The Carolina Hurricanes have traded defenseman Gavin Bayreuther to the Buffalo Sabres in exchange for forward Viktor Neuchev, the team announced on Saturday.
Bayreuther, 31, signed a one-year, two-way deal with Carolina this offseason to return to North America and had played solely in the AHL this season.
He appeared in 33 games with the Chicago Wolves, registering four goals and 13 points.
With injury issues hitting the Sabres' blueline, this gives Bayreuther a potential chance to once again play NHL games.
Neuchev, 22, was a third-round pick by the Sabres in the 2022 draft and he has spent the last three seasons in AHL with the Rochester Americans.
The 5-foot-11 winger has 130 games of AHL experience under his belt with 24 goals and 66 points to show for it.
For action-packed issues, access to the entire magazine archive and a free issue, subscribe to The Hockey News at THN.com/free. Get the latest news and trending stories by subscribing to our newsletter here. And share your thoughts by commenting below the article on THN.com or creating your own post in our community forum.
Stay updated with the most interesting Carolina Hurricanes stories, analysis, breaking news and more! Tap the star to add us to your favorites on Google News to never miss a story.
As the Senators get set to host the Carolina Hurricanes on Saturday night, they've made one notable lineup change. Travis Green announced on Saturday at the game day skate that Nik Matinpalo will be in for Nick Jensen, and James Reimer will start in the first game of a back-to-back for the Senators, who will host the Vegas Golden Knights on Sunday.
Travis Green talks about his penalty kill unit coaching change (Senators on YouTube).
Jensen turned the puck over while retrieving it in his own end, leading to Nashville’s game-winning goal with just over a minute remaining on Thursday. However, he didn't get much help. The Sens had forwards standing around in the neighbourhood who were in a position to help Jensen by defending the front of Ottawa's net, and they just didn't.
Matinpalo will be playing just his second game since November 29. The only game he’s appeared in so far in 2026 was an 8–2 loss in Colorado.
Stephen Halliday will continue to fill in for David Perron, who will miss 5-7 weeks after sports hernia surgery. Halliday scored his first NHL goal in Nashville on Thursday.
As the Ottawa Senators begin a four-game homestand, they’ll have their hands full on Saturday night against the Carolina Hurricanes, the second-place team in the Eastern Conference and third place overall.
The Senators will be trying to shake off a difficult loss in Nashville on Thursday night, where they fell 5–3 to the Predators after surrendering a two-goal lead for the third time in four games.
Those performances, coming at a time when the Senators were already out of room for error, have sparked plenty of discussion over the past 48 hours about whether the team needs to make some kind of change to try and jump-start its extremely long-shot playoff hopes.
Travis Green talks about changing penalty kill coaches. (Senators on YouTube)
The Senators did make a change on Saturday, albeit a small one. With the penalty kill continuing to struggle in Nashville, head coach Travis Green has shifted control of the unit from Nolan Baumgartner to Mike Yeo.
“That’s not a knock against Baumer,” Green said. “He’s an excellent coach and he’s done a great job with our defencemen. The penalty kill hasn’t gone the way we’ve wanted, and that’s not just on him. Ultimately, the players have to get the job done, but a new voice might give a spark, give a different look, a different voice.”
Green said the changes to the penalty kill won’t be major and believes the unit could easily be in better shape than it is.
“There have been some goals we haven’t liked, and that goes back to the players' blown coverages where a guy doesn’t make the right play,” Green said. “We’ve also got some young penalty killers who are a work in progress. But we’ve got to right the ship.”
Given that the penalty kill has struggled all season, it’s fair to wonder why this move, or any move, wasn’t made earlier, when there was still a more realistic chance to save the season. Green leaned on a familiar explanation.
“I think there’s been a lot of learning with our group,” Green said. “I’ve seen improvement in our penalty kill. We haven’t gotten the results, but I’ve liked a lot of what we’ve seen. We felt a different voice might help as a sounding board. Mike’s done it for a long time as well. Our coaching staff collaborates on everything; this isn’t a one-man show in any area. We’ll see how it goes.”
