NYR@MTL: What you need to know

MONTREAL – The Eastern Conference-leading New York Rangers visit the Canadiens on Saturday for the first of three meetings between the Original Six rivals this season.

Here’s what you need to know heading into the game:

1. The Canadiens were hit by the “first game back home after a long road trip” curse at the Bell Centre on Thursday. After seven games on the road, the team returned to home ice for the first time since Dec. 16 and dropped a 6-1 decision to the Buffalo Sabres. Joel Armia scored the 14th shorthanded goal of his career in the loss and Jake Allen stopped 32 shots in the Montreal crease. Martin St-Louis opted to play with 11 forwards and seven defenseman against the Sabres, but that is likely to change on the weekend. The Club announced on Friday morning that forward Emil Heineman was recalled from the AHL’s Laval Rocket and all signs point to the Swede being inserted to the Habs’ offensive unit against the Rangers. Meanwhile, St-Louis confirmed that Samuel Montembeault will get his 17th start of the season and first of the New Year at home on Saturday.

2. New York touches down in Montreal on the heels of a 4-1 win over the Blackhawks on Thursday, which propelled them atop the Eastern Conference standings. The Rangers have a near identical record on the road (13-5-1) as they do at home (13-5-0), and when you consider their statistics as a team, it’s no surprise. Ahead of Saturday’s matchup, the Blueshirts rank inside the top-10 in goals for, goals allowed, power play, penalty kill and faceoff percentage. On an individual note, Artemi Panarin has dialed in an MVP-caliber season with 53 points in 37 games. He’s followed by Mika Zibanejad (38), Vincent Trocheck (36) and Chris Kreider (35). Igor Shesterkin, who’s registered wins in six of his last seven starts, and Jonathan Quick, who’s posted a 9-2-1 record this season, have carried the load on the backend.

3. Dating back to 2019, the away team has won nine of the last 10 matchups between Montreal and New York. The Canadiens own a 4-5-1 record against the Rangers during that span, and six of those 10 games have been decided by one goal. Last season, the Blueshirts took the season series 2-1.

4. Nick Suzuki was named a 2024 NHL All-Star ahead of Thursday’s outing – and for good reason. The Canadiens’ captain has posted 12-22-34 totals in 38 games this season and is on pace for a 73-point campaign, which would eclipse his previous career high of 66. The 23-year-old has averaged over a point-per-game in his last 15 contests and will look to stay hot less than one month before making his third consecutive appearance at the All-Star Game when he heads to Toronto from Feb. 1 – Feb. 3. The NHL All-Star Game Fan Vote is now open and until Jan. 11, Habs fans can do their part in helping Suzuki score a plus-one by clicking here. Alternatively, you can vote on X (formerly Twitter). For more details, click here or see below.

5. Saturdays at the Bell Centre wouldn’t be complete without FANatic Saturdays. Tune into the Canadiens official Twitch account as of 6:15 p.m. ET to see Monster Energy DJ guest, Fafa Khan, spinning tunes at the Bell Centre, then switch over to Citytv, Sportsnet East or TVA Sports at 7:00 p.m. for puck drop. Fans can also listen in to the action on TSN 690 and or 98.5 fm. For tickets, click here.