Montreal @ Winnipeg preview
Canada Life Centre
Last Meeting ( Dec 18, 2023 ) Montreal 3, Winnipeg 2
An all-Canadian showdown hits the ice in Winnipeg on Saturday night when the Jets welcome the Montreal Canadiens, with both teams trying to find some stability.
After an eye-popping 8-1 destruction of Boston on Tuesday, the Jets couldn't carry that momentum forward in a 3-2 loss to Vegas on Thursday. Late in the third period, they found themselves on the wrong side of a 5-on-3 situation, and it proved costly. The Jets allowed the tying goal before ultimately succumbing to Ivan Barbashev's overtime winner.
"I don't think we attacked like they attack," Jets head coach Scott Arniel said after the home loss.
"When you get away from some of the things you want to do on a consistent basis, you just keep pounding it home," Arniel said when asked how his team's pace of play can change so quickly. "You keep trying to make sure that guys recognize that there's a way we need to play to create offense, the way we need to play (defense) to not allow the opposition opportunities... hopefully for next game that'll be a lot better."
But amid the uncertainty, there's a bright spot in Winnipeg: Nikita Chibrikov. He's scored in each of his first three NHL games (one last season, two this week), setting a franchise record in the process.
"You see a lot of little plays that he's making over there," teammate Josh Morrissey said. "It's not an easy transition coming up from the minors and not playing that start of the season with our team... hopefully he keeps that pace up."
As for Montreal, the Canadiens are reeling after a brutal collapse of their own on Thursday, falling 9-2 to Pittsburgh after allowing six third-period goals.
"To me, it was more disappointment. To me, anger is an emotion, disappointment is a feeling," Habs coach Martin St. Louis said when asked if he was angry on the bench.
"Every play matters in this league. There's not one action on the ice that can't affect the outcome of the game. ... Unfortunately, sometimes I feel it's part of our growth and we hope that these moments happen less and less, and when they happen they can't happen consecutive times."
The players are desperate to stop the bleeding, too, and they'll need to shake off the sting of that loss quickly heading out for a single game on the road to face the Jets.
"It's frustrating. It's disappointing ... but (we) should have every reason to respond with our best effort here in Winnipeg," forward Brendan Gallagher said following the loss to the Penguins. "It's a good challenge for us and I trust that our group will put forth a better effort."
Montreal is paced by Nick Suzuki's 30 points (11 goals, 19 assists). He contributed one of the Canadiens' two goals against Pittsburgh and has points in eight straight games (four goals, seven assists).
Montreal's David Savard is uncertain to return after being ruled out Thursday with an upper-body injury. For Winnipeg, Dylan Samberg continues rehabbing a broken foot, and Nikolaj Ehlers is skating again but hasn't started progressing toward game action.
--Field Level Media