Detroit Red Wings vs Montréal Canadiens Picks and Predictions December 20th 2024

Red Wings Finding Momentum Ahead of Clash with Canadiens

The Detroit Red Wings are hitting their stride, and a few key players have rediscovered their scoring touch just in time for a home-and-home series against the Montreal Canadiens. The two-game set begins Friday in Detroit, with the Red Wings aiming to build on their recent offensive surge.

Red Wings Snap Scoring Droughts in Big Win

In a 6-4 victory over the Philadelphia Flyers on Wednesday, three Detroit forwards ended significant scoring slumps. Patrick Kane, a future Hall of Famer, scored the game-winning goal in the third period, snapping a 10-game goalless streak.

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J.T. Compher added a first-period power-play goal, his first in 22 games.

“I feel like my game’s been trending in a good direction. You want to produce,” Compher said. “I pride myself in a lot more than scoring goals. I feel like I’ve been doing a lot of those things, but you still want to see one go in.”

Joe Veleno also chipped in, scoring just his second goal of the season. With the victory, the Red Wings notched their third win in four games, bringing their record closer to .500. They now turn their focus to capitalizing on home ice, with five of their next six games in Detroit.

“We had some things in mind going into these games before the (holidays), playing here at home,” Kane said. “There’s been some good energy from the crowd the last couple of games and from the team, too. We’ve been ready to play and been finding ways to produce offensively and play well defensively. It’s nice to get a couple in a row, too.”

Detroit sits at 7-7-2 on home ice this season, a record they’ll aim to improve.

“If you’re going to stay in this battle, and push to be in this battle, you have to take care of home ice,” coach Derek Lalonde emphasized. “This little run of late is a positive. We have to keep winning our games and earning points at home.”

Canadiens Lean on Laine’s Power Play Precision

The Canadiens, who are 4-3-0 over their last seven games, come into the matchup on the heels of a dominant 6-1 win over the Buffalo Sabres on Tuesday. Patrik Laine led the charge with three power-play goals, showcasing his elite scoring ability.

Laine, acquired in the offseason from Columbus, has been a revelation since recovering from a knee injury, scoring six goals in his last seven games.

“Obviously, it’s nice to have. Any time you have a threat, a weapon, especially on the power play, that just makes you a lot more deadly,” forward Josh Anderson said. “Special teams are so important these days. It has won games. It obviously gave us a huge boost (Tuesday).”

Paired with Cole Caufield, who leads the Canadiens with 17 goals, Laine gives Montreal a potent power-play tandem.

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“We have more weapons with Patty,” coach Martin St-Louis said. “It’s about finding a way to have predictability for us and unpredictability for the other team. They can move around, change spots sometimes, because the opponent has to respect both of them. We’re learning how to play together on the power play and how we can maximize everybody’s strengths.”

Key Storylines Heading into the Series

Detroit aims to keep their home ice advantage alive, buoyed by Kane’s resurgence and contributions from depth players like Compher and Veleno. For Montreal, the focus remains on leveraging their power play, spearheaded by Laine and Caufield, to maintain their momentum.

Both teams are finding their rhythm, setting the stage for an exciting showdown as they look to climb the standings.