Alex Nedeljkovic is expected to start in goal for the San Jose Sharks on Tuesday night in Montreal, a change that comes after Yaroslav Askarov opened in Toronto on Monday. San Jose is playing the second half of a back-to-back and its third game in four nights, so the goaltending call arrives as the schedule gets tighter.
That makes this Sharks Vs Canadiens meeting more than a routine stop on the calendar. Montreal is coming off a 4-3 overtime win over the Buffalo Sabres on Saturday, when Cole Caufield scored two goals, including the game-winner, and the Canadiens have not yet won a game in regulation this season.
The numbers around the matchup point in both directions. San Jose swept the two games against Montreal last season, Nedeljkovic has won his last four starts against the Canadiens, and Macklin Celebrini has been productive in this series with nine points in four games and at least three shots on goal in each of those four. Collin Graf has also found a way to matter, with points in all four games he has played against Montreal and a goal in three of them.
Montreal, though, has its own recent edge in close games. Three of its four wins this season have come in overtime or a shootout, while the Sharks have needed extra time in each of their four wins. That is the part that complicates the clean read on Tuesday night: San Jose arrives worn down, but Montreal keeps finding ways to survive games that run past 60 minutes.
The betting board reflects that split. San Jose was listed at +170, Montreal at -210, and the total sat at 6.5 with the over priced at -120. For the Sharks, the immediate question is whether Nedeljkovic can keep the game from turning into another grind. For Montreal, it is whether its run of results without a regulation win can finally be matched by one.