The other change for Saturday night’s game against the Hurricanes is Nick Jensen being a healthy scratch in favour of Nick Matinpalo. Jensen turned the puck over while retrieving it in his own end, leading to Nashville’s game-winning goal with just over a minute remaining on Thursday. In fairness, the Sens had forwards standing around in the neighbourhood who were in a position to help Jensen by defending the front of Ottawa's net, and they just didn't.
Matinpalo will be playing just his second game since November 29. The only game he’s appeared in so far in 2026 was an 8–2 loss in Colorado.
James Reimer will get the start in goal for the Senators, who enter play seven points out of a wild-card spot and ten points back of the Atlantic Division’s top three teams.
Steve Warne The Hockey News Ottawa
This story is from The Hockey News Ottawa. You can visit the site here or click on one of their latest articles below:
The Buffalo Sabres currently hold the first wild-card spot in the Eastern Conference standings. With this, it would not be surprising in the slightest if they looked to add to their roster between now and the 2026 NHL trade deadline.
One area the Sabres could look to address is the right side of their blueline. When looking at potential trade candidates who could be a nice fit on their roster, New York Rangers defenseman Braden Schneider stands out.
Schneider is among the several Rangers players who have been in the rumor mill since Blueshirts GM Chris Drury confirmed in a letter to fans that the team is rebuilding. With this, the Sabres should consider making a push for the right-shot defenseman.
If the Sabres brought in Schneider, he would have the potential to be a very solid addition to the Sabres' bottom pairing. He would also offer them another option for their penalty kill.
Another appealing factor about Schneider is that he still has the potential to improve, as he is still just 24 years old. Furthermore, the 6-foot-4 defenseman would also give the Sabres' blueline a bit more bite, as he plays a heavy game.
In 52 games so far this season with the Rangers, Schneider has posted two goals, eight assists, 10 points, 83 blocks, and 115 hits.
As the Detroit Red Wings take on the Winnipeg Jets on Saturday night in what will be their third and final game of this three-game road swing, it will be an emotional night for forward Mason Appleton.
Appleton, who played the bulk of his career with the Jets, signed a two-year contract with the Red Wings during the offseason as part of several additions by GM Steve Yzerman.
A sixth-round (168th overall) pick of the Jets in the 2015 NHL Draft, Appleton played a total of 351 games with Winnipeg, along with a brief 49-game stint with the expansion Seattle Kraken in 2021-22 before being dealt back to Winnipeg.
Ahead of his first game back in Winnipeg, Appleton discussed his transition from Manitoba to Michigan and said it has been a good fit for him so far.
"It's been good, it's different, obviously," Appleton said following the morning skate. "You spend eight years in one spot basically, and then you have to find a new home, and integrate yourself there. It's been good; I've enjoyed my time in Detroit, we have a solid team, and we've been winning games. It's been good."
It’s Appleton’s first opportunity to play for a historic Original Six franchise like the Red Wings, and he appreciates the daily chance to soak in the club’s history, something players are constantly reminded of through the displays and photos at Little Caesars Arena.
"It's very unique and special," he said. "Playing in Winnipeg, obviously, with one franchise going and one franchise coming, it's kind of a bit different in that sense. But to walk the halls of LCA and you see the pictures of the Stanley Cup-winning teams and just everything that comes with wearing the Red Wings logo, it's pretty special."
Appleton scored the eventual game-winning goal against the Jets at Little Caesars Arena on Dec. 31 in a 2–1 Red Wings victory. In 42 games since joining Detroit, he has recorded five goals and six assists while averaging 13:39 of ice time per game.
When asked how it would feel to score another game-winning goal against his former club, Appleton smiled and said he’d be more than open to it.
"That'd be nice, we'll see," Appleton said. "Hopefully, we'll have another good game against them tonight to kind of round out this road trip. It'll be a fun one."
Never miss a story by adding us to your Google News favorites!
For action-packed issues, access to the entire magazine archive and a free issue, subscribe to The Hockey News at THN.com/free. Get the latest news and trending stories by subscribing to our newsletter here. And share your thoughts by commenting below the article on THN.com or creating your own post in our community forum.
It’s 5º F in Boston, there’s a giant snowstorm coming, there’s an AFC Championship Game involving the Patriots tomorrow…everything is happening!
If nothing else, it’s a nice night to stay in and watch a hockey game. Hopefully the Bruins put forth a better effort than last time they hosted Montreal, but we’ll see.
The Buffalo Sabres have endured injuries that have reduced the organization’s blueline depth, and in his first trade since taking over, Sabres GM Jarmo Kekalainen acquired veteran minor-league defenseman Gavin Bayreuther from the Carolina Hurricanes for AHL winger Viktor Neuchev.
Neuchev was selected in the third round of the 2022 Draft out of the Ekaterinburg Automobilist system, and after a full year in the KHL, the 22-year-old signed his entry-level contract and started in Rochester in a depth role. His role with the Amerks increased as the season progressed, and he ended his rookie season with 28 points (11 goals,17 assists). Last season, he was on pace to eclipse his rookie totals, but suffered a season-ending shoulder injury.
In the final year of his ELC, Neuchev has 16 points (6 goals, 10 assists) in 34 games.
Bayreuther, 31, was an undrafted college free agent signed by Dallas in 2016, and after four years with the Stars, he was signed by Kekalainen in Columbus in 2020 and spent three years shuttling between the Blue Jackets and AHL Cleveland. After returning to the Stars organization for one year and playing in Switzerland last season, the left-handed defenseman signed with the Hurricanes, playing 33 games with the AHL Chicago Wolves.
The Sabres are without defenseman Conor Timmins (broken leg), and lost Jacob Bryson to an upper-body injury in Montreal on Thursday. Defenseman Michael Kesselring has been out four separate times this season, and with Zac Jones recalled to Buffalo, the Amerks needed help on the blueline.
NEW YORK (AP) — Jason Tucker scored twice and Alex Lyon stopped 26 shots and tied a Buffalo record with his ninth straight victory as the Sabres beat the New York Islanders 5-0 Saturday.
Tage Thompson, Rasmus Dahlin and Alex Tuch also scored as the Sabres won their third straight and for the fifth time in seven games. Ryan McLeod and Mattias Samuelsson each had two assists.
Lyon, who signed with the Sabres in July after two seasons with Detroit, recorded the sixth shutout of his career and tied the Buffalo record of Gerry Desjardins (1976-77) with nine consecutive wins.
Buffalo improved to 18-3-1 in its last 22 games.
David Rittich made 16 saves for the Islanders, who were playing their first home game after a seven-game trip in which they went 3-3-1.
Rittich, who last started on Jan. 17 against Calgary, entered the game with a 4-2-2 record 2.46 goals-against average versus Buffalo. He slipped to 11-7-3 this season.
Zucker opened the scoring 33 seconds into the second period, scoring on a wrist shot, off a rebound of a shot by Jack Quinn. Thompson extended the lead to two goals, scoring past a sliding Rittich at 19:47 of the second.
Zucker’s second goal of the game, 25 seconds into the third, stretched the lead to 3-0. Dahlin scored into an empty net at 14:02 of the period and Tuch completed the scoring approximately 30 seconds later by tipping a shot from Samuelsson by Rittich.
Bo Horvat was back on the ice with the Islanders after being sidelined for nine games due to a lower-body injury.
On January 16th, 2026, the New York Rangers released a letter to their fanbase addressing the current state of their franchise. After 'Fire Drury' chants flooded the ice at Madison Square Garden, the Rangers general manager addressed the state of the team by officially declaring the Rangers as a team that will be moving forward with a 'retool' not a rebuild.
"This will not be a rebuild. This will be a retool built around our core players and prospects." - Chris Drury
In their ensuing retool, the Rangers have had discussions with upcoming unrestricted free agent Artemi Panarin, the team's leading scorer. Panarin, 34, has been informed by New York's brass that he will not be offered a contract extension from the club, meaning the four-time all-star will likely be on the move come the NHL's trade deadline.
Of course plenty of teams are interested in the dynamic winger, including the Los Angeles Kings. However, as elite as Panarin is, pursuing him may not be the best course of action for the Kings to take.
Extent of the Kings Interest
On the most recent episode of '32 Thoughts' Elliotte Friedman brought up the Kings as a potential suitor for Panarin, and even said that he thinks the forward would not mind playing in Los Angeles. With that being said, he doesn't think the Kings make the move unless he comes with a contract extension in place.
Panarin is expected to ask for a four to five year deal for his next contract which would take him into his age 39 season. With his play style, his production shouldn't be expected to take a major hit, so his ability make plays and put the puck in the back of the net would help the Kings who struggle mightily in that department.
In 51 games with the Rangers this season, Panarin has scored 19 goals along with 37 assists for 56 points on a putrid Rangers team. He would rank first on the Kings in all three of those departments. It's not unreasonable for the team to express interest in a guy that would seemingly be your best player if acquired, but that doesn't always mean it's the right move.
It's abundantly clear that this Kings roster needs an upgrade, and Panarin would be just that, but does he really fit their timeline?
Right now, the Kings provide zero threat to win the Stanley Cup, so why should they offload young assets to acquire a 34-year-old winger that doesn't push them over the edge.
Even if they can manage to lock up Panarin to the four-five year deal he's expressed interest in, what would that look like in terms of AAV? Can you pay him more than Adrian Kempe, because that may have to happen in order to get him signed. Many teams in win-now mode will be all over Panarin who will be the biggest fish in July's free agency period. Overpaying for a veteran winger in his mid 30's while you're not a serious contender doesn't seem wise, especially when winger isn't the biggest positional need.
Obviously we are in the midst of the final season of Anze Kopitar's illustrious career, and with him leaving, leaves a gaping hole at the center ice position. Artemi Panarin does not fill that hole.
Instead of using time and resources on Panarin, the Kings would benefit more from searching for a replacement for Kopitar. Of course virtually nobody can live up the legacy that Kopi has built in the L.A. but there needs to be a plan beyond this season.
Quinton Byfield will likely get the first crack at the first line center job next season, but why not bring in another center that is available to provide some friendly competition for the role. Much like NFL teams do for their starting quarterback role when the position is in limbo.
Artemi Panarin is an incredible player and it wouldn't be the end of the world if they were to make the trade for him, but at this moment in time. He doesn't fit the needs or timeline of the Los Angeles Kings.
For action-packed issues, access to the entire magazine archive and a free issue, subscribe to The Hockey News at THN.com/free. Get the latest news and trending stories by subscribing to our newsletter here. And share your thoughts by commenting below the article on THN.com or creating your own post in our community forum.
If the Islanders don’t watch out, they are going to have a playoff race on their hands.
Such is the state of play following Saturday’s 5-0 loss to the Sabres in which the Islanders were utterly embarrassed on home ice, their power play dysfunctional and their top line benched for the entire third period.
The loss means that, if the Flyers beat the Islanders on Monday night in Philadelphia, they will move ahead of New York for third in the Metropolitan Division on points percentage, with the loser below the playoff cutline entirely.
The schedule has been unforgiving to the Islanders, but nevertheless, this is not the position they imagined themselves in a few weeks ago.
It is, though, exactly what they deserve at the moment.
Jason Zucker of the Buffalo Sabres is greeted by his teammates on the bench after scoring a goal during the second period when the New York Islanders played the Buffalo Sabres on Saturday, January 24, 2026 at UBS Arena in Elmont, NY. Robert Sabo for NY Post
“I felt good about our game,” coach Patrick Roy said, “until they scored that second goal.”
That second goal, with Zach Benson feeding Tage Thompson on an odd-man rush where Mathew Barzal and Anthony Duclair failed to backcheck in the dying embers of the second period, sucked the life out of the crowd and sucked the life out of the Islanders.
The entire top line — Barzal, Duclair and Anders Lee — was benched for the whole third period as a result, and the Islanders gave no semblance of coming back. At that point, the afternoon became about the message Roy was trying to send more than salvaging a result.
“It sends a big message,” Casey Cizikas said. “… Guys gotta be responsible. They gotta be held accountable. That’s what Patty did.”
