WHEN: 5:00 p.m. MT
WHERE: Bell Centre - Montreal, Quebec
TV: SEG+, UtahHC+, Utah 16 | RADIO: KSL Sports Zone 97.5 FM, NHL App
Tonight brings the close of a four-game road trip for the Utah Hockey Club (8-10-3) at Bell Centre against the Montreal Canadiens (7-11-2). The game is a homecoming for Head Coach Andre Tourigny (from Nicolet, Quebec- two hours away) and rookie defenseman Maveric Lamoureux (from Laval, Quebec- 35 minutes away) who will both be representing Utah in their native province.
ONE-TIMERS
- Utah is 1-2-0 on the current road trip with both losses coming by one goal.
- Goaltender Karel Vejmelka has held the opposition to three goals or less in each of his last seven starts.
- Jack McBain has goals in back-to-back games and in five of his last eight.
- Utah has scored four power-play goals over the last two games, including three on Saturday night in Pittsburgh.
- Montreal is the fifth Original Six franchise that Utah will face.
TONIGHT’S MATCHUP
Montreal has won two of its last three games and three of its last five entering tonight. The Canadiens have struggled defensively and allow the second-most goals in the league at 3.80 per game. Both Montreal’s power play (9th - 22.4%) and penalty kill (9th - 82.4%) rank well within the top half of the league standings. The Canadiens are also an extremely young team under fourth-year Head Coach Martin St. Louis and feature 10 skaters aged 23 or younger who have played at least nine games this season.
WHO TO WATCH
UTAH: #10 MAVERIC LAMOUREUX - Lamoureux returns to his home province to play in the NHL for the first time. The 6-foot-6 defenseman was called up two weeks into the season and made his NHL debut on Oct. 24 against the Colorado Avalanche. Through his first 14 games, Lamoureux has three points (1G, 2A), a +3 rating, and 40 penalty minutes.
MONTREAL: #14 NICK SUZUKI - Montreal’s captain leads the team in scoring with 19 points (7G, 12A) in 20 games and his goal total ranks third on the club. The 25-year-old has strung together three consecutive seasons of at least 20 goals, including last season in which he registered a career-best 33.
LOOK BACK
Utah fell to the Toronto Maple Leafs 3-2 at Scotiabank Arena on Sunday night. Logan Cooley led off the scoring on the power play for Utah in the first period, but Toronto scored three goals in the span of 5:35 in the second period to take control of the game. Mitch Marner potted two for the Leafs and William Nylander provided the third. Jack McBain scored his second goal in as many nights early in the third period, but Utah’s rally fell short. Karel Vejmelka was robust in net once again with 32 saves on 35 Toronto shots.
JACK MCBAIN
Jack McBain is Utah’s hottest forward with goals in back-to-back games and five tallies in his last eight games. The 24-year-old from Toronto, Ontario has 10 points (7G, 3A) on the season, and his seven goals rank second on the team. McBain totaled eight goals in 67 games last season with the Arizona Coyotes, and his career high of 12 was set back in 2022-23 with Arizona.
CLOSE CALLS
Each of Utah’s last two losses have come by just one goal, and Utah is now 3-3-3 on the season in one-goal games. The team is tied for the seventh-most games decided by just one score in the NHL with nine. Utah is also 3-3 when a game reaches overtime, and Utah’s six overtime appearances are tied for the most in the league. The group played in all six of those overtime contests in the first 12 games of the season and have not reached the extra frame in the last nine games.
LOOK AHEAD
After closing out the road trip, Utah returns home to face Connor McDavid and the Edmonton Oilers on Black Friday, Nov. 29 at 7 p.m. MT inside Delta Center. Following the one game at home, Utah will visit the Vegas Golden Knights the next night on Saturday, Nov. 30 with puck drop at 8 p.m. MT.
