Preview Game #69

Canadiens vs. Edmonton

Rexall Place – March 10, 2017 – 7:05pm EDT

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Season Records – Canadiens 68GP (38-22-8) 84pts. Second in Atlantic Division. Edmonton 67GP (35-23-9) 79pts. Fourth in Pacific Division.

Last Ten Games – Canadiens 7-3-0 Edmonton 5-4-1.

Last Time Out – Canadiens shut out 5-0 in Calgary Thursday. Edmonton lost 2-1 to Pittsburgh in shootout at Edmonton.

Home/Road – Canadiens on the Road – (18-13-4) Edmonton at Home (16-11-4)

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Lineup Changes –

….Andrew Shaw has been moved up to play with Danault and Pacioretty.

….Alexander Radulov returns to the lineup on the second line with Galchenyuk & Lehkonen.

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Head to Head –

…..Second of two meetings this season. @ Bell Centre Feb. 5th – Edmonton-1 Canadiens-0 (shootout). Cam Talbot & Al Montoya with shutouts. Canadiens outshot 32-22. Draisaitl with only goal in shootout.

…..The last time the Canadiens won a game in Edmonton was Oct. 10, 2013 (4-1).

….Since the Canadiens edged the Oilers 5-4 in overtime at the Commonwealth Stadium-Heritage Classic Nov. 22, 2003, the Canadiens have won 2 of nine games in Edmonton (2-7-1).

….Over the last 16 seasons dating back to Dec. 30, 2000 Edmonton has a 16-5-3 overall record vs. the Canadiens. They are 9-3-2 over their last 13 meetings and the Oilers have won 5 of the last 6 dating back to the start of the 2013-14 season.

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About the Canadiens –

….With their seventh straight win the Ottawa Senators moved into first place in the Atlantic Division Saturday night at Colorado. The Canadiens are out of first place in the division for the first time since October 20th; a span of 64 games and 143 days.

….Including the Feb. 5th game against Edmonton, the Canadiens have been shut out in regulation time six times in the last 15 games. Two of those games ended 0-0 after 60 minutes – vs. Edmonton Feb. 5th, the Oilers broke a 0-0 tie in the shootout and against Columbus Feb. 28th Alex Galchenyuk scored in the overtime in a 0-0 game.

….The Canadiens have won only three of their last 14 games in Alberta and over the last 39 combined games at Vancouver/Calgary/Edmonton the Canadiens have won 13 of 37 games with two ties.

….Alex Galchenyuk has 11 points in his last eleven road games (4g, 7a)

….In his last eight games on the road Max Pacioretty has 5 goals, 5 assists.

….With 31 goals, Pacioretty ranks fifth in the race for the Rocket Richard Trophy behind Crosby, Laine, Marcharnd and Malkin. Twenty-two of his goals have come 5-on-5.

….Pacioretty has not scored in five games. Over that span he has collected three assists.

….This will be Andrei Markov‘s 978th career game with the Canadiens tieing him for 6th with Rocket Richard on the all-time games-played list.  Markov ranks 7th on the Canadiens all-time assists list with 448, two behind Saku Koivu.  Among defensemen only Larry Robinson has produced more assists at 686.

….Eleven of Shea Weber‘s 15 goals and 10 of his 23 assists have come on the power play. However he has just one goal and two power play assists over his last 18 games.

About the Oilers –

….Since joining the Oilers from the Canadiens David Desharnais has two points in three games including a goal against Pittsburgh Friday night. He is playing on a line with former Canadiens Benoit Pouliot and Zack Kassian. In three games he has averaged 12:16 ice time.

….Connor McDavid has co-led or led the league in points since November 22nd. He now has 75 points (23g, 52a). He has a league leading 22 multiple point games this season.

….Leon Draisaitl has 55 points in 67 games (23g, 32a). He has career highs in points and goals. He is four points away from tying Marco Sturm for most points for a German born player. Sturm had 59 points with Boston/San Jose in 2005-2006.

….Connor McDavid left winger  Patrick Maroon has a career high 21 goals.  He has scored once in his last ten games and has only three in his last 22.

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Goaltending -….Carey Price has lost seven straight against the Oilers (0-6-1) His only win came in his second career start against them March 10, 2009 (4-3 in OT). Saku Koivu tied the game in the third period and then won it at 1:40 of overtime. It was Bob Gainey’s first game as head coach after he fired Guy Carbonneau.

…In his three starts at Edmonton Price is 0-3-0 with a 5.00 GAA. His career record against them is 1-6-1 with a 3.75GAA..

….In his last eight starts Price has given up 11 goals for a1.35GAA and .951 save%.  He has given up two goals or fewer in eiach of his last eight starts and one goal for fewer in ech of his last four including one shutout.  Over those eight starts he has lowered his GAA from 2.46 gto 2.23 and raised his season save percentage from .917 to .923.

….Price is 5-0-0 over his last five starts with a 0.98 GAA and .964 save% with one shutout.

….In winning four straight road games Price has given up six goals for a GAA of 1.46 and save% of .950.   In those games he’s given up two goals twice (NY Rangers & Toronto) and one goal in each of his last two (NYR & Vancouver).

…..Two seasons ago Price recorded a team record 10 consecutive road wins (Dec. 23rd, 2014 – Feb. 26, 2015).

….This season Price has started 51 games with a 30-16-5 record, three shutouts – 2.28GAA and .923save%.

….Cam Talbot has been in 60 games this season, most in the NHL. He leads the league in minutes-played and saves and ranks fourth in wins with 33. The most wins in a season by an Oiler goaltender is 40, set by Grant Fuhr in 1987-88.

….Talbot has five shutouts matches his career high set in 2014-15 while a member of the New York Rangers.

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Special Teams –

….Power Play – Canadiens rank 12th (41/200) 20.5%     Edmonton ranks 7th (41/192) 21.4%.

….Penalty Killing – Canadiens rank 20th (44/223)  80.3%.  Edmonton ranks 23rd (38/185).

….The Canadiens have failed to score on the power play over their last four games.  (0 for 9).

Projected Canadiens Lines & Pairings

67-Max Pacioretty 24-Philip Danault 65- Andrew Shaw

62-Artturi Lehkonen 27-Alex Galchenyuk 47-Alexander Radulov

21-Dwight King 17-Torrey Mitchell 11-Brendan Galalgher

37-Andreas Martinsen 92-Steve Ott 34-Mike McCarron

79-Andrei Markov 6-Shea Weber

74-Alexei Emelin 26-Jeff Petry

28-Nathan Beaulieu – 8-Jordie Benn

31-Carey Price

Injuries – RW Paul Byron (flu); C Tomas Plekanec (upper body); C Brian Flynn (upper body)

Scratches – D Brandon Davidson; D Nikita Nesterov;

Edmonton Forward Lines & Pairings

19-Patrick Maroon 97-Connor McDavid 29-Leon Draisaitl

27-Milan Lucic 93-Ryan Nugent-Hopkins 14-Jordan Eberle

67-Benoit Pouliot 13-David Desharnais 44-Zack Kassian

23-Matt Hendricks 55-Mark Letestu 26-Iiro Pakarinen

77-Oscar Klefbom 6-Adam Larsson

2-Andrej Sekera 4-Kris Russell

25-Darnell Nurse 83-Matt Benning

33-Cam Talbot

Injuries – RW Tyler Pitlick (LTIR knee); D Andrew Ference (LTIR hip fractures)

Scratches – D Eric Gryba; FWDS Jujhar Khaira, Anton Slepyshev; Drake Caggiula.