Montreal has scored only three power-play goals this season and rank 30th in the NHL with a success rate of 9.4 per cent.
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Here are five things you should know about the Canadiens-Ducks game at the Honda Center on Sunday (4 p.m., TSN2, RDS, TSN-690 Radio, 98.5 FM) .
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The matchup: The Canadiens were unable to build on their 4-0 win in San Jose on Thursday as they dropped a 5-2 decision to the Los Angles Kings on Saturday. Josh Anderson opened the scoring, but the Kings responded with five unanswered goals, including three on the power play. Montreal is 1-2 on the four-game road trip that wraps up with this game and they are 2-7 on the season. The Ducks have been struggling this season and are on a two-game losing streak after dropping a 5-4 overtime decision in Las Vegas on Friday. They are currently seventh in the Pacific Division with a 2-4-3 record.
It’s Sam’s turn: This is the second half of a back-to-back set and that means goaltender Jake Allen will get a rare night off after two wildly inconsistent performances — the shutout in San Jose and Saturday’s debacle in Los Angeles. Sam Montembeault, who was picked up as an insurance policy late in training camp, will make his second start of the season and the hopes are it will be better than his first appearance. He gave up five goals in a loss in Buffalo on Oct. 14. John Gibson, who has a 2-2-2 record with a 3.07 goals-against average, is expected to start for the Ducks.
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Special teams aren’t special: The Kings cashed in on three of their five power plays Saturday as the Canadiens dropped to 30th in the NHL rankings. The Canadiens have killed only 64.3 per cent of their penalties and only Winnipeg and Arizona have worse records. It was strange seeing Phil Danault on the Kings’ power play for two of their power-play goals because he’s one of the players Montreal is missing on the PK along with defenceman Shea Weber and goaltender Carey Price. The Canadiens went 0-for-2 on the power play Saturday and they rank 30th in the NHL with a success rate of 9.4 per cent. Montreal has scored only three power-play goals with Mike Hoffman, Tyler Toffoli and Brendan Gallagher each scoring once.
Firing blanks: The Canadiens also rank 30th in goals scored and fantasy hockey fanatics can tell you there are some disappointing starts to the season. For example, Cole Caufield is second among rookies wth 22 shots and is sixth in ice time among rookie forwards, but he has produced only one assist and is in the longest goal drought of his life. Toffoli has a goal and a couple of assists and his shooting percentage is 5,3 per cent. That’s down from 17.7 per cent last season when he led the team in scoring. Nick Suzuki has five assists, but has yet to score a goal. Other forwards looking for their first goals are Joel Armia, Cédric Paquette and Jake Evans.
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Getzlaf eyes Selanne record: Ryan Getzlaf picked up an assist in Friday’s loss to Vegas and moved into a tie with Teemu Selanne as the Duck’s all-time leading scorer with 988 points. Selanne, who lives in the same neighbourhood as Getzlaf, was in Finland when Getzlaf pulled even on Friday, but he plans to be in Anaheim on Sunday to congratulate Getzlaf if he sets the record. Getzlaf and Selanne were teammates from 2005 to 2014 and combined on 114 goals. The first on Oct. 23, 2005, against the then-Phoenix Coyotes (Petr Sykora with a goal, assisted by Getzlaf and Selanne) and the last on March 24, 2014, against the Florida Panthers — (Getzlaf with a goal, assisted by Selanne and former Canadien Stéphane Robidas).
Canadiens at Ducks: Five things you should know - Montreal Gazette
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