Up until then, the moments in which they could have seized hold of this one were myriad.
There was Tony DeAngelo’s shot off the rush late in the first period that Alex Lyon stretched over to make a great save on; there was Max Shabanov’s backhand in front; there were a trio of shorthanded rushes all on the same Buffalo power play; there were two Islander power plays that amounted to nothing at all; there was a Cizikas goal wiped off for interference and a Barzal goal that came right after the first period buzzer.
Casey Cizikas’ goal was overturned in the Islanders’ loss to the Sabres. Robert Sabo for NY Post
That was all before Buffalo scored for a second time, and the afternoon went to hell.
The dam broke in the third, with Zucker scoring again inside of 30 seconds before Rasmus Dahlin and Alex Tuch poured it on late, all with the top line sitting and watching.
“The standard here is to win,” Roy said. “And I hope it does because I think Barzy’s a leader on this team. Unfortunately for Anders, he was on that line. Sometimes you gotta take it for the team.”
The power play, whose units were changed up to try to achieve equilibrium following Bo Horvat’s return, is worth dwelling on. Patrick Roy did succeed in creating two equal units: they were just both equally bad.
David Rittich of the New York Islanders reacts after he allows a goal to score during the third period. Robert Sabo for NY Post
Duclair and Cal Ritchie, who had combined for the Islanders’ past three power-play goals, were no longer on the same unit. Neither were Matthew Schaefer and Barzal. The result was two units that could hardly complete one zone entry between them.
Horvat, in his first game back from a lower-body injury, did not seem to be missing much of a step.
Ditto Isaiah George in his season debut for the Isles following a call-up in place of Ryan Pulock, though his partner, Adam Boqvist, had a nightmare performance.
Despite going down early, the Utah Mammoth scored three unanswered goals in the second period, propelling them to a 5-2 win over the Nashville Predators on Saturday at Bridgestone Arena.
The game was originally scheduled for 2:30 p.m., but the start time was moved up to 12:20 p.m. due to inclement weather in Nashville. The unofficial attendance was around 6,000.
"You're begging for good starts, and I thought we had a really good start, and then we started losing our game a little bit," Predators head coach Andrew Brunette said.
Steven Stamkos scored less than three minutes into the game on the power play, off a one-time feed from Roman Josi to make it 1-0. It was Stamkos' 25th goal of the season and eighth power play goal of the year.
Utah turned it on in the second period, scoring three goals over a 5:10-minute stretch. Kailer Yamamoto and Mikhail Sergachev had two points each in that stretch.
The second period got away from us," Ryan O'Reilly said. "It's my job for my line to be harder against their top line. They had a couple of big goals there, and that's a couple of games in a row where I and the top line haven't played their top line the way we've needed to."
Jonathan Marchessault responded later in the second period, scoring his second goal in two games to cut Utah's lead down to one.
It's the first time the Marchessault has two goals in two games or fewer since Oct. 13, when he had two goals in a 4-1 win over the Ottawa Senators.
A holding-the-stick penalty on Roman Josi proved costly in the Predators' comeback effort as Barrett Hayton scored off a rebound to restore the Utah two-goal lead.
In the third period, JJ Petrka was taken down by Michael Bunting on a breakaway to the empty net. By rule, that's a goal and secured the Utah win.
The Mammoth have now won five straight and have a three-point edge in the first Wild Card spot in the Western Conference.
Juuse Saros dropped to 20-17-3 on the year, making 25 saves on 29 shots.
The Predators drop to 24-23-4 on the season and have lost three of their last four. They will face the Bruins next in Boston on Tuesday.
"It was a great opportunity for us to really show what we are willing and want to be a playoff team," Brunette said. "It was a great opportunity and we fell a little bit short."
The Buffalo Sabres signing of winger Josh Doan is the first major move made by Jarmo Kekalainen with the club he inherited from deposed GM Kevyn Adams, signing the young winger to a to a seven-year, $48.65 million contract ($6.95 million AAV). The Sabres before their Saturday afternoon matinee against the New York Islanders, were the hottest team in the NHL, with a 17-3-1 record in the last 21 games.
