San Jose Sharks defeated the Montreal Canadiens 4-2 Saturday night at the Bell Centre - their second win over Montreal this month.
Brendan Gallagher sat out for the first time in his NHL career. Head coach Martin St. Louis cited load management, aiming to preserve Gallagher’s effectiveness for the playoffs. Alexandre Texier replaced him and helped drive a dominant first period for Montreal’s Phillip Danault line.
Macklin Celebrini was the defining force. With Will Smith and Collin Graf, he posted an 80% Expected Goals share. Defencemen Mike Matheson and Noah Dobson managed just a 19% share against him. Nick Suzuki’s top line held a 43% share but matched goals for and against.
Celebrini tallied seven points across the two recent meetings - elevating from 63 points as a rookie to elite top-five forward status in his second season.
Four Canadiens prospects appear in Craig Button’s latest Top 50: Michael Hage (6th), Alexander Zharovsky (20th), David Reinbacher (28th), and Bryce Pickford (38th). All were identified by scouting director Nick Bobrov’s team. Hage, World Junior standout and Michigan Wolverines star, is expected to join Montreal this season.