Canadiens @ Bruins: Game preview nd how to watch
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Credit: Bob DeChiara-Imagn Images
Start time: **4:15 PM EST / 1:15 PM PST**In Canada: Sportsnet (English)In the Canadiens region: RDS (French)In the Bruins region: NESNStreaming: ESPN+, RDS, Sportsnet+
The Montreal Canadiens weren’t given much of a chance in yesterday’s game versus the New York Rangers with poor officiating working against them, but they powered through to get the time tied going into the final minutes. In the end, it was a Kirby Dach high-sticking double-minor that did them in, but overall, it was a strong game for the Habs as they continue to put more consistent efforts together.
They came close to making up for a 7-2 loss to the Rangers earlier in the season. Now it’s a 6-4 defeat at the hands of the Boston Bruins in the second game of the campaign that they want to neutralize with a win. The schedule-maker wasn’t kind to Montreal for this year’s rivalry matches, as the Habs face a rested Bruins team in its own arena for the latter half of a back-to-back for the second time. But Montreal is faring better in those situations so far in 2024-25, and it no longer feels like an automatic loss before the game even begins.
Canadiens Statistics Bruins 8-12-3 Record 11-11-3 49.0% (20th) Scoring-chances-for % 51.4% (12th) 2.83 (21st) Goals per game 2.32 (32nd) 3.74 (31st) Goals against per game 3.08 (17th) 21.3% (12th) PP% 12.0% (31st) 81.5% (9th) PK% 78.0% (21st) 0-1-0 Head-to-Head Record 1-0-0Part of that optimism is that scoring six goals is a rare occurrence for the Bruins this year — scoring three goals is a rare occurrence for Boston, as the club has only done that nine times in 25 games. They go into this match with the league’s most anemic offence at just 2.32 goals scored per game, half a goal less than Montreal manages.
The power play also ranks last in the league at just 12.0%, or converting about one of every eight opportunities into a goal. Factor in that they’re also second in terms of short-handed goals allowed with four, and it’s been a shockingly poor offensive display with an extra attacker on the ice.
Things aren’t going according to plan in this, their centennial celebration season. They’ve already fired head coach Jim Montgomery in an attempt to fix their issues. The defensive performance has been better under Joe Sacco, but they’ve still been held to two goals or fewer in four of the five games since the change, most recently a 2-1 loss to the Pittsburgh Penguins on Friday afternoon.
An hour-long ceremony will be held at TD Garden ahead of today’s game played on the 100th anniversary of their inception as a franchise. The Bruins have spoiled plenty of festive occasions in recent years when the teams play at the Bell Centre, and Montreal would love to return the favour and shake off the frustration of yesterday’s last-minute defeat.
