Montreal Canadiens: A blast from the past with Alexander Radulov

The Montreal Canadiens have returned from a less than ideal 1-3-2 record on the road to take on Alexander Radulov and the Dallas Stars.

Last season’s big return to the Bell Centre for the Montreal Canadiens was P.K. Subban. After Alexander Radulov‘s departure to play in Dallas, this was a game many had circled on their calendars. The story of negotiations between Radulov and Marc Bergevin has been one that fans are tired of hearing but at the same time don’t understand.

Considering the among of cap-space the Montreal Canadiens still have, the fact that Radulov isn’t on the team still doesn’t sit well. The same argument could be used for Andrei Markov, but we’ll put that aside for the time being. It’s not common to have a winger who can drive play on a line as that’s a usual role for a centre. However, that’s what Radulov was to the Habs, and it can’t be denied that players on the team felt the impact of his departure.

Will the ‘Radu! Radu! Radu!’ chants come out? It’s hard to tell, but this is a game Radulov will definitely be ready for.

After his many months of praising the Habs fan base and the city of Montreal, Radulov is back in a shade of green looking for a win against them. The Stars are currently in a playoff spot and have been for the majority of the season, however, as it usually is in the Western Conference, a quick skid could have you on the outside looking in. With 82 points and Anaheim, St. Louis, and Calgary close behind, Dallas is well in need of this win.

The top line of Radulov, Jamie Benn and Tyler Seguin at centre has been taking care of the majority of the team’s offence this season. Seguin is leading the way with 36 goals and 29 assists while both Benn and Radulov are tied with 60 points apiece.

Scoring goals have always been something the Stars have been known for, the one area they’ve improved in the most was how many they give up. Dallas is fourth in the league with the fewest goals allowed (180), and much of that goes to Ken Hitchcock and the structure he’s added to the team.

Ben Bishop has also been a solid addition to Dallas, but a knee injury has kept him out of action for the last three games. Kari Lehtonen has started in Bishop’s place and will be in front of the Star’s net tonight as well.

There’s a chance for some engaging hockey to come from this game based on the interpersonal relationships on the ice. We’ve already touched on Radulov and what tonight must mean for him, but it’s also another matchup between brothers Jaime and Jordie Benn.

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This will be the third time the two have met up in opposing jerseys, and the series is tied at one. Additionally, if Antti Niemi starts for the Montreal Canadiens, which looks to be the case, it will be his first game this season against his former team.

Montreal’s lineup will most likely resemble the one seen in Columbus last night. Claude Julien could always go for a mini alteration in an attempt to jolt the lineup, but it’s too soon to tell. Brendan Gallagher and Jonathan Drouin found the back of the net for the 25th and 11th goals of the season respectively, but the Habs weren’t able to get their penalty kill in order.

Ironically, Dallas’ power play has been cold as of late only have two goals in their last 22 opportunities. They still have the tools to burn a team, and that’s something the Montreal Canadiens will need to watch out for in this game.

Next: Tracking the Organizational Depth

What are your expectations for the game? Can the Habs keep Radulov and the Stars in order? Will Niemi have a strong performance against his former team? Let us know in the comments.