MONTREAL CANADIENS vs MINNESOTA WILD
When: 8:00 PM  ET, Tuesday, December 11, 2018
Where: Xcel Energy Center, Saint Paul, Minnesota

TV: 8:00 PM
LINE: 0
PREDICTION: MINNESOTA , MONTREAL

Oddsmakers currently have the MONTREAL listed as 150-moneyline favorites versus the MINNESOTA, while the game’s total is sitting at 6.

The Minnesota Wild sustained the worst result of their season after falling for the fifth time in six outings to conclude a Western Canadian road trip. The Wild look to get back on track Tuesday when they open a four-game homestand versus the Montreal Canadiens, against whom they have won seven straight encounters.

“It’s a test of character now. You either bounce back or you start blaming everybody else. We’ve got to look at ourselves,” Minnesota coach Bruce Boudreau told reporters. The view hasn’t been favorable for Devan Dubnyk, who dropped his fourth decision in five outings after yielding three goals on six shots before being relieved in Friday’s 7-2 setback in Edmonton – although he owns a 7-1-1 mark with one shutout, a 2.21 goals-against average and .929 save percentage in nine career encounters with the Canadiens. Carey Price likely will provide the opposition as the former Hart and Vezina Trophy winner has proven to be a workhorse by starting seven games in a row and 11 of the last 12 for Montreal, which has won three in a row heading into the finale of its three-game road trip. Price, who is 4-6-0, 3.21, .883 in 10 career meetings against Minnesota, turned aside 37 shots and foiled seven of eight power plays in Sunday’s 3-2 victory versus Chicago.

TV: 8 p.m. ET, TSN2, RDS (Montreal), FS North, FS Wisconsin (Minnesota)

ABOUT THE CANADIENS (15-10-5): Max Domi added to his team-leading totals by scoring his third goal in three contests against the Blackhawks. Fellow offseason acquisition Tomas Tatar netted the go-ahead tally on a deflection with 1:17 remaining in the third period to extend his point streak to three games and give him 12 goals, two shy of the 23-year-old Domi. Fellow forward Brendan Gallagher, who has 13 goals, scored twice in a 6-3 loss to Minnesota on Nov. 2, 2017.

ABOUT THE WILD (15-12-2): Boudreau expressed optimism toward the potential return of captain Mikko Koivu, noting that the versatile two-way center could return to action during the team’s homestand. “That’s the way we look at it,” Boudreau said of Koivu, who missed Minnesota’s game against the Oilers with a lower-body injury. “It’s nowhere near anything we thought. He’s working out hard right now. We’ll see how he goes (Tuesday).” Koivu is part of a three-way tie for the team lead in assists (17) with fellow center Mikael Granlund, who set up three goals in last season’s series versus Montreal to boost his point total to 11 (two goals, nine assists) in 10 career contests and defenseman Ryan Suter.

OVERTIME

1. Montreal D Shea Weber has recorded 25 points (six goals, 19 assists) in 43 career games against Minnesota.

2. Wild C Eric Staal has registered 43 points (21 goals, 22 assists) in 46 career contests versus the Canadiens.

3. Montreal D Jeff Petry has answered a five-game point drought with four (two goals, two assists) in his last four outings.

PREDICTION: Wild 3, Canadiens 1

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SAN JOSE SHARKS vs MONTREAL CANADIENS
When: 7:00 PM  ET, Sunday, December 2, 2018
Where: Bell Centre, Montreal, Quebec

TV: 7:05 PM
LINE: 0
PREDICTION: MONTREAL , SAN JOSE

Oddsmakers currently have the SAN JOSE listed as -125-moneyline favorites versus the MONTREAL, while the game’s total is sitting at 6.

The scuffling San Jose Sharks look to avoid a winless five-game road trip and extend their mastery in the series when they visit the Montreal Canadiens on Sunday night. The Sharks are 0-3-1 on their trek while allowing 20 goals after a frustrating 6-2 loss at Ottawa on Saturday afternoon in which they totaled 38 shots – nine by major preseason acquisition Erik Karlsson.

