Habs vs. Sharks: Game preview

Nov 29, 2022 - 1:00 PM

Montreal Canadiens" src="https://cdn.vox-cdn.com/thumbor/lApV80Jr_qjbvmC1tPNXpwgJXvY=/0x0:3000x1688/1920x1080/cdn.vox-cdn.com/uploads/chorus_image/image/71686310/1235989525.0.jpg" />

Montreal Canadiens vs. San Jose Sharks

How to watch

Start time: 7:00 PM EST / 4:00 PM PST
In the Canadiens region: TSN2 (English), RDS (French)
In the Sharks region: NBC Sports San Diego

The Montreal Canadiens will look to extend their mini two-game winning streak as they return home for a tilt against the visiting San Jose Sharks Tuesday night at the Bell Centre.

Montreal (11-9-1) won both games on their most recent road trip, thwarting the Columbus Blue Jackets 3-1 on Wednesday night and then completing the trip with an exciting 3-2 shootout victory on Friday afternoon over the Chicago Blackhawks. The thrilling back-and-forth matinée saw the visiting Canadiens go three-for-three in the shootout, with Blackhawks 2019 first-round pick Kirby Dach getting the decisive goal for the visitors.

One of the surprise players for the Canadiens that doesn't play on their top line has been ‘backup’ goaltender Samuel Montembeault, who has been playing some of the best hockey of his young career. The 26-year-old, currently in his fourth professional season and second with Montreal, is already 5-2 with a 2.48 goals-against average and a .924 save percentage. A third-round pick of the Florida Panthers back in 2015, he posted a career-high eight wins and started 30 games, including his first career shutout, last season, and is on pace to improve substantially on those totals. In their last two wins, ‘Monty’ stopped 60 of 63 shots, and has now won three of his last four contests.

Obviously you can’t forget the play of the top line of captain Nick Suzuki, Cole Caufield, and Dach, who have been electric all season. Caufield and Suzuki are currently co-leading the team with 12 goals apiece.

On the other side of the ice, the visiting San Jose Sharks (7-13-4) have been mired in a struggle so far this season. Back at the beginning of the schedule, they were the last team to register a win, and currently have dropped three straight, and five of their last six, being outscored 27-20 in the process.

The goaltending tandem of James Reimer and Kappo Kakhonen has certainly been roughed up a lot this young season, both with goals-against averages over 3.00 and save percentages much lower than the league average.

One of their bright spots to date however has been 2015 Norris Trophy-winner Erik Karlsson, who leads the team with a whopping 11 goals and 32 points, good enough for fifth in the entire league. Karlsson, 32, has already eclipsed last season’s goal total (10) and is just three points shy of tying his points total (35) in half as much time (24 games this season compared to 50 last year). As a result, he has found himself atop the trade bait boards as pass one-quarter of the season complete.

Last season, both teams exchanged shutouts in their head-to-head contests. On October 19, San Jose dominated Montreal 5-0 backed by a two-goal performance by Jonathan Dahlen and a 21-save shutout by now Vegas Golden Knights netminder Adin Hill. Nine days after that, while visiting the Bay Area, the Canadiens exacted their revenge, shutting the Sharks out on their home ice 4-0 with a 45-save effort from Jake Allen and goals from Mike Hoffman, Alexander Romanov, Brendan Gallagher, and Josh Anderson.

When all is said and done tonight, will the Canadiens have extended their streak to three before their Western Canadian (plus Seattle) swing by drowning the Sharks in the depths of the Bell Centre, or will the Sharks come hungry for victory?

Guess we’ll all find out ... at the rink!