Game 14: Montreal Canadiens @ New Jersey Devils
Start time: 7:00 PM EST / 4:00 PM PST
In the Canadiens region: TSN2 (English), RDS (French)
In the Devils region: MSGSN
Streaming: ESPN+, TSN+
All good things must come to an end, although the Canadiens probably would have hoped for a more memorable event than what transpired on Tuesday night.
Facing the possibility of a five-game winning streak, les Habitants played what has been described as their worst game of the season, yielding three goals to the Philadelphia Flyers in the first period. In a game that was meant to restore Samuel Montembeault’s form and confidence — not necessarily in that order — the native of Becancour felt the crimson glow of the goal lamp thrice within the first six shots on goal that he faced.
Then the Canadiens remembered what they were capable of. From three in six, Montembeault stopped 35 of the next 36, including some ten-bellers that gave his team the chance to wrest and hold momentum for much of the rest of the game. Lane Hutson and Ivan Demidov went to work, with a little help from Juraj Slafkovský, Cole Caufield, Nick Suzuki, and Kirby Dach. Suddenly, Montreal found itself in front with a period to go. Unfortunately, their earlier slack gave them no margin for error, so a single instance of bad fortune let Nikita Grebenkin tie the game with his first NHL goal. The Flyers would proceed to secure the extra point in the shootout.
Yes, the Canadiens gave up 42 shots to one of the lesser offences in the NHL. Yes, Montembeault’s night looked to be over before it had begun. Yes, their perfect record in the extra frame is now mere history. And yes, Montreal lost a game against a team that they should have beaten. But this was hopefully a glimpse of the Canadiens at their worst, and that would mean that the Canadiens at their worst remain a dynamic team capable of stealing undeserved wins (or at least points) at the drop of a hat. This quality, after all, is what separates the elite from mere contenders.
Their next opponent, however, has the capability to punish them much more thoroughly than the Flyers.
Tale of the Tape
Canadiens
Statistics
Devils
9-3-1
Record
9-4-0
48.6% (20th)
Expected-goal share
46.4% (26th)
3.69 (3rd)
Goals per game
3.54 (6th)
3.08 (T-17th)
Goals against per game
3.08 (T-17th)
30.8 (6th)
PP%
31.3% (4th)
75.6% (23rd)
PK%
86.7% (7th)
0-2-1
Head-to-Head Record (24-25)
3-0-0
Cole Caufield (10)
Most goals
Jack Hughes (10)
Nick Suzuki (16)
Most assists
Jesper Bratt (9)
Nick Suzuki (19)
Most points
Jack Hughes (16)
The New Jersey Devils have sought to be counted as one of the league’s elite for the last three years. They started strongly in 2022-23, propelling themselves into the second round of the playoffs after a 52-win regular season. The 2023-24 campaign was a different story, but at least that lost season brought them another top-10 draft pick, with which they took Anton Silayev.
Silayev joined Simon Nemec, Luke Hughes, Alexander Holtz, Jack Hughes, and Nico Hischier as part of a core that is now hitting its stride. The elder New Jersey Hughes is one of the premier forwards of the league, while the younger is already the Devils’ second-most-used defenceman at the tender age of 22. For his part, Hischier is a wonderful two-way player who doesn’t get nearly as much recognition as he deserves.
This is starting to sound familiar.
Indeed, the Devils and Canadiens are very similar in how they emphasize skill in both their forwards and their defencemen, how they prioritize goal-scoring, and how goaltending has been an issue despite early-season successes. New Jersey has five forwards with 10 or more points thus far: Hughes, Dawson Mercer, Jesper Bratt, Hischier, and Timo Meier. Montreal has three — Suzuki, Caufield, and Demidov — while Alex Newhook sits on nine.
The Devils have four defencemen with five or more points: Dougie Hamilton, Hughes, Nemec, and Brenden Dillon. The Canadiens have four as well: Hutson, Mike Matheson, Noah Dobson, and Alexandre Carrier. Both teams’ de facto number one goaltenders Jacob Markstrom and Montembeault have struggled (and Markstrom has had considerable injury issues), but the backups — the veteran Jake Allen and the not nearly as old Jakub Dobeš — have stepped up admirably in their stead.
Dobes has already been confirmed as the starter by Martin St-Louis, while Markstrom will probably tend the New Jersey goal since Allen played in their most recent match. The Devils will also be missing Johnathan Kovacevic, Brett Pesce, and possibly Connor Brown who did not suit up last Sunday against the Anaheim Ducks. Montreal will likely ice the same lineup as they did against Philadelphia, aside from the goaltending swap.
In the past, the Canadiens have often played to their opposition’s level, which was a curse against the weaker teams but a blessing against the stronger ones. So far this season, the Habs have bucked the bad part of the trend, by and large turning up against teams that they can beat. Can they still maintain the good part of their old habits? The Devils offer Montreal their first real challenge of the season. With the Utah Mammoth, Los Angeles Kings, and Dallas Stars to follow, a good result will go a long way toward preventing a possible multi-game spiral.
