TEAM COMPARISONS
Martin St-Louis has said it time and time again: for the Canadiens, the playoffs have already begun. And Thursday’s game in Edmonton will be no different. Montreal carries a five-game win streak into Alberta, but the margin for error in the playoff race remains slim and none for the Habs, who are now just three points shy of the final wild card spot in the Eastern Conference.
The Oilers may some breathing room inside the Western Conference race, seven points clear of the cut line, but six losses in their last seven games have put them in a precarious spot. With 21 games to play, Connor McDavid and last year’s Stanley Cup finalists are looking to regain their form and build momentum for what they hope is another deep postseason run.
Earlier this season, the Habs shutout the Oilers at the Bell Centre and they’ll be aiming for another near-perfect performance—this time in front of a wave of Habs fans making the annual pilgrimage to Oil Country.
SEASON SERIES
Nov. 18 vs. EDM: 3-0 MTL
Mar. 6 @ EDM:
PLAYERS TO WATCH FOR
Thursday’s matchup features the NHL’s second-leading scorer vs. the NHL’s second-leading scorer… since the 4 Nations Face-Off.
That would be Leon Draisaitl vs. Nick Suzuki.
Draisaitl is putting together an MVP caliber season in Edmonton, racking up 45 goals and 92 points in 61 appearances. He’s also currently riding a 12-game point streak, during which he’s collected 18 points.
Suzuki, on the other hand, has 65 points over 61 games for the Canadiens, and ranks second in the league with 13 points in five outings since the February break, including a four-point effort in Montreal’s latest win against Buffalo.
BY THE NUMBERS: HABS-OILERS
Here’s how the Canadiens and Oilers match up by the numbers:
