Montreal Canadiens @ Minnesota Wild
How to watch
Start time: 8:00 p.m. EDT / 5:00 p.m. PDT
In the Canadiens region: TSN2 (English), RDS (French)
In the Blues region: Bally Sports North, Bally Sports Wisconsin
After the most explosive offensive game of the season so far, the Montreal Canadiens will look to continue their hot streak Tuesday night in St. Paul, Minnesota.
Tale of the Band
| Canadian | Statistics | Savage |
|---|---|---|
| Canadian | Statistics | Savage |
| 5-4-0 | Registration | 4-4-1 |
| 44.7% (28th) | Score chance for % | 48.8 (19th) |
| 3.00 (23rd) | Goals per game | 3.33 (11th) |
| 3.00 (13th) | Goals conceded per game | 3.89 (28th) |
| 11.1% (27th) | PP % | 28.1% (5th) |
| 81.5% (10th) | PACK% | 76.7% (23rd) |
| 0-1-0 | H2H sheet | 1-0-0 |
The Canadiens looked like a completely different team Saturday night in St. Louis, a game that saw them recover from a 3-1 deficit and prevail with a 7-4 win. Marked by a hat trick in the third period by forward Christian Dvorak, the first of his career in his seventh season in the National Hockey League, the Habs were firing at full speed.
The dynamic duo of Cole Caufield and captain Nick Suzuki also scored three points apiece, with Caufield scoring two and assisting on Suzuki, with the captain scoring once and assisting on both of Caufield’s scorers. Caufield’s two goals already give him seven in the Canadiens’ first nine games, tied for second in the league only behind Oilers captain Connor McDavid.
The match also saw the return of first overall pick Juraj Slafkovský, who was in the roster after missing three games with an undisclosed upper body injury. His comeback was noticed on the bench and on the scoresheet, as he converted the first road (and power play) goal of his young career. The Canadians, who had been mired in a 1-for-26 drop on man advantage to start the season, picked up two with the extra skater on Saturday and fell from 31st to 27th in the league after the game. .
The Canadiens travel to Minnesota for the third of four games on their road trip, having won the opening games by a 10-6 margin. Now they’re getting a rematch against the Wild, who beat Montreal at the Bell Center last Tuesday night by a 3-1 margin, led by a pair of goals from Joel Eriksson Ek and a goal and an assist from Brandon Duhaime.
Hailing from Sorel, Que., Marc-André Fleury added another Hall of Fame win to his resume. Since being drafted first overall in 2004, Fleury has a lifetime record against Montreal of 25-13-0-6, including the 500th of his career last season in a 2-0 shutout at Montreal as was a member of the Chicago Blackhawks.
He was also just named the NHL’s third star of the week, with a perfect 3-0-0 record and a 1.95 goals-against average, all those games on the road.
He also eclipsed New York Rangers legend Henrik Lundqvist with the most shootout wins in NHL history (62). Their last game, played on Sunday, saw Fleury accomplish the feat in a thrilling 4-3 shootout win. Forwards Frederick Gaudreau and sophomore sensation Kirill Kaprizov scored in the shootout to cap their 3-1-1 trip. Forwards Matt Boldy pocketed a pair in regulation and Mason Shaw scored the other, the first of his NHL career.
The Wild have a young and dynamic attacking group but are struggling at the back, having already conceded 35 goals in their first nine games this season, 28th in the league. Does that mean Montreal, fresh off their seven-goal outburst, can break through the defense and deliver another huge game? Only time will tell, but one thing is certain: Montreal will seek revenge on the team they faced last week and will aim to win.
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