TEAM COMPARISONS
“I loved everything about our game, but I’m not going to talk about the refs.”
That was all Martin St-Louis had to say—repeated not once, but six times—in response to postgame questions in New York on Saturday. He wouldn’t comment on the officiating, and neither will we. Turning the page to Sunday, the Habs look for better fate as they close out a three-game road trip against another Original Six opponent—and arguably their biggest rival—the Bruins. TD Garden hasn’t been kind to the Habs in recent years; they haven’t won in Boston since 2019. But if they can match Saturday’s level at Madison Square Garden (with a few more bounces going their way), the Canadiens’ chances at two points increase significantly.
It’s been an uncharacteristically rocky start for the Bruins through the opening quarter of the season. Following a three-game skid and an overall poor start by their lofty standards, the team dismissed Jim Montgomery of his duties on Nov. 19, replacing him with Joe Sacco. Since taking over, Sacco has guided Boston to a 3-2-0 record, but their offensive woes have persisted. Outside of a 6-3 win over the New York Islanders, the Bruins have not scored more than two goals in a game under Sacco’s direction. And when you look at the bigger picture, Boston ranks 31st in the NHL with just 2.32 goals for per game and dead last with a power play clicking at a dismal 12%. That said, as any good sports fan knows, rivalry games have a way of rewriting the script. The only numbers that matter today are the ones on the scoreboard when the clock hits zero.
SEASON SERIES
Oct. 10 @ BOS: 6-4 BOS
Dec. 1 @ BOS:
Apr. 3 vs. BOS:
PLAYERS TO WATCH FOR
The Canadiens’ 13-14-15 is heating up—and fast. Caufield and Suzuki have goals in consecutive games, while Alex Newhook’s speed has caused problems for opponents. Montreal will need their top line to stay hot if they hope to leave Boston with two points on Sunday.
Meanwhile, Brad Marchand is in fine form of his own, netting three goals in his last four games. With Bruins legends in the building today, you can bet the B’s captain will be extra motivated to get the job done once more.
BY THE NUMBERS: HABS-BRUINS
Here’s how the Canadiens and Bruins match up by the numbers:
