STL@MTL: What you need to know

MONTREAL – The Canadiens are looking to snap a four-game losing streak on Saturday when they host the St. Louis Blues at the Bell Centre.

Here’s what you need to know heading into the game:

GAME FACTS

WHAT’S HAPPENING AT THE BELL CENTRE

No Saturday night game on home ice would be complete without FANatic Saturdays programming! Monster Energy guest DJ Danick Bastien will be spinning tunes in bowl prior to and during warmups, and fans at home can catch his set live on Twitch as of 6:20 p.m. ET. Be sure to tune in for the chance to win a prize!

Fans can also enjoy many pregame activities beginning at 5:00 p.m. ET at M2 Marché MTL Loto-Québec and other in-game fun.

NOTE TO FANS GOING TO THE BELL CENTRE: The Ville-Marie Expressway (Autoroute 136) will be closed this weekend, so please plan accordingly!

TEAM COMPARISONS

A 7-2 loss against the New York Rangers was not the result the Canadiens were hoping for at the Bell Centre on Tuesday night, but it was nonetheless the reality they had to deal with. At the very least, captain Nick Suzuki scored his first and second goals of the season, including a beauty on the power play early in the middle frame. The tallies bring his season total to seven points (2G, 5A) and extended his point streak to five games.

After earning two victories in their first three outings this season, the Habs are looking to get back in the win column for the first time since October 12 when they beat the Ottawa Senators 4-1.

Meanwhile, the Blues are coming to Montreal following a convincing 5-1 win against the Toronto Maple Leafs at Scotiabank Arena on Thursday. Drew Bannister’s men will close out October on the East Coast with stops in Ottawa and Philadelphia. The team is without star forward Robert Thomas who was placed on injured reserve on Wednesday after sustaining a fractured ankle. Prior to his injury, the 25-year-old scored a goal and five assists in seven games. With Thomas on the shelf, the Blues now have four players on injured reserve with Nick Leddy (who traveled with the team on their four-game sojourn), Torey Krug and Adam Jiricek.

During the offseason, the Blues added depth up front and on the back end to bolster their chances of securing a playoff spot this spring and stay competitive in a challenging Central Division. They tendered offer sheets to then Oilers Philip Broberg and Dylan Holloway and it looks like the gutsy move is paying off. The former has seven points (2G, 5A) in eight games played so far. Meanwhile, centreman Holloway has four points in eight games, including two markers against the Leafs on Thursday.

In addition, St. Louis acquired forwards Alexandre Texier, Mathieu Joseph, and Radek Faksa, and defensemen Pierre-Olivier Joseph and Ryan Suter. They made a long-term commitment to Pavel Buchnevich who signed a six-year extension in July. The signing came after the Blues cleared up some cap space by trading Kevin Hayes and a second-round pick to the Pittsburgh Penguins for future considerations at the 2024 NHL Draft.

BY THE NUMBERS: BLUES-CANADIENS

Montreal has the upper hand over St. Louis with a 6-4-0 record in their last 10 meetings. However, the Blues have emerged on the winning end in recent history, beating the Habs twice last season.

According to NHL Public Relations, Lane Hutson could join Glen Harmon and Bert Corbeau as the third defenseman in Canadiens history to record the most points through their first 10 NHL games. The 20-year-old defenseman has six points, all assists, in nine games.

Here’s how the Blues and Canadiens match up by the numbers:

LINEUP NEWS

A three-day break in action allowed the Canadiens to rest and regroup with a pair of intense practices and a day off. Head coach Martin St-Louis confirmed on Friday that Arber Xhekaj would return to the lineup on Saturday and Samuel Montembeault will defend the cage. St-Louis will hold a morning skate at the Bell Centre for additional preparation prior to their contest with the Blues.

Subscribe to or follow the team on YouTube, Facebook and X  (@CanadiensMTL) to catch St-Louis' press conference, and keep on eye on the Canadiens social accounts for any potential lineup news. For the full official lineup, check back on the team’s social accounts closer to puck drop.

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