The struggling Montreal Canadiens will try to end their winless drought when they visit the last-place San Jose Sharks on Tuesday night.
The Canadiens fell to 0-4-1 in their last five games with a 3-2 loss to the Anaheim Ducks on Sunday.
Montreal led 2-0 through 33 minutes before the Ducks quickly equalized with two goals within a 40-second span. Alex Killorn scored the game-winning goal 11:11 into the third period to hand Montreal another tough defeat.
“It’s not like we’re getting dominated, but we’re finding ways to lose,” Canadiens coach Martin St. Louis said. “We’re hurting ourselves. We’re not as sharp, we don’t execute. … It’s not the time of the season you want to get a slide, so we’ve got to stop the bleeding.”
The Canadiens were 13-3-1 in the 17 games before their winless streak and had worked their way to the edge of the Eastern Conference playoff race.
On paper, a game against the NHL’s worst team would seem like a prime opportunity for the Canadiens to return to the win column. However, the Sharks have long had Montreal’s number. San Jose is 16-3-1 in its last 20 meetings with Montreal, dating to the 2010-11 season.
This season, San Jose has won only four of its last 22 games (4-17-1).
Already looking to continue their rebuilding plan, the Sharks traded Mikael Granlund and defenseman Cody Ceci to the Dallas Stars on Saturday for two picks in the 2025 NHL Draft.
Granlund led the Sharks in assists (30) and points (45), while Ceci led in ice time (1,175 minutes, 41 seconds) and blocks (100) this season. Beyond just the numbers, the two veterans acted as mentors to San Jose’s many younger players.
“(Granlund) said whatever I need, I can ask him,” forward Will Smith told the San Jose Mercury News. “Obviously, I did that. We sat next to each other in the locker room too, so (it’s) tough having him go. … It’s a huge piece we’re losing, but I’ve learned a lot from him.”
Beyond the trade departures, San Jose’s lineup could be depleted by injuries. Alexander Wennberg (upper body) is expected to miss his second straight game, while Tyler Toffoli (lower body) and Fabian Zetterlund (illness) are questionable after missing Sunday’s practice.
In better health news, Vitek Vanecek was recalled from his American Hockey League conditioning assignment after missing 21 games due to a fractured cheekbone. Vanecek could make his return to the ice Tuesday, or fellow goaltender Alexandar Georgiev could get the start if the Sharks want to ease Vanecek back into action.
Because the Canadiens also will play Wednesday against the Los Angeles Kings, Sam Montembeault and Jakub Dobes are expected to split the back-to-back starts. The goalies mostly have been alternating starts over the last month, so Dobes could get the call Tuesday since Montembeault played in Anaheim.
Captain Nick Suzuki leads all Montreal skaters with 51 points (15 goals, 36 assists).
The Canadiens’ penalty-kill percentage (82.5) is among the best in the NHL. Opponents are just 2-for-25 on the power play in Montreal’s last 10 games, and 0-for-9 in their last five.
–Field Level Media
