The Montreal Canadiens (6-5-2) will play the Boston Bruins (11-1-1) at the Bell Centre on Saturday night. The game is set to begin at 7 p.m. ET.
The Canadiens are coming off a thrilling 3-2 overtime win over the Detroit Red Wings, in which sniper Cole Caufield set an NHL record for the fastest player to seven overtime goals.
Juraj Slafkovsky performed admirably, but as has been the case since his arrival in the league, head coach Martin St-Louis decided to bench him when the game was close.
This will be the Canadiens’ first meeting with the Bruins this season. Three forwards are currently tied for the team lead in scoring. The Habs’ Cole Caufield, Sean Monahan, and Nick Suzuki have all scored 12 points in 13 games.
Forward Josh Anderson has yet to find the back of the net, but statistically, he should soon. Or, more accurately, he’s long overdue. Individual high-danger scoring chances and individual expected goals rank the speedy forward among the top five forwards.
His on-ice numbers aren’t great, but he’s creating chances, which is always a good sign.
The Habs will start Samuel Montembeault, with Jake Allen as his backup.UPDATE 4: Rafael Harvey-Pinard will return to the lineup, with forward Joel Armia relegated to the press box, according to head coach Maritn St-Louis.
The Boston Bruins, despite many predictions that they would crumble following Patrice Bergeron’s retirement, have managed to keep one of the best records in the NHL.
It’s worth noting that, despite the absence of Bergeron, the Bruins set an NHL record for wins last season, with 65, so their strong start isn’t all that surprising.
Check out our sister site Boston Hockey Now for a view from the other side of the rink.
The Bruins’ offense is led by David Pastrnak, who has 10 goals and 10 assists in 13 games. Brad Marchand is currently second in scoring, averaging six goals and seven assists per game in 13 games.
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