Canadiens Game 26: Juraj Slafkovsky versus Shane Wright

The Montreal Canadiens (12-11-2) face the exciting Seattle Kraken (15-6-3) on Tuesday night at the Climate Pledge Arena. The puck drop is scheduled for 10:00 PM ET.

The storyline heading into the game will surely be centered on two particular players that heard their names called early in the 2022 Draft.

First-overall pick Juraj Slafkovsky, who took yet another heavy hit in Tuesday’s game against the Canucks, shoud be in the lineup, which means he’ll face the fourth overall pick, Shane Wright.

After a frustrating start to the season which saw Wright watch several games from the press box, the talented centre was assigned to the AHL, where he scored four goals in five games for the Coachella Valley Firebirds.

And now that Wright is back in the NHL he’ll surely do everything possible to stick.

The #SeaKraken have recalled F Shane Wright from his conditioning loan with Coachella Valley (AHL). pic.twitter.com/SqznobSSVr

— Seattle Kraken PR (@SeattleKrakenPR) December 5, 2022

There’s some history between Wright and the Canadiens, seeing as he was pegged as the favourite player to head to the Canadiens at the Draft.

But the Canadiens chose to go another route, selecting Slafkovsky with the first overall pick due to his potential, rather than his current ability to impact a game.

As it stands, Wright has one assist in seven NHL games with Seattle, whereas Slafkovsky has four goals and three assists in 20 games.

Wright’s resurgence in the AHL isn’t the only exciting storyline when it comes to the Kraken. The team is among the best in the NHL, sitting second overall in the Pacific division, trailing the Vegas Golden Knights by six points with three games in hand.

The underlying numbers seem to indicate this is not simply a flash in pan for the Kraken. They rank among the top 10 teams in several crucial statistical categories, which points to a relatively strong chance their strong start is sustainable.

Habs Angle

The Canadiens are coming off what can only be described as a chaotic game, which saw them blow a 4-0 lead to the Vancouver Canucks before losing the game 7-6 in overtime.

Slafkovsky, who has two points in three games since receiving a well-deserved promotion away from the fourth line, will need to be a little more careful when it comes to anticipating big hits, seeing as he was the victim of yet another heavy body check on Tuesday night against the Canucks.

Following a rare disappointing start for Samuel Montembeault, Jake Allen is expected to make the start for the Canadiens.

Both Nick Suzuki and Cole Caufield currently share the team lead in goals scored, with 14. Suzuki also leads the team in scoring with an impressive 28 points in 25 games.

Sean Monahan’s health status remains in doubt. He was spotted wearing a walking boot before the game against Calgary earlier in the western road trip. On Tuesday night he had to leave the game against the Canucks.

With the potential injury, the Canadiens may have to run a lineup composed of 11 forwards and seven defencemen.

The projected lines will be updated as the information becomes available.

Canadiens Injuries

• Sean Monahan (Unconfirmed)
• David Savard (day-to-day)
• Brendan Gallagher (2 weeks)
• Mike Hoffman (injured reserve)
• Jonathan Drouin (upper-body injury, 4-6 weeks)
• Carey Price (LTIR)
• Paul Byron (LTIR)

Oilers Injuries 

• Morgan Geekie (day-to-day)
• Joonas Donskoi (IR)
• Ryan Winterton (IR)
• Chris Driedger (IR)

Montreal Canadiens Projected Lineup

Seattle Kraken Projected Lineup 

Schwartz – Wennberg – Burakovsky

McCann – Beniers – Eberle

Donato – Gourde – Bjorkstrand

Tanev – Wright – Sprong

Defence:

Dunn – Larsson

Oleksiak – Schultz

Soucy – Borgen

Goalies:

Jones

Grubauer

Special Teams

Game Notes:

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