WHAT’S HAPPENING AT THE BELL CENTRE
As part of Family Weekend in collaboration with Parc Omega and Tim Hortons, kids will take over the Bell Centre on Saturday and Sunday! Game presentation will feature a young Canadiens Fan Club member announcing the starting lineup alongside Michel Lacroix, while other young subscribers will suit up as Mini-Youppi!s or ride on the Zamboni. Accordingly, childhood photos of players will also be featured in-game.
Various Bell Centre restaurants will likewise be serving special brunch menus as of 11:00 a.m. to account for the early start time. Fans can make reservations at their spot of choice via this link.
TEAM COMPARISONS
Martin St-Louis' contingent wrapped up a three-game West Coast road trip with a 6-3 loss to the Los Angeles Kings at Crypto.com Arena on Wednesday. The Canadiens have been going through a rough patch as demonstrated by a 3-6-1 record in their last 10 outings. Conserving energy and improving the team’s overall collective play are among the priorities for the Bleu-Blanc-Rouge before the 4 Nations Face-Off break. After playing three games in four nights in California, the Canadiens will need to find a new gear this weekend with back-to-back contests on the docket. Following Friday’s optional practice, St-Louis confirmed that Samuel Montembeault and Jakub Dobes will split goaltending duties, with the former defending the cage on Saturday against the Devils and the latter starting on Sunday against the Tampa Bay Lightning. Mike Matheson is set to play in his 600th career NHL game today. In 599 contests, the veteran defenseman has amassed 258 points (72G, 186A) and 930 blocked shots.
Montreal will be looking to avoid a season sweep by the Devils, who are coming off a 3-1 loss to the Vegas Golden Knights at Prudential Center on Thursday. A lack of consistency has hurt New Jersey as Sheldon Keefe’s men have only won seven games since the Christmas break. Injuries haven’t helped either: After losing goaltender Jacob Markstrom to a knee injury in late January, they are now without captain and leading goal-scorer Nico Hischier and defenseman Jonas Siegenthaler. Despite that, the Devils continue to have success on the power play – the second-best in the NHL – and their penalty kill is also hot as the Metropolitan Division team has not conceded a goal in 16 straight PP opportunities. With 66 points, New Jersey sits third in their division behind the Washington Capitals (79) and the Carolina Hurricanes (68).
SEASON SERIES
Nov. 7 @ NJD: 5-3 NJD
Jan. 25 vs. NJD: 4-3 NJD (OT)
Feb. 8 vs. NJD:
PLAYERS TO WATCH FOR
MTL: Alex Newhook has kicked off February with a three-game point streak (1G, 3A). He registered his 10th goal of the season against the San Jose Sharks on February 4, marking the fourth time the 24-year-old forward has scored in double digits in a single season. He is five goals away from reaching his career best in goals (15).
NJD: Jesper Bratt registered a goal and an assist, on top of being named third star of the game, the last time the Habs and Devils faced off in January. Heading into today’s matchup, the left winger has picked up a goal and nine helpers over seven consecutive games. Not only does he lead New Jersey in assists (46), but he also sits sixth in the League in that category.
BY THE NUMBERS: DEVILS-HABS
Here’s how the Devils and Canadiens match up by the numbers:
