Preview: Canadiens at Oilers
Gracenote
Nov 12, 2018
The Canadiens begin their three-game swing through western Canada against the struggling Edmonton Oilers on Sunday and hope Max Domi continues the torrid start to his career in Montreal. Domi was suspended in the preseason for punching unwilling Florida defenseman Aaron Ekblad but has burst out of the gate with nine goals and 21 points in 17 contests, and is riding his second six-game point streak of the campaign.
Domi, who has four goals and 10 points in six November contests, was shifted to center by coach Claude Julien during his abbreviated preseason and the move is paying off. "He seems to enjoy covering a lot of ice,'' Julien told reporters recently about Domi. "It’s just natural for him to skate the way he’s skating right now and I think part of that, too, by skating as much as he is right now is giving him the confidence to do what he’s doing. He’s shooting pucks, he’s attacking with speed, and he just seems extremely comfortable there." Edmonton has lost four straight after a 4-1 setback against Colorado on Sunday, allowing a goal at 26 seconds and chasing the game the rest of the way. Oilers forward Ryan Nugent-Hopkins told reporters: "You can't take a period off, you can't take any shifts off. Good hockey teams make you pay for that" while coach Todd McLellan added: "We know where we're at right now, we know what we've done the last four games. That doesn't sit well with anybody."
TV: 9 p.m. ET, TSN2; RDS (Montreal), Sportsnet West (Edmonton)
ABOUT THE CANADIENS (9-5-3): Tomas Tatar (15 points), another newcomer to Montreal, has scored four of his seven goals in the last three games, including one in Saturday's 5-4 victory over Vegas - his former team. Brendan Gallagher (nine goals) hasn't scored in five contests since recording four tallies in three games. Carey Price (5-4-3, 3.07 goals-against average, .892 goals-against average) yielded to backup Antti Niemi on Saturday after allowing 19 goals in his previous four contests (1-2-1).
ABOUT THE OILERS (8-8-1): Connor McDavid (10 goals, 23 points this season), the two-time defending Art Ross winner, hasn't recorded a point in two of his last three games after recording at least one in 13 of his first 14 contests. Leon Draisaitl, who shares the team lead in goals with McDavid, had his three-game scoring streak halted Sunday. Cam Talbot (5-7-1, 3.09 goals-against average, .895 goals-against average) was pulled in the second period Sunday after allowing three goals on 15 shots.
OVERTIME
1. Edmonton has allowed a power-play goal in each of its last four games and had the fifth-worst penalty-killing unit at 72.7 percent entering Monday while the Canadiens yielded two power-play tallies Saturday after killing 25-of-26 in the previous seven contests.
2. Montreal is 9-5-1 on the western Canada swing over the last five seasons.
3. The Oilers swept both meetings in 2017-18 by a combined 10-3 with LW Jujhar Khaira scoring three of his 11 goals last season in those games.
PREDICTION: Oilers 3, Canadiens 2