Montreal Canadiens Morning Links: Habs visit the Leafs
The Montreal Canadiens finish off their seven game road trip tonight, against the Toronto Maple Leafs. Also all your daily Habs updates, news, and links from around the web.
The Montreal Canadiens will visit one their oldest rivals tonight, the Toronto Maple Leafs. The Habs have lived on the edge through the past five games, as all of those games have gone to overtime. The Canadiens won three of those five games, and Max Pacioretty has either assisted or scored the game winning goal in those three wins.
The Leafs on the other hand have been red hot as of late. The Maple Leafs enter the game tonight with a record of 7-1-2 in their last 10 games. Toronto is a very fast group that plays very aggressive.
However, Toronto struggles when they are in front, and are one of the worst teams in third period goals allowed. Currently, the Leafs have allowed 41 third period goals, and are tied for seventh worst in that category. The Leafs also lead the NHL in the most losses in overtime, when they were leading after two periods.
Another area where the Leafs have struggled is when they haven’t scored first. Toronto’s winning percentage when their opponents score first is only .214 percent.
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So for the Habs, scoring first will be important, and also keeping up with Toronto’s pace. Even if the Canadiens fall behind by a goal or two, by playing with pace, the Habs can catch up, because of Toronto’s awful defense. If the Canadiens can do these things, they will have a great chance of winning.
Habs News
Nikita Scherbak will make his NHL debut tonight, and he will play on the Habs fourth line. Scherbak is a very gifted offensive play maker, and also has a laser shot. Nikita is excited about the opportunity, and hopefully he can be a difference maker for the Habs.
Also,
will be
with a fractured hand. The Habs will certainly miss Brendan’s leadership, and the energy he plays with every game. Head Coach Michel Therrien gave some comments on both Gallagher’s status, as well as Scherbak’s debut, in the video below.
Habs Morning Links
Is Nikita Scherbak ready to play in the NHL, or does he need more time in the minors? The crew from Robin Short and the crew from TSN 690 way in. (TSN 690)
Noah Juulsen and Mikhail Sergachev both helped thier Countries earn Medals, at this years World Junior Championship. (Stu Cowan-Montreal Gazette)
The Canadiens have had some brutal draft choices during the 2000’s. Who were the five worst draft busts? A Winning Habit takes a look. (A Winning Habit)
Next: Canadiens Trade Options: The Cost of Matt Duchene
The Habs did get some good news on the injury front as both Alex Galchenyuk and Andrei Markov have returned to practice. (Kenny MacMillan–A Winning Habit)