WHAT’S HAPPENING AT THE BELL CENTRE
Celebrate the holidays early with Christmas at the Bell Centre presented by Canadian Tire! Arrive by 5:30 p.m. to get your hands on one of 5,000 Santa hats given away at the door. Find out if you’re on Santa’s naughty or nice list by visiting jolly ol’ Saint Nick in the Rio Tinto Courtyard prior to the game, or find him in section 123 once the puck’s in play! Also in section 123 will be treats and temporary holiday-themed tattoos.
It’s also Molson FANatic Saturdays at the Bell Centre, and as of 4:30 p.m. fans can kick off festivities at a pregame party at Les Trois Monkeys on Peel St., steps away from the Bell Centre. By participating in the pregame Trivia at Les Trois Monkeys, one winner will get to participate in Molson Lucky Shots to shoot three pucks from the ice at intermission for various prizes.
Finally, Monster Energy guest DJ Fafa Khan will be spinning tunes in bowl for warmups. Fans can catch her set on Twitch for a chance to win a prize.
TEAM COMPARISONS
Patrik Laine was the difference in a 4-3 win over the Red Wings at Little Caesars Arena on Friday. While the 26-year-old Finn collected his seventh tally of the season, Jake Evans and Emil Heineman also enjoyed successful outings. Both notched a goal and an assist, and Evans did so in his 300th career NHL game. Solid team efforts are what the Canadiens will need to continue to move forward and build the consistency they’ve been searching for since the start of the season. They’ll be looking to add their fifth win on home ice in December tonight, which will also be the Club’s last game of 2024 at the Bell Centre.
Even though Detroit is coming into town with a loss, the Red Wings did overcome 1-0 and 2-1 deficits through 40 minutes of play to grab a 3-2 advantage 1:40 into the third period. Focusing on the positives is key but being mindful of the negatives is also important as Derek Lalonde’s troops failed to hold on to their lead and convert on four power plays that could have made the difference as it did for the Canadiens. Prior to Friday’s game, the Red Wings had won three of their last four contests, so they’ll be looking to bounce back quickly and, like the Habs, continue to find ways to win consistently.
SEASON SERIES
Dec. 20 @ DET: 4-3 MTL
Dec. 21 vs. DET:
Jan. 23 @ DET:
Apr. 8 vs. DET:
PLAYERS TO WATCH FOR
Laine has scored four goals in his last two outings, including a hat trick. His seven goals – all of which have been scored on the power play – in only eight appearances prove that the NHL veteran hasn’t lost his touch and continues to be an offensive threat with a wicked shot. The last Hab to score as many goals in the same amount of time was Pierre Turgeon in 1995. According to Sportsnet Stats, he is also the first player in NHL history to score seven PPGs in his first eight games with a team. Laine is only four tallies away from grabbing the NHL lead in powerplay goals from Brayden Point (11). Cole Caufield also has seven markers on the man advantage and is two goals shy of reaching the 100-goal mark in the League.
With a goal against the Canadiens, Patrick Kane is picking up steam for Detroit. His fifth marker of the season extended his point streak to three games (2G, 2A). He is only two points away from 1,300 in the NHL and could become the second U.S.-born player to do so after Mike Modano, and the fourth active player to reach the plateau behind Sidney Crosby, Alex Ovechkin, and Evgeni Malkin, according to NHL PR.
BY THE NUMBERS: RED WINGS-CANADIENS
Here’s how the Red Wings and Canadiens match up by the numbers:
