WHAT’S HAPPENING AT THE BELL CENTRE
The Habs will mark the Year of the Snake by celebrating Lunar New Year early.
Here’s a look at what fans can expect in and out of the Bell Centre:
- Lion dancers from the Montreal Chan Lion Dance Club will walk to the Bell Centre from Dorchester Square at 5:45 p.m., and perform in the Rio Tinto Courtyard at 6:00 p.m.;
- Red envelopes with gift cards from team partners will be distributed to fans until 6:30 p.m.;
- The Montreal Chan Lion Dance Club will perform on the ice during first intermission;
- Exclusive merchandise featuring the Canadiens Lunar New Year logo will be available at Tricolore Sports, with 25% of profits benefiting Chinese Family Service of Greater Montreal;
- Local Vietnamese restaurant CHOM CHOM will have a special concessions kiosk in Marché M2 Montréal Loto Québec;
- Facts about Lunar New Year will be screened throughout the arena.
Along with these festivities, the Canadiens will also be hosting Molson FANatic Saturdays. That means fans can kick off the fun as of 4:30 p.m. at a pregame party at Les Trois Monkeys on Peel St., located a few steps away from the Bell Centre. By participating in the pregame Trivia at Les Trois Monkeys, one winner will get to participate in Molson Lucky Shots to shoot three pucks from the ice at intermission for various prizes.
Monster Energy’s guest, DJ Eric the Tutor, will also be spinning tunes in bowl for warmups. Fans can catch his set on Twitch for a chance to win a prize.
TEAM COMPARISONS
Samuel Montembeault’s 41-save performance was one of few bright spots in a 4-2 loss to the Detroit Red Wings at Little Caesars Arena on Thursday. The goaltender has made a combined 74 saves on 80 shots in the last two games. The other positive from that contest would be Kirby Dach’s goal and assist, giving him 10 points (8G, 2A) in his last 14 outings. As a whole though, the Canadiens will need to tighten up and get on the scoresheet first after trailing 2-0 and 3-0 against Tampa Bay and Detroit this week, especially if they want to continue to have the success they’ve had since the holiday break.
Montreal’s opponents have in the meantime snapped a four-game losing streak with a 5-1 win over the Boston Bruins at Prudential Center. Unfortunately for head coach Sheldon Keefe and his troops, goaltender Jacob Markstrom sustained an injury during Wednesday’s affair and will miss four-to-six weeks of action as a result. It’s a tough blow for the Devils as Markstrom, who was the NHL’s Third Star of the Month for December with an 8-1-1 record, is a big reason why the Metropolitan Division team has conceded the second-fewest goals in the Eastern Conference. While New Jersey has called up prospect Isaac Poulter from the Utica Comets, Jake Allen is projected to defend the cage against Montreal for his first regular season game in the 514 since being traded on March 8, 2024, to the Devils. Saturday’s contest will also mark the return of Johnathan Kovacevic, and fans will likewise recognize Tomas Tatar as he played three seasons for the Bleu-Blanc-Rouge. New Jersey is fourth in the Eastern Conference with 60 points.
SEASON SERIES
Nov. 7 @ NJD: 5-3 NJD
Jan. 25 vs. NJD:
Feb. 8 vs. NJD:
PLAYERS TO WATCH FOR
MTL: Patrik Laine’s four-game point streak certainly makes him a player the Devils will need to keep a close eye on. During that stretch, the Finnish forward has picked up six points, most of which have been assists (2G, 4A). Laine, along with teammate Christian Dvorak, partook in his 500th career NHL game against the Red Wings on Thursday.
NJD: Nico Hischier’s three-point outing (1G, 2A) against the Bruins helped propel his side back to the win column on Wednesday. The 26-year-old captain ranks third on the team with 42 points in 50 games (23G, 19A) and has collected eight points (5G, 3A) in 10 games for the Devils this month. Like Laine and Dvorak, Hischier reached an important milestone by playing in his 500th NHL game on January 18 against the Philadelphia Flyers.
BY THE NUMBERS: DEVILS-HABS
Here’s how the Devils and Canadiens match up by the numbers:
