Canadiens Aim to Tame the Mighty Mammoth at Bell Centre
The Montreal Canadiens are back on home ice tonight, taking on the Utah Mammoth in what’s shaping up to be an exciting matchup between two teams off to strong starts this season. Both sides are sitting near the top of their respective divisions — the Mammoth at 9-5-0 and the Canadiens just ahead at 9-3-2 — so there’s plenty on the line in this early-season showdown.
For Montreal, Samuel Montembeault gets the start between the pipes. His last game at the Bell Centre didn’t go according to plan — he allowed a goal on the very first shot and two more in quick succession. But credit to him, he bounced back strongly in his next outing against the Flyers, helping the Canadiens secure a valuable point. Now, he’ll be looking for a much steadier start tonight, especially against a Mammoth team that’s been one of the NHL’s most dangerous in the opening 20 minutes. Both Montreal and Utah have tallied 15 first-period goals this season, which means the early pace could set the tone for everything that follows.
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The Canadiens have been learning to use the long change to their advantage in the second period, where they’ve had a lot of recent success. So, if Montembeault can hold the fort early, Montreal’s new breakout tactics might help them strike back and take control later in the game. Depth scoring will also be crucial — players like Josh Anderson, Jake Evans, and Joe Veleno have been chipping in lately, and that secondary offence will need to keep rolling if the Habs want to maintain their division lead.
On the Mammoth side, Karel Vejmelka gets the start in goal. Utah will be without defenseman Sean Durzi and forward Alex Kerfoot due to injuries, but they still boast a dangerous lineup. Clayton Keller, Logan Cooley, and Nick Schmaltz make up a dynamic top line capable of turning any small opening into a scoring chance. Behind them, Barrett Hayton and Dylan Guenther add speed and skill, while veterans like Lawson Crouse and Brandon Tanev bring the grit and energy.
For Montreal, the top trio of Cole Caufield, Nick Suzuki, and Juraj Slafkovský will be looked upon to generate offence, supported by new faces like Oliver Kapanen and Ivan Demidov. On defence, Mike Matheson is expected to play despite missing the morning skate, pairing up with Noah Dobson in what’s been a steady top pairing.
It’s the first of four home games for the Canadiens over the next eight days, and grabbing a win tonight would be the perfect way to kick off that stretch. The Mammoth have been a tough opponent for anyone this season, but with a confident Montembeault and a sharp Canadiens lineup, the Bell Centre crowd could be in for a thrilling night of hockey.
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