The Montreal Canadiens returned from the break on fire with two consecutive wins against the Ottawa Senators and Carolina Hurricanes. They'll have a great chance to add to that when they face the San Jose Sharks on Thursday evening. San Jose is last in the league with a 15-36-8 record and has won just one game over their last ten. Montreal was in the middle of one of those streaks before the break, but they seem to be a different team again now.
How to Watch San Jose Sharks vs. Montreal Canadiens
Date: Thursday, February 27, 2025
Time: 7 PM ET / 4 PM PT
Venue: Bell Centre
How to Watch: TSN2, RDS, NBC Sports California, FuboTV
The Canadiens have to be careful with what they are doing over the next stretch, as another winning run and reluctance to sell at the trade deadline wouldn't be in their best interest. It seems like the team already has Jake Evans with one foot out the door, and it'd be wise to sell some of their other unrestricted free agents. The playoff and Stanley Cup run can wait, and scouts believe that this off-season and draft could be the most important one of the rebuild.
This game marks the first chance for Bell Centre fans to see Macklin Celebrini. It's always special when elite Canadian prospects come to Montreal for a game, as we've seen in the past with players like Sidney Crosby and Connor McDavid. Celebrini has shown in his first season that he has a great chance to go on to a great career that may not be on the same level as those players but one that makes him one of the top Canadians in the league. The next time Celebrini visits the Bell Centre, it'll hopefully be for a showdown with fellow 2024 top-five pick Ivan Demidov.
Canadiens fans will also be happy to see the return of Tyler Toffoli. Toffoli made a lasting impact on the dressing room in Montreal, and we seen that in photos on social media Wednesday with him hanging out with Cole Caufield and Jake Evans. Toffoli was in Montreal for the Stanley Cup Finals run in 2021 and spent half a season the following year before being shipped out at the trade deadline. Toffoli hopes to mentor the young players in San Jose like he did in Montreal.