Canadiens Pre Game

Canadiens Game 72: Goaltender Cayden Primeau To Face Flyers

Published

4 weeks ago

March 28, 2024

The Montreal Canadiens (27-32-12) are set to host the Philadelphia Flyers (36-27-5) at the Bell Centre. The puck drop is scheduled for 7 pm ET.

The Habs are returning home after a long road trip that saw the team play incredibly well on some nights, and quite poorly the next. The good news is they’re coming off a 2-1 win over the powerhouse Colorado Avalanche.

Forward Juraj Slafkovsky set a franchise record in the win, as his 40 points now stand as the most in a single season by a Montreal Canadiens teenager. Slafkovsky assisted on Nick Suzuki’s goal, his 29th of the season. This means Suzuki has set a career-high in points, with 67. Given that there are still 10 games left to play, it’s safe to say he’ll improve that number down the final stretch of the season.

Full marks must be given to Samuel Montembeault, as he had one of his best games of the year in Colorado, and finally secured his first win since the Habs traded Jake Allen to the New Jersey Devils.

The only lineup change expected versus the Flyers is goaltender Cayden Primeau will be given the start.

MUST READ: Montreal Canadiens Top Forwards Since All-Star Break

As for the Flyers, they’re still clinging onto third place in the Metropolitan Division, but it’s far from a healthy situation. They’ve struggled of late, as evidenced by their 4-4-2 record in the last 10 games.

That being said, they’re still a top-10 team when it comes to a bevy of important underlying numbers, which means the Canadiens will have their hands full as they face John Tortorella’s team.

Former Ottawa 67’s forward Travis Konecny leads the offensive charge with 31 goals and 32 assists. There’s more than a 10-point gap between Konecny and the next-highest scorers, Owen Tippett and Joel Farabee.

For the view from the other side of the rink make sure to visit our sister site Philadelphia Hockey Now.

Montreal Canadiens Injuries

Carey Price (IR)
Chris Wideman (IR)
Kirby Dach (out indefinitely, ACL/MCL)
Christian Dvorak (out indefinitely)
Joshua Roy (4-6 weeks)

Philadelphia Flyers Injuries

Nick Seeler (IR)
Jamie Drysdale (IR)
Ryan Ellis (IR)
Rasmus Ristolainen (IR)

Montreal Canadiens Projected Lineup

LW	C	RW
Cole Caufield	Nick Suzuki	Juraj Slafkovsky
Brendan Gallagher	Alex Newhook	Joel Armia
Jesse Ylonen	Jake Evans	Josh Anderson
Michael Pezzetta	Christian Dvorak	Rafael Harvey-Pinard

LD	RD
Mike Matheson	Justin Barron
Lane Hutson	David Savard
Jordan Harris	Logan Mailloux

Goalie
Samuel Montembeault
Cayden Primeau

Philadelphia Flyers Projected Lineup

Tippett – Frost – Konecny

Farabee – Laughton – Brink

Foerster – Poehling – Hathaway

Cates – Couturier – Lycksell

Defence

York – Sanheim

Ginning – Attard

Zamula – Johnson

Goalie

Ersson

How to Watch

RDS, TSN2

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Me2

29 days ago

The Flyers have a goal differential 5 on 5 of -10, 144 goals scored as opposed to 154 given up.

Their expected goals 5 on 5 are 161 scored to 131 against. The advanced stats say they should have a goal differential of +30, but in terms of real goals, they are -10, which works out to a difference of -40. That stat is the worst of any team in the league, which means they’re worse than Chicago, SJ, the Ducks and Ottawa.

The Flyers have scored 20 fewer goals than the analytics say they should have, and have also given up 20 more goals than they should have.

They also have the worst PP in the league, but oddly, a top 3 PK, which doesn’t even count their league-leading 15 SH goals. Montreal, by the way, leads the NHL in SH goals against with 11, which might cause some enterprising gamblers to lay a few ducats on Philadelphia scoring while on the PK tonight.

The Flyers are probably the best of a bad bunch of team in the Metro division, those teams being the Caps, Islanders, Devils and Penguins. Which isn’t saying much.

Whether or not they hang on and grab a playoff spot hardly matters. They are, like the others teams mentioned, not very good, and whichever of them qualifies for the playoffs, they are lasting long.