“We’ve just got to stop the bleeding,” San Jose captain Joe Pavelski told reporters after the loss. “We’ve got to put an end to this, figure it out, find a way to win. We’ve got to fix it in here. There’s nothing else coming right now.” The Sharks have won six straight meetings with the Canadiens, who snapped a five-game losing streak Saturday with a 5-2 victory over the New York Rangers at home as captain Shea Weber scored his first two goals of the season. Weber, who missed the first 24 games of the season while recovering from offseason knee surgery, had an assist in his season debut Tuesday against Carolina and the defenseman scored the first two in Saturday’s triumph as Montreal built a 4-0 lead and cruised from there. The Canadiens also welcomed back forward Paul Byron, who missed a little over a month with a lower-body injury, and he registered an assist in 14 minutes, 28 seconds of playing time.

TV: 7 p.m. ET, NBCS California (San Jose), Sportsnet, Sportsnet One, RDS (Montreal)

ABOUT THE SHARKS (12-10-5): Karlsson’s return to Ottawa, where he spent the first nine seasons of his career before the trade, was eventful and he told reporters afterward: “It’s going to be nice to move on now. I’m excited to play (Sunday) in Montreal and hopefully sort this mess out.” Fellow defenseman Brent Burns notched an assist for the third straight game Saturday and leads the team with 27 points while center Logan Couture has eight points in the last seven games to push his total to 25. Pavelski had an assist in the loss at Ottawa and posted three of his team-best 16 goals in the previous two contests.

ABOUT THE CANADIENS (12-9-5): Center Max Domi (11 goals) had not hit the scoresheet in three straight games before notching an assist Saturday and leads the team with 27 points while Tomas Tatar (11 goals) scored once and set up another to tie Jonathan Drouin for second at 21. Artturi Lehkonen scored twice against the Rangers after managing the same amount in his first 25 games and fellow forward Kenny Agostino recorded his fourth point in six games. Goalie Carey Price (8-7-4) snapped a four-game losing streak with 20 saves Saturday, but could give way to Antti Niemi (4-2-1) in the second of a back-to-back.

OVERTIME

1. Montreal F Andrew Shaw needs one goal to reach 100 and one point to get to 200 in his career.

2. San Jose F Timo Meier, who is second on the team with 13 goals, could miss his second straight game with an upper-body injury.

3. Sharks Gs Martin Jones (6-1-0) and Aaron Dell have won seven of their eight career decisions against the Canadiens.

PREDICTION: Canadiens 4, Sharks 3

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MONTREAL CANADIENS vs CALGARY FLAMES
When: 9:00 PM  ET, Thursday, November 15, 2018
Where: Scotiabank Saddledome, Calgary, Alberta

TV: 9:05 PM
LINE: 0
PREDICTION: CALGARY , MONTREAL

Oddsmakers currently have the MONTREAL listed as 125-moneyline favorites versus the CALGARY, while the game’s total is sitting at 6.

The Calgary Flames managed only four goals during a three-game road trip against their Pacific Division rivals in California, but they will look to get back on track against an opponent that is struggling mightily to shut down the opposition. The Flames will look to dent Montreal’s porous defense when they open a four-game homestand against the Canadiens on Thursday night.

Calgary had won four straight before dropping two of three in California, with the lone win a 1-0 victory over the Los Angeles Kings. “Everyone wants to be on the scoresheet and get points, but … you have to make a difference to help the team win,” forward Sam Bennett said. “If it’s not going (in), if you’re not getting on the scoresheet, you have to contribute in other ways.” The Canadiens were bludgeoned by Edmonton 6-2 in the opener of their three-game trek through Western Canada and have surrendered 21 goals while dropping three of their last four. “You can’t win games 6-5 and 5-4 all the time,” Montreal defenseman David Schlemko said. “We talked about that, and it’s time to buckle down and execute.”

TV: 9 p.m. ET, FS RDS, TSN2 (Montreal), Sportsnet West (Calgary)

ABOUT THE CANADIENS (9-6-3): Forward Max Domi got the day off from practice Wednesday but he scored his team-leading 10th goal against Edmonton to extend his points streak to seven games. Domi’s marker allowed him to surpass his season total in 82 games with Arizona last season and gave him five goals and six assists during his point streak. Coach Claude Julien said after practice that he was leaning toward starting goaltender Carey Price, who has surrendered 19 goals in his last four appearances but who had a strong outing in a 3-2 win over Calgary on Oct. 23.

