Five things to know when Habs host Devils
Here are five things you should know about when the Canadiens host the New Jersey Devils at the Bell Centre on Saturday (2 p.m., TSN2, RDS, TSN 690 Radio):
1.The matchup
The Canadiens come out of their bye week holding one of the two wild-card spots in the Eastern Conference and are hoping to build on the momentum they had (five wins in six games) going into the break. This is the first game in a back-to-back set, with the Edmonton Oilers visiting the Bell Centre on Sunday. The Devils are 16 points behind the Canadiens in the Eastern Conference and are coming off Thursday’s 4-3 loss at home to the New York Rangers, but head coach Claude Julien will remind his players that New Jersey is a dangerous team, which beat Pittsburgh this week.
2.Niemi gets the call
Carey Price was on a roll in January, when he allowed only 12 goals in eight starts, and he is riding a four-game win streak. But last month’s Molson Cup winner won’t be available for this game because he decided to make a prudent move and skip the All-Star Game, which resulted in an automatic one-game suspension by the NHL. That means backup Antti Niemi will be in goal. The 35-year-old Finn has won three of his last four starts and has a respectable 8-5-1 record for the season.
3.Help up front
Paul Byron had a longer break than his teammates because he was serving a three-game suspension for a hit on Florida’s MacKenzie Weegar. The speedy Byron will return to one of the top lines, with Max Domi at centre and Tomas Tatar on the left wing. Byron’s return isn’t good news for Charles Hudon, who dressed for two of the three games Byron missed. Hudon played well on the fourth line and earned some power-play time. He picked up an assist in a 2-1 win over Arizona, but the smallish winger has become a victim of the numbers game.
4.Still on the Schneid
Goalie Cory Schneider is being paid US$6 million by the Devils, but he hasn’t won a regular-season NHL game since Dec. 27, 2017, and he’s in the AHL rehabbing from an abdominal injury. Schneider lost his last 12 starts last season and has an 0-5-1 record after starting this season on injured reserve with a hip injury. Look for rookie Mackenzie Blackwood to get the start in this game. The 22-year-old has a 5-4 record, a 2.42 GAA and has posted two shutouts.
5.Devils are banged up
Taylor Hall, last season’s most valuable player, hasn’t been in the lineup since late December because of a lower-body injury. The Devils had hoped to have him back in the lineup this weekend, but he’s not ready. The Devils are also without defencemen Sami Vatanen and Ben Lovejoy, centre Travis Zajac and right-wingers Stefan Noesen and Joey Anderson.