Preview: The Most Important Return of Them All

Calgary Flames vs Montreal Canadiens 7 PM MST, Scotiabank Saddledome, Calgary, Alberta

Calgary Flames 10-9-3 (23 pts) – Montreal Canadiens 10-9-3 (23 pts)

TV: SNW, RDS – Radio: Sportsnet 960

Odds: Calgary (-300) Montreal (+248) O/U: 6.0

One game after a polarizing reunion with Matthew Tkachuk, Calgary fans will get to warmly welcome back and celebrate one of the greatest Flames of the 2010’s, and one of the finest drafted players the team has ever had.

656 games and 212 goals is what Sean Monahan recorded as a player for the Flames, but everyone in this city, and now Montreal, knows how much further his leadership and true care extends into the communities he calls home. A player that not for one second needed justification for being the sixth overall pick right after a franchise icon had departed, and quite sadly gave a good amount of his peak adult health to help the team we love compete. Seeing Monahan regain a good amount of his day-to-day comfort as well as his hockey skill has been awesome to see, and he will hopefully get dealt to a contender at the deadline. From all Flames fans, than you Sean and welcome back to Calgary.

He’ll be with a Montreal team that pulled off a rare feat against the Flames last season. Although just as much a bottom-feeder as they will likely be this season, the Canadiens swept the elite Flames in two games last year and got the Flames to put forth two horrendous performances.

Nick Suzuki scored the game winner below the goalline to fool Markstrom in November 2021, and chipped in an assist for a 4-2 victory. The Flames blew a 3-1 lead and fell behind 4-3 in the final two minutes after a late Mike Hoffman goal in March 2022. Lindholm tied that game with 30 seconds left before Ben Chiarot pumped his trade deadline value to the max with his second of the game for the OT winner. Suzuki had 3 points in that game for a total of 5 in last year’s series. Anything is in store tonight as the Flames look to stay hot in Blasty, on another emotional evening. For the love of everything Sportsnet, play the whole tribute start to end with zero commentary, with occasional breaks to show Monahan.

Starting Goalies

Calgary: Markstrom (C): 8-5-2, 3.03 GAA, .889 Sv%

Montreal: Allen (C): 6-8-0, 3.57 GAA, .890 Sv%

Injury Report

Calgary: Kylington (undisclosed)

Montreal: Drouin (upper body), Hoffman (lower body), Gallagher (lower body)

View From The Other Bench

SBN Montreal Canadiens Coverage: Habs Eyes on The Prize

Last Time Out

Calgary Flames 6 – Florida Panthers 2

Montreal Canadiens 0 – San Jose Sharks 4

Players To Watch

Calgary Flames

Dillon Dube (F): 5 points in last 5 games

-his game just takes that extra step wearing Blasty

Montreal Canadiens

Nick Suzuki (F): 3 points in last 5 games

-all the makings of a career Flame killer, with 4 goals and 9 assists in 15 career games so far

by Gordie Taylor