ABOUT THE FLAMES (10-7-1): Veteran Mike Smith has allowed at least three goals in eight of his 12 starts, but he will get the nod after turning aside 26 of 28 shots in Sunday’s 3-1 loss at San Jose. “At points in the season, it hasn’t been there,” Smith said. “It was nice to get in a game like that and keep it close as long as we could there, and have a good couple days of practice. It’s about going into tomorrow and just being myself and hopefully get a big win.” Calgary will feature a revamped second line with Mikael Backlund centering Matthew Tkachuk and Bennett.

OVERTIME

1. Flames F Johnny Gaudreau has two goals and 11 points in nine games against Montreal.

2. Domi had two assists versus Calgary last month, giving him 12 points in 13 games versus the Flames.

3. Flames F Dillon Dube will sit out one more game, coach Bill Peters said.

PREDICTION: Flames 4, Canadiens 3

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BUFFALO SABRES vs MONTREAL CANADIENS
When: 7:30 PM  ET, Thursday, November 8, 2018
Where: Bell Centre, Montreal, Quebec

TV: 7:35 PM
LINE: 0
PREDICTION: MONTREAL , BUFFALO

Oddsmakers currently have the BUFFALO listed as 115-moneyline favorites versus the MONTREAL, while the game’s total is sitting at 5.5.

The Montreal Canadiens and Buffalo Sabres each put together three-game winning streaks last month, but neither team has been able to generate much consistency since then. The Canadiens have alternated losses and wins over their past nine games while the Sabres have dropped four of five entering Thursday night’s matchup in Montreal.

The Canadiens were denied a chance at back-to-back victories after surrendering four unanswered goals, including three in the third period, in Tuesday’s 5-3 loss at the New York Rangers. “At times in key crucial moments of the game, I think we have to have a better killer instinct,” Montreal forward Brendan Gallagher said. “It’s tough to sit here at the end of the day when those things are in your control and we could have had a better outcome.” Buffalo also is coming off a road loss to the Rangers, although coach Phil Housley had no issues with his team’s effort after it poured 40 shots on goal. “I liked the way we played the game tonight,” Housley said. “If we continue to play like that, we’re going to win a lot of hockey games.”

TV: 7:30 p.m. ET, MSG-Buffalo, RDS, TSN2 (Montreal)

ABOUT THE SABRES (7-6-2): Buffalo’s No. 1 line of captain Jack Eichel, Jeff Skinner and Jason Pominville was held off the scoresheet Sunday after erupting for nine points in the previous game versus Ottawa and 38 in the previous seven contests. Conor Sheary netted the team’s lone goal in Monday’s loss and has scored in back-to-back games after managing only one assist during an eight-game goalless drought. Housley said that defenseman Nathan Beaulieu, who has appeared in only one of the past eight games, will return to the lineup Thursday against his former team.

ABOUT THE CANADIENS (8-5-2): Forward Max Domi has scored in four consecutive games and his nine tallies in his first season with Montreal have all come in the past nine contests, matching his total from 82 games with the Arizona Coyotes in 2017-18. Such consistency has been lacking in net, however: Carey Price was singed for three goals on eight shots in the third period against the Rangers and has surrendered a combined 13 tallies in his last three starts. For the season, Price owns a 5-4-2 record with an unsightly 2.81 goals-against average and .901 save percentage.

OVERTIME

1. Domi has seven goals in his last seven games, including two in a 4-3 loss at Buffalo last month.

2. Skinner had three assists versus Montreal last month and has 11 goals and 20 points in 26 games against the Canadiens.

3. The Canadiens recalled F Kenny Agostino from Laval of the American Hockey League.

PREDICTION: Canadiens 4, Sabres 2

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MONTREAL CANADIENS vs NY RANGERS
When: 7:00 PM  ET, Tuesday, November 6, 2018
Where: Madison Square Garden, New York, New York

TV: 7:05 PM
LINE:
PREDICTION: NY RANGERS , MONTREAL

Oddsmakers currently have the MONTREAL listed as -250 moneyline favorites versus the NY RANGERS, while the game’s total is sitting at 211.5.

