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MONTREAL – The Canadiens will celebrate the rich heritage and impactful achievements of Quebec’s Black communities when they host the San Jose Sharks at the Bell Centre on Thursday.

Here’s what you need to know heading into the game:

GAME FACTS

WHEN

Thursday, February 27 at 7:00 p.m. ET

WHERE

Bell Centre – Montreal, QC

TV & STREAMING

TSN2, RDS

RADIO

TSN 690, 98.5 FM

TICKETS

STATISTICS

WHAT’S HAPPENING AT THE BELL CENTRE

Here’s what fans can expect inside the Bell Centre as the Canadiens celebrate Black Excellence on Thursday:

  • The Kwizinn pop-up concession at M2 Marché Montréal Loto-Québec will feature a trio of Caribbean cuisine offerings: a plantain burger, jerk chicken sandwich and Haitian patties.
  • Exclusive merchandise featuring the Canadiens Black Excellence logo designed by Anna Binta will be available at Tricolore Sports, with 25% of profits benefiting Nos Jeunes à Coeur.
  • The national anthems will be performed by Kim Richardson, while Tall and Skinny will be on DJ duties at the intermissions.
  • Facts about Quebec’s Black communities will be screened throughout the game.

TEAM COMPARISONS

Coming out of the break, the Canadiens are doing just fine. Back-to-back dominant wins have kept them in the thick of the Eastern Conference playoff race with 24 games to go. With their next three matchups against teams well outside of the postseason conversation, they will look to keep momentum on their side before heading west for the always challenging Western Canada road swing.

The Sharks are winless in nearly a month—though that stat sounds worse than it is, given the two-week break in February. Nonetheless, San Jose is mired in a six-game skid, which includes a loss to the Canadiens on February 4. Sitting deep in the basement of the standings, the Sharks have managed just six wins in 30 tries on the road this season. As they continue their road trip across Canada, Ryan Warsofsky’s club will look to turn things around in Montreal.

SEASON SERIES

Feb. 4 @ SJS: 4-3 MTL

Feb. 27 vs. SJS:

PLAYERS TO WATCH FOR

Juraj Slafkovsky has been dominant over the last two games with two goals, 12 hits and seven shots on goal. The Habs will need that version of Slafkovsky again on Thursday—and beyond—if they hope to make a serious playoff push.

Tyler Toffoli isn’t showing any signs of slowing down. The 32-year-old journeyman leads the Sharks with 21 tallies this season, including one against Montreal just a few weeks ago. He’s no stranger to the Bell Centre, but on Thursday, the Canadiens will need to make sure he doesn’t feel too at home.

BY THE NUMBERS: SHARKS-HABS

Here’s how the Sharks and Canadiens match up by the numbers:

Sharks

📈

Canadiens

15-36-8

RECORD

27-26-5

17.9%

POWER PLAY

21.6%

76%

PENALTY KILL

81.8%

2.56

GOALS FOR/GAME

2.93

3.68

GOALS AGAINST/GAME

3.34

Toffoli (21)

GOALS

Caufield (27)

Eklund (30)

ASSISTS

Suzuki (41)

Celebrini (42)

POINTS

Suzuki (57)

Zetterlund (+9)

+/- DIFFERENTIAL

Suzuki (+5)

Kunin (151)

HITS

Xhekaj (147)

LINEUP NEWS

The Canadiens are scheduled for a morning skate at 10:30 a.m. on Thursday. Subscribe to or follow the team on YouTube, Facebook and X (@CanadiensMTL) to catch Martin St-Louis' press conference and player media availabilities around 11:00 a.m., and keep an eye on the Canadiens social accounts for any potential lineup news. For the full official lineup, check back on the team’s social accounts closer to puck drop.

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