Detroit's start has been rough in a different way: it hasn't scored much. The Red Wings opened with 4 straight home games, got shut out 2-0 by the Rangers on opening night and lost 3-2 to Winnipeg when Kyle Connor scored twice on the power play. Things turned when Dylan Larkin made his season debut. The captain was back in the lineup for a 5-3 win over Ottawa, and Detroit's offense looked like a real NHL offense for the first time.
The schedule might matter more than either club's early record. Detroit hosts Seattle on Friday to close the opening homestand, then flies to Montreal for a 7:00 PM ET puck drop the next night. Montreal last played Thursday and will be at home with a day off. Whatever happens against the Kraken, the Red Wings show up on the 2nd night of a back-to-back after a border crossing, and that usually means a lighter goaltending load and tired legs in the 3rd period. The 3rd period is exactly where Nashville broke Montreal open.
Detroit isn't fully healthy either. Marco Kasper went on IR the same week Larkin came back, so the Red Wings' middle-six still isn't settled. In the end this game comes down to which problem matters more. Montreal's injury list goes after its blue line and its crease, and Detroit's goes after its forward depth. With no Demidov and no Guhle, the Canadiens need a goalie to steal one, and nobody in their crease has done that yet this season.