Kings on Canadiens, 7 pm, TSN2, RDS, TSN 690, 98.5 FM.
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Five things to know about the Canadiens-Kings game at the Bell Center on Tuesday (7 p. M., TSN2, RDS, TSN 690, 98.5 FM)
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Rematch: This is the second of two games between the teams this season, and the Kings won the first game 5-2 at Staples Center on October 30. The Canadiens are coming off a disappointing 5-2 loss to the Vegas Golden Knights on Saturday. They outscored Vegas 20-1 in the first period to take a 2-0 lead, but the Golden Knights came back with three goals in the second period, including two in the power play. Montreal has a 3-10-0 record. After a slow start, the Kings took a four-game winning streak in Toronto on Monday. They have improved to 5-5-1.
The goalkeepers: In the absence of Carey Price, Jake Allen has taken on most of the workload, but coach Dominique Ducharme refused to commit to Allen for this game. He said the choice between Allen and Samuel Montembeault would be held on Tuesday. Allen has two shutouts, but is 3-9-0 with an average of 2.94 goals against and a .900 save percentage. Montembeault is winless in two decisions with a GAA of 3.52. The Kings employ a two-goalkeeper system. Veteran Jonathan Quick was scheduled to play in Toronto and that means Cal Petersen is expected to start against the Canadiens. He is 3-2-0 with a GAA of 3.02 and a save percentage of .898.
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Danault deserves applause: When former Canadians return to the Bell Center, fans often greet them with boos, but we hope there will be some applause for Phil Danault when he takes on his former teammates for the first time in Montreal. Danault gave everything he had during his time in Montreal and his value to the club is reflected in the performance of the Canadiens since leaving for Los Angeles. The penalty was one of the keys to the Canadiens’ success in the playoffs last season, but they currently rank 29th in the NHL with a 66 percent success rate. Danault left town for more money, but only after general manager Marc Bergevin failed to show him the respect he deserved.
Power plays better but … : Special teams have been a problem all season for the Canadiens, but coach Dominique Ducharme noted Monday that there are signs of improvement. That’s true in the power game. Mike Hoffman’s return to health has been a great help and Chris Wideman understands the importance of moving the puck and moving bodies. It’s a small sample, but the Canadiens are 3 of 15 in the last five games and that’s a 20 percent success rate for a team that’s at 13.6 percent for the season. But PK is still a mess and ranks 29th. There has been no improvement lately, with the Canadiens giving up seven goals in the last 19 power games they have faced.
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Kopitar keeps rolling: Slovenia doesn’t produce many NHL players, but the country can be proud of Anze Kopitar, who continues to polish his Hall of Fame credentials. Kopitar, who has played his entire NHL career with the Kings, has won two Selke Trophies as the best defensive forward in the NHL. But he also knows the way around the other end of the ice. He has 1,014 points from 1,140 games and has played a key role in two Stanley Cup victories in 2012 and 2014. At 34, he shows no signs of slowing down with seven goals and seven assists in his first 11 games, and a better than 60 percent success rate in the circle of confrontations.
Reference-montrealgazette.com