Centre. Here are five things you need to know, by Pat Hickey.
1. Opening a gap Ten days ago, the Canadiens were five points behind the Red Wings in the standings, but their decisive 6-3 win at Little Caesars Arena on Thursday saw Montreal move two points ahead of Detroit in the Atlantic Division race. The Habs can widen that gap with a win on Saturday night. The Canadiens have reached the .500 mark (12-12-3) for the first time since the second game of the season.
2. Gallagher on a roll Brendan Gallagher sparked the offence on Thursday night with two goals and an assist, and he heads into this game as the Canadiens’ leader in goals (12) and points (18). Gallagher has helped Tomas Plekanec rediscover the offensive side of his game — the veteran picked up two assists in Detroit — and the two have combined to mentor rookie Charles Hudon. Technically, this is the team’s third line, but Gallagher & Co. have combined for as many goals (16) as the top line of Jonathan Drouin, Alex Galchenyuk and Paul Byron.
3. Schlemko fitting in The Canadiens waited nearly two months to see David Schlemko in the lineup, but he’s wasted no time establishing his credentials as a puck-moving defenceman. Schlemko played 20 minutes in Detroit. He wasn’t on the ice for any of the Detroit goals and was a plus-2. His arrival makes it easier to loan Victor Mete to Team Canada for the world junior championship.
4. Injury update Shea Weber accompanied the team to Detroit, but he missed his sixth consecutive game. He was placed on the injured-reserve list on Thursday, but that was simply to make room for Daniel Carr, who was called up to replace Drouin. Weber’s stint on the IR is retroactive to Nov. 20, so he can be activated at any time. Drouin scored a goal on Wednesday and had one of his best games in the faceoff circle (89 per cent). His status for Saturday’s game is uncertain.
5. The other guys Age seems to be catching up to the Red Wings, who used to view a post-season appearance as a regular rite of spring. After missing the playoffs last season, the team made only one major change during the off-season, adding 34-year-old Trevor Daley to shore up the defensive corps. The biggest bright spot for the Red Wings has been Anthony Mantha, a 23-year-old winger from Longueuil. The former Val d’Or junior star scored his team-leading 12th goal on Thursday. Henrik Zetterberg, showing every one of his 37 years, has scored only four goals this season, while power forward Justin Abdelkader is also stuck on four goals.