Montreal Canadiens vs. St. Louis Blues Preview
Following a thrilling New Year’s Day victory over the Carolina Hurricanes, the Montreal Canadiens are gearing up for their next challenge against the St. Louis Blues on Saturday afternoon. This meeting marks the final encounter between the two teams this season; the Blues previously edged out the Canadiens 4-3 during a game in December, taking advantage of their home ice.
Current Standings and Recent Performance
Currently, the Canadiens have enjoyed a favorable record against the Blues, winning six of the last ten matchups. However, the Blues are battling through a difficult season, sitting sixth in the Central Division with just 40 points, trailing the Canadiens by ten points, although St. Louis has played two additional games.
Despite their struggles, the Blues have shown some resilience recently, achieving a 5-4-1 record in their last ten outings. Notably, they triumphed over the Vegas Golden Knights in their last game with a late goal from Brayden Schenn, securing a 4-3 win.
Goaltending Matchup
In terms of goaltending, Joel Hoffer took to the ice against the Knights, suggesting that Jordan Binnington will be back in net against Montreal. Binnington has a mixed history against the Canadiens, recording a 4-4-0 record alongside a goals-against average of 3.41 and a save percentage of .880. Meanwhile, Hoffer boasts a win against Montreal from earlier and maintains a solid 3.00 GAA and .909 SV against them.
The Canadiens will likely start Samuel Montembeault, who has previously opened the season effectively but holds a 2-2-0 record against the Blues, with a GAA of 3.64 and a .887 save percentage. Goaltender Jakub Dobes previously faced the Blues and suffered a loss, managing only 14 saves during that game.
Offensive Threats
On the offensive front, the Canadiens must be alert to the threat posed by Brayden Schenn, who has an impressive 31 points in 32 games against them. The Blues’ defenseman Cam Fowler also presents a challenge, contributing 18 points in 24 encounters, while Robert Thomas remains a potent force despite having only played against Montreal on a few occasions with 14 points in those games.
Conversely, the Canadiens’ captain, Nick Suzuki, is a player to watch, producing 12 points in 11 games against St. Louis. Cole Caufield, despite recent snubs by Team USA, has managed to score 10 points in 9 games against the Blues, while Brendan Gallagher leads the Canadiens against St. Louis with 15 points in 19 games.
Game Details
The puck drops at 4:00 PM at the Enterprise Center, with the game available for viewing on FDSNMW, TSN2, and RDS. The Canadiens hope to clinch their third consecutive win for the first time since late November when they managed a streak against the Maple Leafs, the Intramural team, and the Knights. Following this matchup, Montreal will head to Texas to take on the Dallas Stars on Sunday at 2:00 PM.
