TEAM COMPARISONS
Keep the good times rolling. That’s the mindset for the Canadiens, who arrive in North Carolina riding a four-game win streak. There was little time to savor Saturday’s 4-1 victory over the Nashville Predators, however, as the Habs touched down in Raleigh around 12:30 a.m. ET on Sunday before quickly turning their focus to a showdown with the Metro-leading Hurricanes.
Montreal has found success against Carolina this season, piling up 12 goals across two meetings and limiting the Canes to just two in their most recent clash at the Bell Centre. The defensive structure in general has tightened of late, with the Canadiens allowing an average of just two goals per game over their last six outings — more than a full goal below their season average of 3.15.
Carolina enters the contest 6-4-0 in its last 10 games, including four wins in its last five — the lone blemish coming against Montreal. Despite having the Metropolitan Division all but locked up, the Hurricanes are showing no signs of easing off the gas. Their relentless, high-pressure style was evident in Tuesday’s meeting in Montreal and will once again challenge the Canadiens, who look to complete a season sweep on the second half of a back-to-back.
SEASON SERIES
Jan. 1 @ CAR: 7-5 MTL
Mar. 24 vs. CAR: 5-2 MTL
Mar. 29 @ CAR:
PLAYERS TO WATCH FOR
Ivan Demidov has found another gear of late. The rookie sensation recorded a goal and an assist in Saturday’s win over the Predators and now has four points in his last three games, including a multi-point performance against Carolina earlier this week.
On the other side, Seth Jarvis comes in red-hot. The 24-year-old is riding a five-game point streak, racking up eight points over that stretch, and has totaled 61 points in 64 games this season.
BY THE NUMBERS: HABS-CANES
Here’s how the Canadiens and Hurricanes match up by the numbers:
