Montreal's two most recent games are almost the same game twice: 4-3 wins over Buffalo, 4 days apart, both after regulation. In the second one the Sabres erased 2 leads before the Habs closed it out. Zack Bolduc and Cole Caufield scored early in that one. It worked, but a team that keeps letting the opponent back in has no business looking down on San Jose's third periods. There's no number on this game yet, and with the Sharks still to play in Toronto, that's the right call.
Montreal's injury list is longer and more serious. Ivan Demidov has been out since early October with a lower-body injury. The club gave a 2-4 week timeline that keeps him out until at least October 31, and he still hadn't skated as of the October 16 practice. Mike Matheson is the one to watch. He's been listed day-to-day with a lower-body injury since missing the Washington game, and he sat out the second Buffalo win too. If he can't go, the Canadiens play San Jose without their top defenseman for the fourth time in 5 games. Sam Montembeault is also on injured reserve. For the Sharks, Quentin Musty and goalie Kyle Keyser have both been on non-roster IR since camp, so the list hasn't changed much.
Here's what decides it. The Sharks have shown they can score on the road. Can they protect a lead on the second night of a back-to-back, at the end of a long trip, in one of the loudest buildings in the league? Montreal wins at home and wins close. If Matheson returns, the Habs blueline looks a lot better against Celebrini's line. If he doesn't, the most rested team on the ice still has the thinner defense. Puck drop is 7:00 PM ET.