The Montreal Canadiens look to continue a dominating run on home ice when they host the Chicago Blackhawks on Monday.
The Canadiens have collected a point in each of their last 10 home games (9-0-1). This success in Montreal has fueled the Habs’ late-season surge toward the playoffs, and the streak stands a good chance of continuing given the competition.
The Blackhawks (23-46-11, 57 points) have the second-fewest points in the NHL, and the fewest road points of any club (21 points from an 8-26-5 away record).
With the postseason looming, the Canadiens (39-31-10, 88 points) got an early taste of a playoff-caliber grind in Saturday’s 1-0 overtime loss to the Toronto Maple Leafs. Despite being outshot by a 35-15 margin, the Habs scratched out an overtime point thanks to some physical play, and an excellent 34-save performance from goalie Jakub Dobes.
“I felt we really were disciplined in playing the game that was in front of us,” Canadiens coach Martin St. Louis said. “(The Leafs) defend extremely well, and I wish some of our shots got through and found a way to the net. … Compared to some of the volume that we actually sent towards the net, it was probably an above average night.”
Montreal was 4-for-4 on the penalty kill Saturday, and the team is a perfect 14-for-14 on kills over its last four games. The other side of the special teams equation has been much shakier, as the Habs are 0-for-13 on the power play in their last seven games.
Monday’s game could mark the NHL debut of Ivan Demidov, the fifth overall pick of the 2024 draft. Demidov signed his entry-level contract with the Canadiens earlier this week, following the 19-year-old forward’s strong season with St. Petersburg of the Kontinental Hockey League.
As Demidov’s NHL career is beginning, the Blackhawks said goodbye to two longtime veterans. Alec Martinez and Pat Maroon each announced that Saturday’s home game against the Winnipeg Jets would be the final contest of their NHL careers. Martinez and Maroon combined for 30 NHL seasons and won three Stanley Cups apiece before playing their mutual final season together in Chicago.
“They’re just unbelievable people, that’s the most important thing,” interim Blackhawks coach Anders Sorensen said after the 5-4 shootout loss to the Jets.
“I learned a lot from them in terms of what works and what doesn’t work in the NHL. For the younger players, I think they’ve been awesome with them. I can’t say enough. Definitely bittersweet here, but great human beings.”
Because the Blackhawks also play on Tuesday against the Ottawa Senators, Spencer Knight (who made 37 saves Saturday) and Arvid Soderblom figure to split the back-to-back starts in some order.
Habs starter Sam Montembeault will probably be back in net against Chicago. Montembeault is 5-1-0 with a .927 save percentage and a 2.00 goals against average in his last six games.
Lane Hutson is a point away from setting a new Canadiens team record for most points in a season by a rookie defenseman. Legendary Chris Chelios initially set the mark in 1984-85.
Hutson has 64 points (six goals, 58 assists) in his first NHL campaign, a mark bettered by only five rookie defensemen in league history.
In the two teams’ first meeting of the season, Chicago posted a 4-2 win over Montreal on Jan. 3.
