MTL@ARI: What you need to know
The Habs visit the Coyotes for the first time since Oct. 2019
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Monday's game marks the Habs' first visit to Glendale since Oct. 30, 2019, when Brendan Gallagher, Shea Weber and Jonathan Drouin powered the team to a 4-1 win over the Coyotes.
Two pandemic-shortened seasons later, and the Canadiens are back in the desert looking to notch a first win in the new year; the team's last win came on Dec. 16 at the Bell Centre.
Monday's game also marks the return of Christian Dvorak to the city he called home for his first five NHL seasons.
On Thursday, the Canadiens dropped a 3-2 heartbreaker in Chicago; Jeff Petry and Mike Hoffman were the Montreal goalscorers in the overtime loss.
The team should be able to count on offensive reinforcement Monday, as Josh Anderson was back practicing with contact over the weekend. Dominique Ducharme was optimistic regarding the forward's return.
Anderson has been sidelined with an upper body injury since Dec. 2. He has 13 points (7G, 6A) in 25 games this season.
Ducharme will confirm his lineup prior to Monday's 4:00 p.m. ET puck drop. He should also have an update on the status of Kale Clague, who rejoined the team Saturday in Chicago after completing the NHL's COVID-19 protocol.
Today's starting goaltender will likewise be named this afternoon. Ducharme indicated over the weekend that he intends to split the work between the pipes on Monday and Tuesday between Sam Montembeault and Cayden Primeau, but did not specify in which order.
Jake Allen is back in Montreal after suffering an injury during Wednesday's game in Boston.
At the other end of the ice, the hosts find themselves in last place in the Central Division, having gone 3-5-2 in their last 10 games.
Clayton Keller leads the Coyotes offensively this season with 27 points (13G, 14A) in 36 games, ahead of Phil Kessel's 25 points (5G, 20A). Shayne Gostisbehere has been a standout offensively on the blue line with 24 points.
In goal, Karel Vejmelka could get the call for the home side, having started five of the Coyotes last six games, including an impressive 45-save win over the Leafs on January 12.
The 25-year-old Czech goaltender has four wins, a 3.27 goals-against average, a .906 save percentage and one shutout so far in his first NHL season.
Broadcast Information
Puck drop is scheduled for 4:00 p.m. ET.
The game will be broadcast on RDS, TSN2 and Hulu, as well as on 98,5 fm and TSN 690 on the radio.
