TEAM COMPARISONS
The Canadiens enter their annual California road trip with the fourth-best road record in the League (16-6-7) and 14 out of a possible 20 points in their last 10 games. The standings remain tight in the Atlantic Division, and the margin for error is getting smaller as the regular season winds down, which is why head coach Martin St-Louis placed a large emphasis on details at Monday’s practice. With Detroit earning a 4-2 win over Nashville yesterday, the Canadiens have dropped down to the first wild card spot with 75 points.
Meanwhile, the Sharks have won their last two games and have a favorable record in front of their fans (16-10-3). Macklin Celebrini is a large reason why the Sharks are only four points out of a wild card spot in the Western Conference with 62 points. San Jose has dropped their last pair of matchups against the Canadiens by scores of 4-3.
SEASON SERIES
Mar. 3 @ SJS:
Mar. 14 vs. SJS:
PLAYERS TO WATCH FOR
He might be known as Mr. Saturday Night, but as Cole Caufield said following Saturday's 6-2 win over the Washington Capitals, “[Pretty] much every day is Saturday.” The numbers also seem to show that’s the case, too.
Now tied for first in the NHL with 15 goals scored on Saturdays this season with Nathan MacKinnon, the 25-year-old winger has also registered a League-high 16 goals since January 1. Tied for second in goals with Connor McDavid and Matt Boldy, he’s only five away from reaching the 40-goal mark, which would be a first for Caufield in his NHL career.
Meanwhile, it goes without saying the Canadiens will need to find a way to shut down Sharks star Celebrini. His 83 points and 54 assists put him in the top five in each of those categories across the League.
BY THE NUMBERS: HABS-SHARKS
Here’s how both teams match up by the numbers:
