Canadiens: Shooting For The Stars

After taking on the second place team in the league last night and winning, the Montreal Canadiens are back home today to take on the Dallas Stars who are third in the Central division and seventh in the league.

Now that the Montreal Canadiens have sent down Cayden Primeau to the Laval Rocket, Samuel Montembeault doesn't have to play back-to-back games anymore so Jakub Dobes got the start against the Washington Capitals yesterday and the number one will be back in net tonight against the Dallas Stars. The visitors are on a six-game winning streak and will present an interesting challenge. 

Montembeault has faced Dallas four times in his career and has a 2-2-0 record with a 3.04 goals-against average and a .924 save percentages. Meanwhile, backup Casey DeSmith was in net for the Stars on Thursday night, so chances are the Canadiens will face Jake Oettinger tonight. The netminder has taken on the Habs five times and has a 4-1-0 record, a 2.91 GAA and a .891 SP. 

It's been 11 months since the two teams crossed passed. In February 2024, Dallas beat Montreal at the Bell Centre 3-2. That night, Montembeault and Oettinger were on duty and the Canadiens only managed to get 20 shots on the Stars' net while the Habs' was under fire, with Montembeault facing 38 shots. 

Nick Suzuki has taken on the Texas outfit eight times in his career and has 11 points to show for it. Patrik Laine has 19 goals and 7 assists in 28 games against the Stars, but it's unclear whether the sniper will be ready to come back tonight. Joel Armia has nine points in 19 duels and Brendan Gallagher has seven points in 16 tilts. 

As for the Stars, they have quite a few players who love playing the Habs. Tyler Seguin had 35 points in 39 games,  Matt Duchene  has 22 in 25 games and Jaime Benn rounds up the top three with 20 in 21 matches.

Dallas won seven of the last 10 games between the two sides and four of the last five duel, but if one team can reverse a trend these days, it's the Canadiens. The Habs will hit the road on Sunday for a two-game road trip which will see them face the Utah Hockey Club and the Stars for the return leg of the season series.