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: