After enjoying the New York Islanders on the highway on Saturday evening, the Montreal Canadiens now return residence to face the opposite New York-based squad, the Rangers, on Tuesday on the Bell Centre. After three-straight losses, head coach Martin St. Louis’ facet should reckon with one of many league’s high groups. Listed below are among the main storylines heading into the sport.
Canadiens Want Some Magic Versus Shesterkin
The early-season story, not less than so far as the offence is anxious, has been Cole Caufield. With six targets in six video games, it looks like good issues occur each time he touches the puck. He was the primary purpose the Habs earned a degree on Saturday in opposition to the Islanders. Down 3-2 late within the third interval and searching toothless on the assault, Caufield wristed a shot from – the place else? – the left facet that fooled netminder Semyon Varlamov. He raised his arms and appeared upwards into the rafters as if to have a good time his personal greatness. Of notice, his anticipated targets determine is presently 3.7, greater than half of his six markers, as per MoneyPuck.
Regardless of Caufield’s success, there are questions on the place the remainder of the workforce’s offence will come from in opposition to arguably one of the best netminder within the league, Igor Shesterkin, along with his 1.97 goals-against common (GAA) and a beguiling .935 save share (SV%). He flustered a well-oiled Toronto Maple Leafs group on Saturday evening in a 4-1 Rangers win. You’d suppose that when Auston Matthews and William Nylander register 9 and eight photographs on objective, respectively, the puck would go in additional than as soon as.
Fellow The Hockey Writers Canadiens author Blain Potvin recommended enjoying younger stud Emil Heineman within the high six. He’s appeared good this season, though he was largely invisible on Saturday evening with 10:36 of ice time. Then once more, it was a sport the place virtually no one confirmed attacking grit or inventiveness. Brendan Gallagher had a really intelligent however failed deflection try sail simply over the publish. These pucks want to search out the again of the online in opposition to the Rangers.
Montembeault Must Be a Hero
With Cayden Primeau getting the decision on Saturday – and enjoying effectively, to his credit score – all eyes can be on Samuel Montembeault on Tuesday. There was loads of hoopla about his efficiency up to now, and it’s been merited for probably the most half, though his final two outings weren’t as sensational (a 6-3 loss to the Pittsburgh Penguins and a 4-1 loss to the Los Angeles Kings).
Lots goes in opposition to the Canadiens on this sport, together with that Montembeault will not be a greater goalie than Shesterkin. For one, the Rangers have one of the best offence within the NHL by 5 contests, averaging 4.80 targets per sport, and so they aren’t even near the highest of the league in photographs on objective. They’ve fired 165 photographs, good for 12th.
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Not solely is their capturing effectivity a powerful 14.6% (ranked fifth), however additionally they launch an unimaginable variety of high-danger makes an attempt. The Rangers are tied for second with the New Jersey Devils at 19.
Talking of high-danger probabilities, the Rangers are third league-wide in rebound photographs with 21 and tied for third with a trio of rebound targets. Montreal is already third-worst in rebound targets in opposition to (three) and seventh-worst within the share of targets in opposition to from rebounds (18.75%). Probably the most lugubrious determine is the 24 high-danger photographs in opposition to, which places the Habs within the NHL basement.
Will Arber Xhekaj Return to the Lineup?
23-year-old defenceman Arber Xhekaj was disregarded of the lineup in opposition to the Islanders. There is no such thing as a phrase on any doable harm that stored him from enjoying. It seems to have been a coach’s choice.
Xhekaj’s sport has not been as much as par. His preseason was eventful, however the numbers haven’t appeared nice within the common season. He’s the blueliner with the second-worst plus-minus on the workforce at minus-4 (David Savard is minus-7), and his 9.75 high-danger shot makes an attempt per 60 minutes are by far the worst on the membership.
That’s a matter of positioning and studying the play. It’s straightforward to overlook that the Hamilton, Ontario, native is barely enjoying in his third NHL season. He performed 51 matches in 2022-23 and 44 in 2023-24 due to accidents. In different phrases, he’s performed in simply over the equal of a full 82-game marketing campaign. There’s time for him to be taught from his errors.
The Rangers are huge and tactically sound. They know how you can play effectively and are usually not straightforward to shove round. Having Xhekaj could be higher than not having him. If he’s wholesome, then Tuesday evening could be a heck of a check. St. Louis certainly sees him as a part of the Canadiens’ defensive future.
Montreal has a wierd schedule this week, which makes a victory over the Rangers on Tuesday all of the extra necessary. By puck drop, 72 hours may have elapsed because the disappointment versus the Islanders. After the Rangers, they don’t play once more till Saturday at residence versus the St. Louis Blues and on Sunday night in opposition to the Flyers in Philadelphia. It will likely be troublesome to search out any rhythm this week, however two factors of their pocket would really feel good once they go to mattress on Tuesday evening earlier than one other few days off.