Sportsnet’s Elliotte Friedman in his recent 32 Thoughts podcast theorizes that since the Sabres have had nothing but success since Kekalainen took over last month, that he would be hesitant to tinker with the club’s roster for fear of messing up their mojo, but Buffalo faces a deadline when it comes to winger Alex Tuch, who is a pending unrestricted free agent this summer.
The Sabres signing Josh Doan could have ramifications on the future of Alex Tuch
Friedman indicated that the fact that Doan, forward Zach Benson, and defenseman Michael Kesselring were to be restricted free agents at the end of this season, as well as the dead money on Jeff Skinner’s buyout increasing to $6.44 million next season were factors in negotiations with Tuch, with who the Sabres reportedly were not willing to go over $10 million per season on a new contract, but believes that the Sabres could push the Benson and Kesselring contract talks to the summer and get Tuch signed to a long-term extension.
There have been no indications that Tuch’s camp is willing to come off their ask of more than $10 million on an eight-year deal, similar to the contract signed by LA forward Adrian Kempe earlier this season, which would put the Sabres in the dilemma of keeping the 29-year-old winger as an own-rental and risk losing him for nothing on July 1. That would be counter to what Kekalainen said at his opening press conference in December, where he said he would not make any moves just to snap the club’s 14-year playoff drought, but now that doing that is a reality, it may change the organization’s calculations.
Swimming with sharks is a dangerous form of aquatics.
Skating with the Sharks once was tons of fun for San Jose's visiting NHL teams.. That is, until this year with GM Mike Grier's sextet making a serious bid for a Pacific Division playoff berth.
The Rangers, who now have become "The Loser Team Of GM's Letters," completed their four-game Western tour at the Shark Tank with an anticipated loss; this time 3-1.
With absolutely nothing to play for now but pride – not in abundance on this New York team – the Beloved Blueshirts left for home after having to rely on third-string back-up goalie Spencer Martin to get them through this whole ugly mess.
"You can't blame Martin," says The Old Scout. "The Rangers didn't get goals for Igor Shesterkin nor Jonathan Quick; so why should they get red lights for Martin?"
Based on how the Rangers seem to have given up, it likely will get murkier when they host the Bruins on Monday at The World's Most Infamous Arena – that is, infamous for this disheveled home team.
Apart from savoring what's left of the season, certain New York players are left with personal challenges.
Last night, for example, in addition to trying to win a game, there was the matter of stopping Macklin Celebrini who led the Sharks in scoring last year and this term could possibly top the NHL scoring list.
But last night The Celebrini Gang – associates include Will Smith and William Eklund – played a speedy game with Celebrini supplying the difference with two first period goals.
By contrast, the Rangers' core scorers – Breadman Panarin, Vin Trocheck, Mika Zebanejad, J.T. Miller – are getting old by NHL standards and playing old.
Worse still, the kids who are supposed to be their "future" are producing the square-root-of Chai Nothing.
ELMONT, NY -- The New York Islanders have recalled defenseman Isaiah George from Bridgeport of the American Hockey League. Defenseman Cole McWard has been loaned back to the AHL after playing three games, serving as a healthy scratch for the last six games.
Defenseman Ryan Pulock is day-to-day with an upper-body injury and will not play against the Buffalo Sabres at 1 PM on Saturday.
"We're excited to see Georgy," Islanders head coach Patrick Roy said. "He's been playing really well. I mean, every time we had a call-up, unfortunately for him, he was hurt. So we're excited to have him come here right now. And as you see, we rotate the guys who played in Bridgeport. We had Mitchell come in play some games. We had Warren playing some games, and then McWard and Georgie today. So, I mean, we love our young guys, and we trust them, and I think it's a good opportunity for him to play. Played so well last year at first when he came up last season. Unfortunately, he had a concussion, I think, against Toronto with Domi, and it was a little tougher after that, but I'm confident that he's going to play really well."
George, 21, played 33 seasons with the Islanders in 2024-25, recording five points (one goal, four assists), averaging 15:39 minutes per game.
"He's a really good skater," Islanders head coach Patrick Roy said. "He's got that ability to get the puck out on his own."
