NYR@MTL: What you need to know

MONTREAL – With Canadiens royalty in the building, the Habs will look to channel the magic of the ‘70s when they host the New York Rangers at the Bell Centre on Tuesday.

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

WHAT’S HAPPENING AT THE BELL CENTRE

The Canadiens will hold a special “Tribute to the Champions” pregame ceremony, honoring members of the 1970s dynasty that saw the team win four straight Stanley Cups. This year marks the 45th anniversary of the final Cup win of that stretch, a 4-1 series victory over the Rangers in 1979. Players from that era include Ken Dryden, Bob Gainey, Larry Robinson and Serge Savard.

TEAM COMPARISONS

The Rangers have picked up right where they left off last (regular) season with a dominant 4-0-1 start to the year. New York has outscored opponents 24-10 during that stretch—that’s a 4.80 goals-per-game average coupled with a 2.00 goals-against-average. Everything Artemi Panarin has touched has turned to gold for the Blueshirts in the early goings of the new campaign. The 32-year-old forward is tied for the NHL lead with 12 points in his first five games and set a Rangers record with four consecutive multi-point games to start the season. With a win on Tuesday, New York would tie their franchise-record 4-0-0 season-opening road winning streak set in 1931-32.

Montreal’s promising 2-1-0 start to the year has hit a roadblock, as they currently find themselves stuck in a three-game skid. Most recently, the Islanders outlasted the Canadiens in a nine-round shootout, knocking off the visitors 4-3 at UBS Arena on Saturday. Following the loss, head coach Martin St-Louis said he felt his team deserved better after rallying from 2-0 and 3-2 deficits. Despite the setback, the Habs left Long Island with some positive takeaways: Cole Caufield continued his torrid start to the season, scoring his fifth and sixth goals of the year, and Cayden Primeau bounced back from a disappointing season debut, turning aside 33 of the 36 shots he faced.

BY THE NUMBERS: RANGERS-HABS

With a point against the Rangers, Juraj Slafkovský can pass Petr Svoboda for the fifth-most points among players aged 20 or younger in franchise history. Slafkovský (66) would then trail only Stéphane Richer (76), Henri Richard (87), Alex Galchenyuk (93) and Mario Tremblay (112).

According to Sportsnet Stats, Caufield is the first Hab to score six goals in the first six games of a season since Brian Savage in 1999. Last season, it took the 23-year-old until November 24, the team’s 19^th game, to tally his sixth of the year.

Samuel Montembeault, confirmed as Tuesday’s starter, made a season-high 45 saves in an epic 4-3 shootout win over the Rangers at the Bell Centre last year.

Here’s how the Rangers and Canadiens match up by the numbers:

LINEUP NEWS

Here are the lines from Monday’s practice at the Bell Centre.

Slafkovský and Mike Matheson did not practice on Monday, opting for therapy days instead. As of yesterday morning, St-Louis was unsure of Slafkovský’s availability for tonight’s matchup. Meanwhile, Kaiden Guhle remains out with an upper-body injury.

Subscribe to or follow the team on YouTube, Facebook and X (@CanadiensMTL) to catch St-Louis' press conference following Tuesday’s morning skate, and keep on eye on the Canadiens social accounts for any potential lineup news. For the full official lineup, check back on the team’s social accounts closer to puck drop.