2. Kaiden Guhle showed no signs of rust in his return to the Canadiens’ lineup on Saturday night. An upper-body injury sidelined the defenseman for four games, but Guhle was firing on all cylinders with a multi-point effort against the Jets. Armia, who was recalled from the Laval Rocket on Oct. 21, also impressed against Winnipeg. The 30-year-old, who was making his season debut, found the equalizer in the third period to force extra time, setting up the shootout win.
On the injury front, Mike Matheson left the game in the final frame and did not return. Following the outing, head coach Martin St-Louis confirmed that the defenseman was considered day-to-day but would make the trip to Vegas.
Any possible changes to the lineup in Sin City will be known at Monday’s morning skate. Suzuki is expected play his 300th NHL game against the Golden Knights, while Allen could play in his 400th career outing on the Strip.
3. The Golden Knights couldn’t have scripted a better start in their bid to defend Lord Stanley if they tried. Through nine games, Vegas has yet to a drop a decision in regulation and sit atop the League standings with an 8-0-1 record. William Karlsson and Shea Theodore have led the way offensively for the Knights, each totalling 10 points on the season. In net, Adin Hill and Logan Thompson have split the load with four wins apiece.
4. The Canadiens’ power play has struck in five straight games dating back to Oct. 21 versus the Washington Capitals. Monahan has lit the lamp three times on the man advantage during that stretch, while Matheson has found twine twice. Tanner Pearson has the other power play marker for Montreal who, ahead of Monday’s game, sit 11th in the NHL in that department.