The New York Rangers attempt to extend their season-high winning streak to four games when they host the Montreal Canadiens on Tuesday for a battle between Original Six teams. New York had not recorded consecutive victories this campaign prior to its current run, which was stretched with Sunday’s 3-1 home triumph over Buffalo.

Jimmy Vesey ended his six-game goal-scoring drought with authority as he registered his second two-goal performance of 2018-19 for the Rangers, who have posted four of their six wins at home. New York could be without a pair of forwards against Montreal as Ryan Spooner (lower body) is day-to-day while rookie Brett Howden, who has recorded a goal and four assists in his last five games, exited Sunday’s win after crashing face-first into the end boards. The Canadiens are hoping to register consecutive victories for just the second time this season after edging the New York Islanders 4-3 in a shootout on Monday. Montreal rallied from a 3-1 deficit and improved to 3-1-2 on the road when Joel Armia scored the lone goal of the bonus format in the fifth round.

TV: 7 p.m. ET, TSN2, RDS (Montreal), MSG (New York)

ABOUT THE CANADIENS (8-4-2): Max Domi has been wielding a hot stick for Montreal, registering at least one of his team-leading 15 points in nine of his last 10 games after notching a goal and an assist on Monday. The 23-year-old center, who is the son of former NHL enforcer Tie Domi, has tallied in seven of his last nine contests. The Canadiens are hoping forward Jonathan Drouin also is heating up, as the 23-year-old scored a goal and set up another versus the Islanders after recording just one assist in his previous five games.

ABOUT THE RANGERS (6-7-1): Mats Zuccarello has notched seven points in his last nine games and leads the team with seven assists. The 31-year-old Norwegian’s next assist will be his 221st, snapping a tie with Phil Esposito for 25th place on the franchise list. Henrik Lundqvist has posted back-to-back victories following an 0-3-1 stretch and needs two wins to tie the legendary Jacques Plante (437) for seventh place on the all-time list.

OVERTIME

1. Lundqvist has gone 4-0-0 with one shutout, a 0.94 goals-against average and a .967 save percentage in his last four appearances – including playoffs – versus the Canadiens.

2. Montreal LW Artturi Lehkonen scored the game-tying goal on Monday, his first tally since the season opener at Toronto on Oct. 3.

3. The Rangers recalled 20-year-old C Lias Andersson, who recorded a goal and an assist in seven games with the club last season, from Hartford of the American Hockey League.

PREDICTION: Rangers 5, Canadiens 2

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MONTREAL CANADIENS vs NY ISLANDERS
When: 7:00 PM  ET, Monday, November 5, 2018
Where: Barclays Center, Brooklyn, New York

TV: 7:05 PM
LINE: 0
PREDICTION: NY ISLANDERS , MONTREAL

Oddsmakers currently have the MONTREAL listed as -105-moneyline favorites versus the NY ISLANDERS, while the game’s total is sitting at 5.5.

The New York Islanders attempt to extend their winning streak to six contests when they wrap up their three-game homestand Monday against the Montreal Canadiens. New York, which has earned points in six straight (5-0-1), has allowed only two goals while posting victories over Pittsburgh and New Jersey during the string at home.

Josh Bailey notched a pair of assists in Saturday’s 3-0 triumph over the Devils to increase his team-leading total to 15 points and extend his streak to eight games (two goals, nine assists). Montreal is coming off a 1-2-0 homestand that concluded Saturday with a 4-1 loss to Tampa Bay. Max Domi scored 58 seconds into the contest, but the Canadiens were unable to muster any more offense and continued their trend of alternating victories and defeats since posting a three-game winning streak from Oct. 13-17. Montreal has earned at least one point in four of its five road contests this season (2-1-2), posting a 3-0 triumph at Boston on Oct. 27 in its last game away from home.

TV: 7 p.m. ET, TSN2, RDS (Montreal), MSG Plus 2 (New York)

ABOUT THE CANADIENS (7-4-2): Domi is proving to be a solid acquisition after coming over from Arizona for former 30-goal scorer Alex Galchenyuk in mid-June. The 23-year-old son of former NHL enforcer Tie Domi, who was drafted 12th overall by the Coyotes in 2013, leads Montreal with 13 points – notching at least one in eight of his last nine games – and has recorded a goal in six of his last eight contests. Carey Price has won three of his last five starts and is nine victories away from 300 for his career.

ABOUT THE ISLANDERS (8-4-1): Thomas Greiss, who posted his ninth career shutout on Saturday, has allowed only three goals on 105 shots in his last three starts. The 32-year-old German is tied with Chris Osgood and Kelly Hrudey for seventh place on the franchise list with six shutouts, is even with Glenn Healy for seventh with 66 victories and shares 10th place with Garth Snow at 127 games played. Scoring first has been key for New York, which is 7-0-1 when recording the initial goal and 1-4-0 when allowing it.

OVERTIME

1. Islanders C Brock Nelson’s goal on Saturday was his 106th, moving him past Ed Westfall and Benoit Hogue for 28th place on the franchise list.

2. Montreal has dominated the all-time series of late, winning nine of the last 12 meetings.

3. Bailey’s next goal will be his 128th and snap a tie with Jason Blake for 19th in franchise history.

PREDICTION: Islanders 3, Canadiens 2

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WASHINGTON CAPITALS vs MONTREAL CANADIENS
When: 7:30 PM  ET, Thursday, November 1, 2018
Where: Bell Centre, Montreal, Quebec

TV: 7:35 PM
LINE: 0
PREDICTION: MONTREAL , WASHINGTON

Oddsmakers currently have the WASHINGTON listed as -125-moneyline favorites versus the MONTREAL, while the game’s total is sitting at 6.

The Washington Capitals have a chance to post back-to-back victories for the first time this season when they wrap up a four-game road trip with a visit to the Montreal Canadiens on Thursday night. The defending Stanley Cup champions have enjoyed spectacular success in Montreal, winning five in a row and 12 of their last 13 at the Bell Centre.

First-year coach Todd Reirden acknowledged that the Capitals are “still a work in progress” after their spirited run to claiming the Stanley Cup last season. “As much as you want to talk about building momentum from last year — and we have the majority of our players back — it’s tough to replicate the intensity that goes on, and just the detail in our game could improve,” Reirden said. The Canadiens, who will be trying to avoid dropping two in a row for the first time this season, opened a three-game homestand with a 4-1 loss to Dallas and now have to face Washington and Tampa Bay over the next three nights. “It’s too bad because we worked hard,” Montreal coach Claude Julien said. “The effort was there but the result just wasn’t.”

TV: 7:30 p.m. ET, RDS, TSN2 (Montreal), NBCS Washington

ABOUT THE CAPITALS (5-3-2): Defenseman Brooks Orpik sustained a lower-body injury in Saturday’s 4-3 shootout win at Calgary and has been ruled out of Thursday’s matchup by Reirden. Madison Bowey played 10 1/2 minutes against the Flames and could be paired with another second-year blue-liner in Christian Djoos versus Montreal. “This is the growth of them as young players, to see where they are at and to see how they do in these situations,” Reirden said. “That’s how we’ll start the game, and throughout the game they’ll probably play with other players as well. … But those will be our three pairs to start the game.”

ABOUT THE CANADIENS (6-3-2): Leading goal scorer Brendan Gallagher and Paul Byron both missed Wednesday’s practice, but only the latter’s status is in question after he suffered a lower-body injury against Dallas. “Gallagher was definitely just a maintenance day,” Julien said. “Same thing with Paulie, but Paulie I think is more day-to-day. I know Gallagher will be fine tomorrow. Can’t say the same about Paulie yet. We’ll go about it on a day-to-day basis.” With Gallagher and Byron absent, Julien juggled his lines and put together the all-Finnish trio of Jesperi Kotkaniemi, Artturi Lehkonen and Joel Armia on one unit.

OVERTIME

1. Capitals captain Alex Ovechkin had four goals and an assist in three games versus Montreal last season.

2. Canadiens G Carey Price has labored against the Capitals with a 6-13-4 record and 3.30 goals-against average.

3. Washington’s top-ranked power play is converting on 37.1 percent (13-for-35) of its chances.

PREDICTION: Capitals 4, Canadiens 2

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MONTREAL vs DETROIT
When: 7:30 PM  ET, Thursday, November 30, 2017
Where: Little Caesars Arena, Detroit, Michigan

TV: 7:30 p.m. ET, TSN2, RDS (Montreal), FSN Detroit
LINE: 0
PREDICTION: Red Wings 3, Canadiens 2

Oddsmakers currently have the MONTREAL listed as 105-moneyline favorites versus the DETROIT, while the game’s total is sitting at 5.5.

DETROIT — A pair of teams moving in opposite directions meet when the Detroit Red Wings host the Montreal Canadiens on Thursday at Little Caesars Arena.

OVERTIME

1. Red Wings captain Henrik Zetterberg, whose next power-play tally will be his 100th in the NHL, is mired in an 18-game goal-scoring drought.

2. Montreal G Carey Price has allowed only two goals while winning three straight starts since returning from a lower-body injury but likely will be given a rest on Thursday.

3. Detroit C Frans Nielsen reached the 400-point mark in his career with an assist on Tuesday.

Detroit is winless in its past five games (0-2-3) while the Canadiens are riding a three-game winning streak after a 2-1 victory over the Ottawa Senators on Wednesday night in Montreal.

The Red Wings lost 4-1 at home to the Los Angeles Kings on Tuesday.

ABOUT THE RED WINGS (10-10-5): Jimmy Howard has struggled a bit of late, allowing four goals in three of his last four starts after yielding that amount just once in his first 15 outings. The 33-year-old goaltender has gone 0-2-2 during his slump, with his last victory coming on Nov. 17 against Buffalo. Anthony Mantha leads the team with 11 goals but has tallied just once in his last six contests.

“I think if we could have won two of the (recent) games in overtime, we’d have been fine, but we haven’t,” Red Wings coach Jeff Blashill said after the game Tuesday, according to Booth Newspapers. “So now we have tons of urgency on Thursday.”

The Red Wings are in the middle of a stretch in which they play 13 of 18 games at home. They are 4-4-4 at Little Caesars Arena.

Detroit led 1-0 on Tuesday late in the second period, thanks to defenseman Mike Green’s goal in the first period.

However, Los Angeles right winger Dustin Brown tied it with 2:17 left in the second, and center Anze Kopitar put the Kings ahead for good with just 6.1 seconds left in the middle period. Los Angeles forward Adrian Kempe scored 58 seconds into the third period.

“That second, third goal, tough ones, kind of kills the game,” said Red Wings center and captain Henrik Zetterberg, who hasn’t scored a goal in 18 games. “It’s a tough team to be behind against, and they’re playing a certain style that’s tiring when you’re not scoring on your chances … We have to find a way to be more determined.”

The 18-game scoring drought is the longest of Zetterberg’s career.

“Hank’s a big-time competitor. He’s a big-time warrior,” Blashill said. “He wants to help this team win. I don’t know if it’s wearing on him, he’s been through lots of this throughout his career. The year I was here as an assistant (2011-12), the first half of the year was a real struggle for him, and he was unreal the second half.

“He’ll keep doing what he does, which is working his (rear) off and competing like crazy, and I think in the end, he’ll get results.”

Zetterberg has seven assists during the goalless stretch.

“Obviously, it’s not fun when you don’t score,” he said, “so I take big responsibility in that.”

Goaltender Carey Price made 27 saves for Montreal on Wednesday night, and centers Jonathan Drouin (penalty shot) and Phillip Danault scored 2:18 apart early in the second period.

ABOUT THE CANADIENS (11-12-3): David Schlemko made his debut with the team on Wednesday, registering two shots in 15 minutes, 54 seconds of ice time. The 30-year-old defenseman, who was acquired from Vegas on June 22 after being selected from San Jose’s roster in the expansion draft a day earlier, had been sidelined since suffering a hand injury during training camp that required surgery. Drouin on Wednesday became the first Canadien to convert a penalty-shot attempt since Dale Weise on Nov. 13, 2014.

Price has allowed two goals on 102 shots since returning Nov. 25 from a lower-body injury that sidelined him for 10 games.

“You come into the room, you see how focused he is and you know he’s going to have a good night,” Drouin said of Price. “He’s so composed out there, it’s actually kind of crazy to look at. He comes to the bench and he’s not sweating almost, just so relaxed, and it’s a first for me to see that, but so composed and gives us so much confidence playing.”

Said Canadiens defenseman Karl Alzner: “You know you can mess up a little bit out there and he’s most likely going to back you up, and that’s something that feels pretty good. And what a joy it is having him play the puck the way he does. It saves you from getting hit quite a bit.”

Sportsnet reported that Drouin didn’t travel with the team to Detroit postgame, but no other details were available.

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NY RANGERS vs MONTREAL CANADIENS
When: 7:00 PM  ET, Friday, April 14, 2017
Where: Bell Centre, Montreal, Quebec

TV: 7 p.m. ET, USA, MSG (New York), CBC, TVAS (Montreal)
LINE: 0
PREDICTION: Canadiens 2, Rangers 1

Oddsmakers currently have the NY RANGERS listed as 130-moneyline favorites versus the MONTREAL, while the game’s total is sitting at 5.

MONTREAL — Shut out in Game 1 of their first-round series against the New York Rangers on Wednesday, the Montreal Canadiens hit the ice for practice Thursday nonetheless pleased with the effort.

They know, however, there are areas to clean up heading into Game 2 on Friday — namely, in front of the opposing net.

“We know that there’s going to be rebounds, there’s going to be opportunities around the net, in tight,” Canadiens defenseman Jeff Petry said. “We worked on getting guys in front, getting bodies there, so that when there are rebounds, we have guys there to bury them.”

Montreal had its chances in the series opener, taking shots that produced rebounds, but players were not in position for a quick strike of the loose puck. The Canadiens attempted 68 shots overall, 31 of which reached Rangers goaltender Henrik Lundqvist.

“We all know that he’s good on the first shot when he sees it,” Montreal winger Alexander Radulov said of Lundqvist. “That’s what we’re trying to do. It’s simple as that. That’s the playoffs, that’s how goals are scored. You have to be in front of him and find that rebound.”

Canadiens coach Claude Julien did not anticipate making any lineup changes for Game 2 but also did not offer any confirmation that he would not. Defenseman Alexei Emelin, sidelined with an undisclosed injury, is “doubtful.” And while the pairing of Nathan Beaulieu and Nikita Nesterov struggled at times in the opener, Julien noted that others on the ice with them factored into their troubles.

No matter who plays, though, the coach believes in his team.

“We’re a confident group that if we play our game, we’re very capable of winning with the lineup we have now,” Julien said. “If it’s not that, we’re extremely confident that the depth that we have will help us along the way, whether it’s next game or the game after that. We’re deep and we need to utilize that to our advantage at some point.”

New York’s depth came through in what was a tight affair. Fourth-line winger Tanner Glass, who spent nearly the entire season in the AHL before earning a call-up last month, scored what turned out to be the winning goal in Game 1. His first-period tally stood until a late empty-net goal sealed the win.

The Rangers showed why they led the NHL in regular-season road wins (27) with a strong effort over the final 40 minutes after a slow start.

“It was pretty good,” New York winger Rick Nash said of his team’s play. “I thought defensively we were great. I still think the wingers can do a bit of a better job on the boards. I think we gave up a lot of chances by the wingers not getting the puck out. But overall, Henrik was our best player by far on the ice, and that’s what we needed from him.”

In a series between two teams known for their speed, a surprise came out of the opening game as the two combined for 98 hits through 60 minutes (45 for New York, 53 for Montreal). Forty of those were delivered in the first period alone.

“I’m not sure of a hundred hits but it’s realistic that it can stay right around that area,” said defenseman Brendan Smith. “I think that’s just what happens in the playoffs. I think a lot of times you feel each other out in the first game and you might get a couple more but there’s going to be bangs, for sure.”

But like Montreal, the Rangers know the most important thing on their to-do list is banging the puck home.

“You’ve got to work that much harder when they playoffs around to get your scoring chances and to get your looks,” said Nash. “As an individual, as a line, and as a unit of five. Got to be better and get more chances.”

STATS AND RECORDS

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Montreal Canadiens vs Minnesota Wild
When: 8:00 PM ET, Thursday, January 12, 2017
Where: Xcel Energy Center, Saint Paul, Minnesota

TV: 8 p.m. ET, NBCSN, Sportsnet, RDS (Montreal)
PREDICTION: Wild 3, Canadiens 1

Oddsmakers currently have the MONTREAL listed as 130-moneyline favorites versus the MINNESOTA, while the game’s total is sitting at 5.

ST. PAUL, Minn. — The Montreal Canadiens scored seven times in beating the Winnipeg Jets on Wednesday and are fifth in the league in goals per game. The Minnesota Wild are just ahead, fourth in the league with 3.13 goals per game.

The two teams will likely have a hard time finding the back of the net as they meet Thursday in Minnesota.

The Wild, coming off a West Coast swing in which they went 2-0-1, will likely have goaltender Devan Dubnyk between the pipes for a matchup with Montreal’s Carey Price.

Price is considered by many as the top goaltender in the NHL, and he backs up the talk with a 2.12 goals-against average (sixth in the league) and .928 save percentage (fifth). Dubnyk, however, holds the statistical advantage this season with league-bests 1.80 goals-against average and .939 save percentage.

Dubnyk was named to his second straight All-Star Game on Tuesday and he’s won 12 of his past 13 games as Minnesota has climbed to within four points of Central-leading Chicago.

“You don’t do that for 82 games ever,” Dubnyk told the Minneapolis Star Tribune of his first 27 starts. “There’s always going to be some lulls. And fortunately, two of the three (tough starts in the past four games) we were able to score five and six goals, so we’ll take those.

“But, it’s nice to get out there and remember what it feels like to give up one, and not four.”

Dubnyk had not allowed four goals all season until Dec. 29 against the Islanders. But he gave up four goals in three straight games before allowing just one against the Anaheim Ducks s Minnesota finished its strong West coast swing. The Wild still won two of the three games in which Dubnyk allowed four goals.

“This is, if not the toughest, for sure, one of the toughest trips every year,” Minnesota center Mikko Koivu told the Star Tribune. “All three teams, they play hard, they play good two-way hockey.”

Strong two-way hockey has defined the Wild and Canadiens.

Minnesota has the fourth-most goals per game and is allowing the second fewest per game (2.13). The Canadiens are fifth in scoring at 3.12 goals per game and fifth in the fewest allowed (2.38).

In the first game of the back-to-back, Montreal got two goals each from Phillip Danault and Artturi Lehkonen. Danault scored a highlight-reel goal in skating the length of the ice and weaving between four defenders before scoring with a quick shot.

“You don’t see those types of goals very often in the NHL,” coach Michel Therrien told NHL.com. “For the young kid, it’s good for his confidence. He’s playing really well. There’s a reason we put him out there. He was always a good skater, he can move the puck and protect the puck well and he’s responsible at both sides of the ice.”

Danault has stepped up as the No. 1 center with the Canadiens deal with a glut of injuries. Montreal is playing without forwards Alex Galchenyuk, Brendan Gallagher, David Desharnais and Andrew Shaw, and defenseman Andrei Markov.

“For us, I’ll say that we want to play our game,” Therrien told NHL.com after Wednesday’s game. “We want to play a fast-paced game and we want to dictate from the start and move on from our last game (a 4-1 home loss to the Washington Capitals on Monday). And this is what we did. First shift set the tone of the game and we went from there.”

Al Montoya earned the win in net on Wednesday with 23 saves, setting up the Price-Dubnyk matchup.

It will be the second time the two teams, and goalies, will meet. The Wild won 4-2 in Montreal on Dec. 22 as Eric Staal scored a shorthanded goal.

Coincidentally, Montoya is 5-0 against Minnesota with six goals allowed, while Price is 4-4 in his career against the Wild with a 2.51 goals-against average and .911 save percentage in eight starts.

Minnesota coach Bruce Boudreau, with three days off since beating Anaheim, gave his older players Wednesday off.

“I thought (Tuesday’s practice) was a real good day,” Boudreau told the Star Tribune, “and (today) was sort of an experiment. I don’t know how it’s going to work or if it’s not going to work. But with all the games that we’ve got now, … so we wanted to give a couple of our older players and/or guys that get a lot of ice time a little bit of a break today and see how it works out for (Thursday’s) game and whether it’s something we’ll continue to do.”

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