For those who thought Arber Xhekaj’s days in Montreal were numbered, it’s actually Jayden Struble who finds himself in the press box in favor of Adam Engstrom, who will play his first game of the season. In previous seasons, Xhekaj was always the first one to sit, which is not the case this season. That doesn’t mean he won’t visit the press box at some point this year, but it remains clear that he seems to have Martin St-Louis’s trust early on.
Besides Adam Engstrom, Jacob Fowler will also play his first game of the season. He was recalled after the injury Samuel Montembeault suffered yesterday during the morning skate. If Fowler plays a good game and picks up the win tonight, will Marty be tempted to use him again against the #Wings on Saturday night?
Just like the #Habs, the #Preds are 1-1-1. They just lost to the #Leafs after letting a 3-0 and 4-2 lead, slip away, falling 5-4 in overtime Monday night at Scotiabank Arena. The Predators have only 3 players who have scored after 3 games this season: Steven Stamkos (3), Nils Hoglander (3), and defenseman Roman Josi (1). On the Bleu-Blanc-Rouge side, 8 different players have found the net in 3 games this season!
There are two Preds players I’d like to see the Canadiens try to acquire during the season, and I’m talking about two veterans. Ryan O’Reilly is a center and, in my humble opinion, he could be a valuable addition for the Canadiens in the playoffs. He’s also in the final year of his contract, and the asking price would definitely be less expensive than landing someone like Dylan Larkin. The other is, of course, Steven Stamkos, who doesn’t seem to have lost his touch despite being 36. He’s under contract through the end of the 2027-28 season.
Back to tonight’s game: our Glorieux have won the last five meetings against the Preds, and I’m VERY confident they’ll make it six after sixty minutes. Nashville’s last win against the #Canadiens dates back to December 10, 2023.
Season prediction: 1-2
Tonight’s prediction:
NSH-2
MTL-5
With that, have a great rest of your day, and enjoy the game tonight.