The Kings could set a record against the Canadian

Posted On: December 7, 2023

Phillip Danault, Pierre-Luc Dubois and their Kings teammates arrive in Montreal with every intention of improving their record on opposing ice to 11-0-0.

Should they manage to defeat the Canadian for the second time in ten days, Todd McLellan’s side would become the first team in history to start the season with an unblemished record after eleven away games.

The Kings currently share the record of 10 wins set by the Buffalo Sabers in the fall of 2006.

Here are five other things to keep in mind about this match.

Watch Martin St-Louis’ morning press conference in the main video.

Training December 7th: Jayden Struble –

Training December 7th: Kaiden Guhle –

1. Twice in a row for Montembeault

Yesterday, Martin St-Louis confirmed the presence of Samuel Montembeault in front of the net. It is the second start in a row for the Bécancour goalkeeper, which means the end of the Habs goalkeeper rotation. A rotation that had lasted 20 games. Montembeault has earned six of the Habs’ 11 wins. Additionally, he has won three of his last four starts.

Photo credit: Photo Martin Chevalier

2. First trio unchanged

Juraj Slafkovsky’s audition continues for the initial cast along with Cole Cuafield and Nick Suzuki. The right winger did very well in this position when the Kraken visited. Obviously the Kings present a very different challenge, but if the Slovakian can show the same confidence he showed on Monday it would be a sign of progress.

Photo credit: Photo Martin Chevalier

3. Numerical inferiority should be exacerbated

The Canadian’s game of numerical inferiority is far from established. The Habs have a 73.4% return on investment against a man. This puts him in 29th place on the race track. The Habs penalty kill has allowed at least one goal in seven of the last nine games.

Photo credit: Getty Images via AFP

4. A role model for Slafkovsky

On the Kings side, Quinton Byfield will be interesting to keep an eye on. The 21-year-old Ontario native is the second overall pick in the 2020 draft and has a similar profile to Juraj Slafkovsky. During his first three seasons, the 1.80 meter tall colossus shuttled between the NHL and the American League. This time he seems to have finally established himself with the Kings. He has a record of 18 points, including six goals, in 22 games.

Photo credit: Getty Images via AFP

5. Danault as reliable as ever

Phillip Danault’s usefulness within a hockey team cannot be denied. As the center of the second trio, the Victoriaville attacker is one of the players used most often by his coach (17 minutes and 21 seconds). Contrary to his reality at the time he played for the Canadian, he is used more in massive attack (2min 24s) than in numerical inferiority (1min 41s). His 54.6% success rate in the faceoff circle is no joke.