Playing their best hockey of the season, the in-form Montreal Canadiens will look to keep their streak going when they host the Vancouver Canucks on Monday.
The Habs are 7-2-0 in their last nine games and return home after a road trip with a 4-2-0 record. The most recent win was perhaps the most impressive, as they pulled off a 2-1 shootout victory on Saturday to end the Colorado Avalanche’s six-game winning streak.
«The first two (periods), I thought we kind of survived and gave ourselves a chance going into the third… We’re in every game right now and I think that’s probably the best part,» forward Cole Caufield said.
Caufield extended his scoring streak to three games by scoring the tying goal at 13:25 of the third period. Caufield leads Montreal with 21 goals.
Nick Suzuki has an assist in each of his last three games and leads the Canadiens in both assists (27) and points (38).
Jakob Dobes stopped 22 of 23 shots for the Avalanche to continue the dream start to his NHL career. Dobes is the first goalie in Canadiens history to allow just one goal in his first two NHL starts, between his solid performance against Colorado and his 34-save shutout against the Florida Panthers on Dec. 28.
Both of Dobes’ games were on the road, so the Habs could opt to give the rookie his first home start on Monday. Regular starter Samuel Montembeault has also been playing well, going 5-2-0 with a 2.61 goals-against average in his last seven starts.
While the Canadiens have been at their best, Vancouver has won just four (4-5-4) of its last 13 games. The Canucks have scored just 32 times in those 13 games, and Friday’s 3-0 loss to the Nashville Predators was Vancouver’s second shutout loss this season.
«Our goalies give us a chance every night. They’re doing more than what’s asked of them and it’s up to us to keep it up,» forward Kiefer Sherwood said. «Obviously, we’re dealing with a little bit of adversity right now, but I think that’s going to make us stronger and a better team in the long run.»
Montreal is the first stop on a five-game road trip for the Canucks, which could help the team get back on track. Vancouver is 11-4-2 in road games and just 7-8-6 at home.
Kevin Lankinen has an 11-2-1 record on the road and is the only goalie in NHL history to go 10-0-0 in his first 10 road games in a season. Lankinen could be back in the starting lineup on Monday, as Thatcher Demko missed Friday’s game due to back spasms.
Demko isn’t the only star struggling to stay healthy, as Quinn Hughes (upper-body injury) and Elias Pettersson (undisclosed) have missed Vancouver’s last four games. Demko, Hughes and Pettersson will join the Canucks on the road, though it’s not known if any of those stars will play on Monday. Both Hughes and Pettersson practiced on Sunday for the first time in nearly two weeks.
«I would say it’s a matter of time, a matter of chance (Monday), but we’ll see,» coach Rick Tocchet told reporters in Montreal on Sunday when asked if Hughes is closer to returning. «We want to make the right decision, too, so we’ll take our time on this. But we still have 24 hours before we make a decision.»
Despite his recent absence, Hughes still leads the Canucks in points (42) and assists (34). Jake DeBrusk leads Vancouver with 16 goals.
Vancouver is 6-1-1 in its last eight games against Montreal.