WHAT’S HAPPENING AT THE BELL CENTRE
Spooky season is making an early entrance at the Bell Centre! On Tuesday, prior to the thrilling action that will take place on the ice, fans are invited to gather at Canadiens Plaza starting at 5:00 p.m. The atmosphere will be festive with an interactive haunted house experience, trick or treating, and a variety of fun activities for all ages. For those in costume, don’t miss the chance to snap some memories at our exclusive photo booth located in section 113, which will be available until the first intermission. Plus, participants will have the exciting opportunity to enter a contest for a chance to win $500 in merchandise from Tricolore Sports! For more Hallo-details and event specifics, click here.
TEAM COMPARISONS
As the teams gear up for Tuesday’s matchup, the Seattle Kraken (4-1-1) find themselves sharing an identical record with the Montreal Canadiens. However, the Kraken are struggling, currently facing a troubling three-game losing streak on their home turf, which raises concerns about their performance. Seattle, set to embark on a demanding five-game road trip, has recently encountered significant scoring issues, netting a mere six goals during their last three matches. Overall, they find themselves somewhat in the middle tier of the league regarding goals scored, goals allowed, and penalty kill statistics. Nevertheless, Seattle’s power play is faltering, operating at a disappointing 15.4% this season, which ranks them 24th among NHL teams.
General Manager Ron Francis has made strategic moves to bolster the team, acquiring Stanley Cup Champion Brandon Montour and former Vegas Golden Knight Chandler Stephenson during the offseason. This ambitious effort aims to propel the Seattle franchise beyond their sixth-place finish in the Pacific Division during 2023-24.
On the other hand, the Canadiens are experiencing a resurgence. After achieving a weekend sweep against the St. Louis Blues and Philadelphia Flyers, Montreal is eagerly pursuing a potential three-game winning streak, which would mark their first since March of the previous season—a streak that notably commenced in Seattle. Stars Nick Suzuki and Cole Caufield have been leading the offensive charge for the Habs, appearing particularly formidable with Kirby Dach playing alongside them on the right wing. Beyond the top line’s explosive performance, Coach Martin St-Louis’ squad has recently benefited from valuable contributions from secondary scorers including Jake Evans, Joel Armia, and Brendan Gallagher who each delivered multi-point outings over the weekend. Now back at a .500 record for the season, the Canadiens strive for sustained success in front of their home crowd at the iconic Bell Centre.
PLAYERS TO WATCH FOR
Cole Caufield is undeniably the player to watch. His performance this season has been nothing short of astounding, as every opportunity he’s received has transformed into points. The 23-year-old sniper netted his eighth goal of the season in Sunday’s impressive win against the Flyers. Should he find the net again tonight, it would mark his second three-game goal streak this year and the eighth of his career, with half of those streaks witnessing him extending his scoring to four consecutive games.
Nick Suzuki has been on a roll, recording points in seven straight appearances. As Montreal’s leading scorer, he is just three points short of reaching a significant career milestone of 300 points.
For the Kraken, Jared McCann has been a standout performer, accumulating five goals and seven assists throughout the team’s initial nine games. The Stratford, ON, native enjoyed a career-high season scoring 70 points in 2022-23 and arrives at Tuesday’s game riding a six-game point streak that dates back to October 15.
BY THE NUMBERS: KRAKEN-HABS
Here’s how the Kraken and Canadiens match up by the numbers:
