Canadiens Aim to Extend Hot Streak Against Red Wings
The Montreal Canadiens, riding a wave of momentum with a 13-3-1 record in their last 17 games, are seeking to continue their winning ways against the Detroit Red Wings.
Montreal previously secured victories over Detroit earlier in their current streak, winning 4-3 and 5-1 in December. This will be the third of four meetings between the Original Six rivals.
Canadiens Rally Past Tampa Bay
The Canadiens recently showcased their resilience, overcoming a two-goal deficit to defeat the Tampa Bay Lightning 3-2. This victory followed a 5-4 overtime win against the New York Islanders.
“We don’t want to be caught in those (deficit) situations, especially coming down the stretch,” said center Alex Newhook. “We don’t want to be chasing the game all the time. If there’s anything we can take away from this success we’ve found, it’s getting out to better starts is important for us.”
Jake Evans scored the game-winning goal late in the third period against Tampa Bay.
“I think we just have so much belief in how we play and no lead is too far off for us to chase off,” Evans said. “We were down two and weren’t playing our best, and we knew if we started playing our hockey, it’s going to be easy to get back in it.”
Hutson Chasing History
Defenseman Lane Hutson continued his impressive rookie campaign, extending his assist and point streaks to nine games. This ties the NHL record for the longest assist streak by a rookie defenseman, previously set by Shayne Gostisbehere.
Red Wings Seek to Rebound from Road Trip
The Detroit Red Wings return home after a disappointing road trip, losing four of their last five games and falling back to .500.
Detroit’s road trip culminated in a 2-1 overtime loss to the Philadelphia Flyers.
“We’ve been in this position (before), we were here last year,” said captain Dylan Larkin. “You have to capitalize on your opportunities. A night like (Tuesday), we didn’t have our legs and it was a sloppy game but we found a way to get a point. It would have been nice to get two and especially with the way things have been going.”
Offensive Struggles for Detroit
Following a 5-2 victory over the Florida Panthers, the Red Wings have scored only one goal in each of their last three games.
“We limited them to two goals, one of them in overtime,” said forward Lucas Raymond. “The defensive structure was real good most of the game. If we get a couple of goals, it’s a completely different game.”
Road to Recovery
The Red Wings now face a critical period, needing a sustained winning streak to climb back into playoff contention.
“For sure not a successful trip in our point of view,” Raymond said. “We know the way we’re supposed to play and we have to get back to that.”
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