Montreal Canadiens: Preparing for the Biggest Game Yet
Tonight may be one of the biggest hockey games the Montreal Canadiens have played in recent memory. Who is going to show up to the plate?
With only five games remaining in the Montreal Canadiens season, the team is about to play their most important game yet against the Columbus Blue Jackets. The Habs currently hold the second wildcard position with 90 points after coming off a convincing win against the Florida Panthers and have a chance to separate themselves from the Blue Jackets on Thursday night, who sit one spot out of the playoffs. This will be the third and final meeting in the regular season between these two teams.
However, the Habs will be missing one of their most effective players in Paul Byron after going down with an upper-body injury after a brawl with Mackenzie Weegar. As a result, the Habs must rely on the remainder of their team to come out with a win. Luckily, they still have several other options to look to.
In order to ensure a win, Claude Julien will be looking to see which of his players step up to the plate. There are the obvious candidates such as Carey Price, who will be starting in his 10th straight game. Price has been phenomenal as of late and is one of the reasons why the team is in this position.
Another obvious player to look towards is forward Max Domi, who has a chance to be the first Canadiens player to reach the 70-point plateau since former Habs forward Tomas Plekanec back in 2010. Domi will also have help in the form of line-mate Andrew Shaw who is having a career year with 42 points and is known to show up in big games.
One player fans should keep an eye on is forward Artturi Lehkonen. Although he has been struggling to put the puck in the back of the net, Lehkonen has earned the trust of his coaches and plays a solid two-way game. With two goals in his past three games and Paul Byron out with an injury, this could be an opportunity for Lehkonen to build on his recent successes.
Next. Losing Paul Byron. dark
The Canadiens have a very difficult road ahead of them. Their final four games after facing the Blue Jackets will consist of match-ups against Jets, Lightning, Capitals and the rival Maple Leafs. Now is the time to see what this teams character is truly made of.