Kings, Canadiens both seek bounceback performance

The Montreal Canadiens will look to conclude their three-game homestand with a victory on Thursday when they face the Los Angeles Kings.

The Canadiens were unable to carry over the aggressive play they showed in a 4-1 win over the Ottawa Senators on Saturday. Two days later, Montreal fell victim to former Canadien Lars Eller, who scored twice to help the Pittsburgh Penguins post a 6-3 triumph.

“I don’t like to take credit away from the other team,” Canadiens forward Brendan Gallagher said, per the Montreal Gazette. “(The Penguins) came at us hard, they were aggressive and in our face. We didn’t have a lot of time to make plays. At the same time, I think we weren’t sharp. I just thought we were a little sloppy.”

Montreal defenseman David Savard recorded a minus-3 rating in that game and dropped to minus-5 on the young season. He will look for a better showing on Thursday when he plays his 800th career NHL game.

“I think at some points we’re disconnected,” Savard said, per the Montreal Gazette. “At some other points, it feels like everybody’s on the same page and playing really well. We’ve just got to figure out a way, even during those moments when we don’t feel as connected, to execute better. The games we lost we had times where it was more difficult to break out and regroup. We have to figure out a way to be more consistent.”

The Canadiens were consistent in one regard, as Juraj Slafkovsky scored on the power play early in the second period on Monday. Montreal has converted with the man advantage in all four of its games this season.

“We made more mistakes than them,” Slafkovsky said. “I guess that’s all it is. … Our own mistakes, like, so many odd-man rushes for them, and it’s hard because they have good players that can score goals.”

The Canadiens didn’t score any goals against the Kings last season, dropping a pair of 4-0 decisions.

Trevor Moore scored two goals in the clash at Los Angeles on Nov. 25, and he tallied again on Dec. 7. Pheonix Copley turned aside all 18 shots he faced in the initial encounter.

Copley relieved David Rittich after the latter yielded four goals on 14 shots in the Kings’ 6-2 setback to the host Toronto Maple Leafs on Wednesday. Copley was summoned from Ontario of the American Hockey League with fellow goaltender Darcy Kuemper nursing a lower-body injury.

Kevin Fiala and Alex Turcotte produced the Kings’ goal on Wednesday as Los Angeles fell to 1-1-2 during its season-opening seven-game road trip necessitated by arena renovations. Fiala has scored three goals in the past two games, but the Kings have dropped three games in a row (0-1-2).

“This ‘East-West’ kind of stuff is not working for us,” Kings forward Trevor Lewis said of the team’s recent open-ice approach. “We know what we have to do to be successful. We’ve just got to buy in and do it.”

The Kings played Wednesday without defenseman Joel Edmundson, who was away from the team as he awaited the birth of his first child with his wife.

–Field Level Media