Montreal Canadiens at San Jose Sharks Preview
By Rob Elbaz
The Montreal Canadiens (41-16-5) start their West Coast road trip in San Jose when they face the Sharks (30-25-8) on Monday. The game starts at 10:00 EST and air on RDS and Sportsnet East.
Match Up
This is the first of two meetings between the Habs and Sharks this season, they’ll meet again in Montreal on March 21. Last season the Sharks earned a pair of shutouts over the Habs, winning 2-0 in Montreal and 4-0 in San Jose.
What to Watch
San Jose Sharks
Canadiens: While PK Subban made plenty of noise in February, racking up a goal and 14 assists in his last 12 games, Andrei Markov has been quietly effective as well. The General has two goals and 12 points in his last 12 and is currently riding a four game point streak.
Sharks: The Sharks are mired in a rut that has seen them lose their hold on a playoff spot, going 3-8-2 in February. With 31 goals and 57 points, Joe Pavelski leads the way offensively for the Sharks.
What’s at Stake
The Canadiens went 9-3-2 in the month of February, leaving behind much of the Eastern Conference. They have a five point lead over the Lightning and a pair of games in hand, they also have a six point lead on the Red Wings, but have played one more game. Looking ahead of them, the Canadiens have a game in hand on the league leading Nashville Predators and are just two points back heading into Monday’s action.
Who’s Out
Alexei Emelin (shoulder) is the only injured Hab at this point, but with the team playing as well as they have it has been difficult for P.A. Parenteau to find a spot in the lineup since he’s been cleared to play.
The Sharks are missing Mike Brown (leg) and Raffi Torres (knee) but are otherwise healthy.
What Else
While the Canadiens power play has struggled for much of the season, the penalty kill remains a strong point. The team has gone five straight games without allowing a power play goal against, even popping in a short handed (empty net) marker during that span. The Habs have killed off 86.0% of their penalties, including their last 12 in a row, good enough for the third best penalty kill in the league.
The Question Mark
Who do you think are this year’s biggest trade deadline winners and losers?
As always, we’ll be going over your answers on the Montreal Hockey Talk Habs Pregame Show, starting an hour before each Canadiens game on montrealhockeytalk.com.