This season in Bridgeport, in which he sustained two longer-term injuries, one upper and one lower, the Oakville, Ontario native has recorded 10 points (two goals, eight assists) in 24 games.
He's looked tremendous since returning from his latest injury.
After dropping a game they couldn’t afford to fall against the Buffalo Sabres on Thursday night, the Montreal Canadiens have another important divisional battle on Saturday night, this time against the Boston Bruins, at TD Garden. It will already be the third duel between the two sides this year, with each team bagging a win so far. Boston won the initial matchup 3-2 in November, while Montreal grabbed a 6-2 triumph right before the Christmas break.
Boston has been on fire since the start of the year; however, they are 8-2-0 in the last 10 games and won their previous game on Thursday against the Vegas Golden Knights. It has allowed them to surge up the standings, and they are currently hanging on to the second wildcard spot with 60 points, just three points away from the Canadiens, who have a precarious hold on the Atlantic Division’s third-place. Meanwhile, the Habs are 6-3-1 in their last 10 games.
It will be interesting to see if Martin St-Louis chooses to make some lineup changes. When the two teams last met, the Canadiens received 32 penalty minutes and the Bruins 36, after Josh Anderson and Tanner Jeannot dropped the gloves after three seconds of play, and Arber Xhekaj and Nikita Zadorov did the same after eight and a half minutes of play. The gritty defenseman has been a healthy scratch for the last two games, and Jayden Struble has not looked excellent in those two tilts.
if i tell that i'm literally OBSESSED with zadorov and xhekaj fighting yesterday, at the point of it's looping on my head, can you believe it? seriously, look how AMAZING those moves are. gods, i wish i could see this more often in nhl games.pic.twitter.com/XIXRiCcGBy
Alexandre Texier could also be ready to return since he’s currently day-to-day with a lower-body injury, and if he is, someone would need to come out of the lineup. Kirby Dach has played the last two games on the first line, but it has proven to be quite a challenge for him after sitting out for so long, while Zachary Bolduc got some shifts alongside Nick Suzuki and Cole Caufield in the last game. The Canadiens are set to practice at 11:30 AM in Boston, and we should know more then.
The starting netminders have yet to be confirmed, and after Samuel Montembeault gave up three goals on just 16 shots (the 17th shot was in an empty net) on Thursday, one can certainly wonder if the Canadiens will opt to turn to Jakub Dobes. The Czech netminder also gave up three goals in his last start, on 19 shots, and he has 15 wins this season compared to Montembeault’s nine. The Becancour native has a 3-7-1 record against the Bruins with a 3.78 goals-against average and a .880 save percentage. He was in the net for the Habs’ defeat against Boston in November. Meanwhile, Dobes has yet to face Boston but has a 15-5-3 record this year with a 3.01 GAA and a .887 SV.
At the other end of the ice, Jeremy Swayman has played the two games against the Habs this season and has a 10-2-1 record against Montreal with a 2.92 GAA and a .894 SV. Meanwhile, backup Joonas Korpisalo has an 8-2-0 record, a 2.49 GAA, and a .916 SV.
Up front, Brendan Gallagher is the Habs’ biggest points producer against the Bruins with 30 points in 45 games. Captain Nick Suzuki is second with 16 points in 20 games, while Josh Anderson and Noah Dobson both have 13 points in 22 games. Suzuki and Cole Caufield are both on a four-game point streak, having recorded a matching seven-point record in that span. The center has two goals and five assists, while the sniper had five goals and two assists.
As for the Bruins, David Pastrnak is still the player to watch; he has 45 points in 34 games against the Habs, including three in the first two meetings this season, on top of being on a five-game point streak. Elias Lindholm comes in second place with 25 points in 36 games, and Charlie McAvoy wraps up the top three with 16 points in 25 games.
Puck drop is set for 7:00 PM, with Jake Brenk and Brian Pochmara officiating, while Brandon Grillo and Scott Cherrey will serve as linemen. After the game, the Canadiens will return home, where they will play their last two home games before the Olympic break this week, against the Golden Knights on Tuesday and the Colorado Avalanche on Thursday.
