The Montreal Canadiens are looking for their third straight win on Tuesday night. However, it won't be easy against the Minnesota Wild, who are currently second in the Western Conference with 28 points. This will be a good test for a Canadiens team that has been playing well but maybe unclear if they are true Stanley Cup contenders.
On Tuesday night, the Canadiens will have a special guest as Carey Price will be in attendance after being inducted into the Hockey Hall of Fame over the weekend. One of the greatest in franchise history will have a chance to see one of two goalies trying to put their name alongside Price's in the record books of the Montreal Canadiens.
Should Jacob Fowler or Jakub Dobes get the start against the Minnesota Wild?
While the Montreal Canadiens are starting the week against the Minnesota Wild, the next three games are going to be tough challenges. After the Wild, the Canadiens travel to Boston to play the Bruins in a battle of the two teams atop the Atlantic Division before returning home against the Colorado Avalanche.
For most of the season, Jacob Fowler has been treated as the starter, getting multiple starts before Dobes steps in for a game. If that pattern continues, then Fowler would start against the Wild, with Dobes starting against the Bruins.
Jacob Fowler had a bounce-back performance against the Toronto Maple Leafs on Saturday night and allowed only two goals after allowing nine in the prior two starts. Meanwhile, Dobes allowed four goals in his last start against Utah but also made some timely saves to help Montreal come back to get the win.
It will be an interesting decision who starts in net as it will set up what the rotation looks like in a tough week of matchups.
Lane Hutson looking to extend his point streak to six games
Entering the game, Lane Hutson is currently leading the team in points with 17, and that is due to recording at least one point in five straight games and seven points total during this stretch. After a season where he set a career-high in points with 78, he is on pace to set a new career-high this season with 84 and is averaging a point per game.
On Tuesday night, it will be a matchup of two of some of the best defensemen in the NHL right now with Hutson and Quinn Hughes. The Minnesota Wild defensemen is similar to Hutson as he is incredibly gifted in the offensive zone and has 26 points in 19 games.
The way Hutson and Hughes are able to jump in and make plays at that part of the ice, bring a different dynamic and both teams should be prepared for that.
Canadiens penalty kill will be tested against Minnesota Wild
The Montreal Canadiens penalty kill hasn't been as effective as it was earlier in the season and they have now allowed at least one power play goal in five straight games. During this recent stretch, the Canadiens have a penalty kill percentage of only 73%.
Meanwhile, the Minnesota Wild are a Top 10 power play unit with a power play percentage of 26.9% and have been even more productive as of late. Over the last seven games, they have nine power play goals and had multiple power play goals in four of those games.
This is a game that could be a low-scoring game and whoever wins the special teams battle could be the deciding factor in the outcome.
Montreal Canadiens need to get out to an early lead
While the Minnesota Wild don't have many weaknesses, one area they have struggled is when they get down early, especially on the road. In 12 road games this season, the Wild are 7-0-2 when scoring first but are 0-3-0 when their opponent scores first. However, the Montreal Canadiens have struggled to get off to a fast start at home, scoring first in only three of their nine games at the Bell Centre this season.
Even if the Canadiens do score first, they are not guaranteed a win but getting an early lead at home certainly gives them their best chance at two points against the Minnesota Wild.
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