WHAT’S HAPPENING AT THE BELL CENTRE
Following Monday's induction ceremony at the Hockey Hall of Fame, Class of 2025 member Danièle Sauvageau, as well as the recipient of the Elmer Ferguson Memorial Award, François Gagnon, will both be honored with a special pregame ceremony.
TEAM COMPARISONS
Montreal (10-4-2) and Dallas (10-4-3) come into Thursday’s matchup with nearly identical records, but heading in opposite directions. The Canadiens have dropped three of their last four, while the Stars have won three of four over that same stretch.
Montreal’s power play has gone cold, failing to convert in each of the last three games. Fortunately for Martin St-Louis’ group, Dallas’ penalty kill ranks near the bottom of the league, sitting sixth-lowest in efficiency. If the Canadiens can reignite their man advantage, they can be a handful to contain — and often, nearly unstoppable.
Meanwhile, the Stars are rolling. Backed by elite talent across their lineup, they’ve earned at least a point in 10 of their last 11 games dating back to October 23. Led by Mikko Rantanen, Miro Heiskanen, and Jake Oettinger, Dallas has also been lethal on the power play, clicking at 32.8% on the season. Staying disciplined will be key for the Canadiens if they hope to slow them down on home ice.
SEASON SERIES
Nov. 13 vs. DAL:
Jan. 4 @ DAL:
PLAYERS TO WATCH FOR
Exactly one week after his first loss of the season –– a 4-3 overtime result against the New Jersey Devils –– Jakub Dobes returns to the Canadiens net. The Czech netminder has a 6-1-0 record, 2.25 goals-against average and .920 save percentage in seven starts this season.
Heiskanen has been on an absolute tear for Dallas. The 26-year-old defenseman has posted 11 points in his last five games, including four consecutive multi-point outings.
BY THE NUMBERS: STARS-HABS
Here’s how the Stars and Canadiens match up by the numbers:
