TEAM COMPARISONS
The Canadiens went the distance in a 4-3 shootout loss to the Pittsburgh Penguins at PPG Paints Arena on Sunday. Montreal has points in four of its last five games and will be looking to even their series against the Bruins, who had the upper hand in their first meeting of the season in November. Martin St-Louis' squad is second in a tight Atlantic Division with 43 points.
Their opponents have meanwhile dropped three straight, including a whopping 6-2 loss to the Ottawa Senators at TD Garden on Sunday. Still, they’re only two points behind the Canadiens in the standings having played an extra game over their rivals.
SEASON SERIES
Nov. 15 vs. BOS: 4-2 BOS
Dec. 23 @ BOS:
Jan. 24 @ BOS:
Mar. 17 vs. BOS:
PLAYERS TO WATCH FOR
Juraj Slafkovsky, Oliver Kapanen and Ivan Demidov’s chemistry continues to shine as they combined for six points in Sunday’s game. Slafkovsky, who has 23 points (10G, 23A) in 26 games, has been a key driver and playmaker on a line that features two of the best rookies in the NHL. Among first-year players, Kapanen is tied for first in goals with 11, while Demidov is first in assists with 20 and is tied for the lead in points with 28.
For Boston, Morgan Geekie has already scored 25 goals this season and is on pace to surpass his career best in goals that he established last season (33). The 27-year-old forward is tied for first in points with David Pastrnak (39).
BY THE NUMBERS: BRUINS-HABS
Here’s how both teams match up by the numbers:
