Montreal Canadiens vs. St. Louis BluesJan 3, 2026

FinalSaturday, Jan 3, 2026· Enterprise Center

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Goals	1	2	3	T		Shots	1	2	3	T
MTL	0	0	0	0		MTL	9	10	7	26
STL	1	1	0	2		STL	8	7	4	19

: MTL 65STL 38
: MTL 3.74STL 3.34
PP goals: MTL 0STL 0
Hits: MTL 15STL 16
Blocks: MTL 10STL 17
PIM: MTL 4STL 8
: MTL 56%STL 44%

Fantasy takeaways

Generated from the play-by-play, shifts and season context. No opinions, just what changed.

St. Louis Blues beat Montreal Canadiens 2–0

St. Louis Blues beat Montreal Canadiens 2–0 at home. Robert Thomas (STL) led the scoring with 1G 0A. MTL scored 0 goals on 3.74 expected goals (65 attempts), well short of its chances.

Luck
MTL scored 0 goals on 3.74 expected goals (65 attempts), well short of its chances.
New line
New look for MTL: Gallagher–Danault–Bolduc skated 9:36 together at 5v5 as the L2 trio (73.7% of the shot attempts), a combination not used in the team's last 5 games.Gallagher Danault Bolduc
New line
New look for MTL: Blais–Veleno–Beck skated 6:05 together at 5v5 as the L4 trio (44.4% of the shot attempts), a combination not used in the team's last 5 games.Blais Veleno Beck
New line
New look for STL: Fabbri–Joseph–Toropchenko skated 7:17 together at 5v5 as the L4 trio (25% of the shot attempts), a combination not used in the team's last 5 games.Fabbri Joseph Toropchenko
Usage
Robert Thomas (STL) played 22:33, +3:35 up on his 18:58 season average over 63 games.Thomas
Usage
Noah Dobson (MTL) played 27:23, +4:58 up on his 22:25 season average over 79 games.Dobson
Usage
Jayden Struble (MTL) played 9:31, −4:35 down on his 14:06 season average over 58 games.Struble
Usage
Lane Hutson (MTL) played 28:03, +4:20 up on his 23:43 season average over 81 games.Hutson

Shot map

Both teams on one rink, filtered by strength and period.

Shot map

Every attempt, sized by expected goals. Goals are rings, shots on goal dots, misses hollow, blocks crosses.

Strength

Period

Team

← MTL attacks left (bottom on phones)STL attacks right (top on phones) →

STL
MTL
Goal
Shot on goal
Missed
Blocked

Showing 103 of 103 attempts · STL 38 · MTL 65

Game flow

Cumulative expected goals and shot attempts, with power plays shaded and goals marked.

Cumulative shot attempts

STL
MTL
Goal
Power play (shaded)

Pressure Index

STL pressure
MTL pressure
Goal
Control (|PI| > 0.25)

: descriptive only, the team with more pressure scored the next goal about half the time. In control: MTL 35% of the game, STL 28%.

Shift chart

Every shift, grouped by line and pair; bars are coloured by strength state. Click a player to highlight.

Shifts

STL

MTL

goals / penalties

Even strength
Power play
Penalty kill
Goal
Penalty

Head-to-head matchups

STL skaters (rows) against MTL skaters (columns) at 5v5. Square size is time together; colour is xGF% from the STL side.

Matchup matrix

STL xGF% 4060square size = TOI together · blank = under 1:00

Sequence card

5-on-5 possession-chain numbers from the sequence engine (Draw Equity and control cover all situations).

Sequence card
Stat	MTL	STL
	52	38
	1.81	2.41
	1.70	2.37
	12	10
	2	5
	25	16
	+0.039	−0.039
	35%	28%

Definitions: sequence xG, transition attempts, Draw Equity, control and the Pressure Index.

Lines used

Detected from who actually shared the ice, with time together. Percentages are the unit's share of shot attempts.

Montreal Canadiens

L1Suzuki – Texier – Caufield
10:4553% CF
L2Gallagher – Danault – Bolduc
9:3674% CF
L3Kapanen – Slafkovský – Demidov
8:5950% CF
L4Blais – Veleno – Beck
6:0544% CF
D1Matheson – Dobson
14:4948% CF
D2Carrier – Hutson
13:5962% CF
D3Struble – Xhekaj
6:1350% CF

PP1Suzuki – Caufield – Hutson – Slafkovský – Demidov
4:18100% CF
PP2Gallagher – Texier – Dobson – Bolduc – Kapanen
1:35
PK1FVeleno – Kapanen
1:55
PK2FDanault – Texier
1:16
PK1DMatheson – Carrier
2:45
PK2DXhekaj – Hutson
0:31

Current MTL line combinations →

St. Louis Blues

L1Kyrou – Thomas – Neighbours
10:3242% CF
L2Schenn – Buchnevich – Snuggerud
10:1544% CF
L3Berggren – Dvorsky – Stenberg
7:5243% CF
L4Fabbri – Joseph – Toropchenko
7:1725% CF
D1Parayko – Broberg
16:3027% CF
D2Faulk – Tucker
12:5348% CF
D3Fowler – Mailloux
11:3253% CF

PP1Fowler – Buchnevich – Thomas – Snuggerud – Dvorsky
2:10
PP2Schenn – Faulk – Kyrou – Berggren – Neighbours
1:19100% CF
PK1FThomas – Toropchenko
1:30
PK2FJoseph – Stenberg
0:45
PK1DParayko – Broberg
3:00
PK2DFaulk – Tucker
1:04

Current STL line combinations →

Scoring summary

Every goal with the skaters on the ice for it.

1st period

10:48
STLJonatan Berggren (Cam Fowler, Otto Stenberg)snap0.15 xG
MTL: Gallagher, Danault, Struble, Bolduc, XhekajSTL: Fowler, Berggren, Mailloux, Dvorsky, Stenberg
MTL 0 – 1 STL

2nd period

10:13
STLRobert ThomasSH (Alexey Toropchenko)backhand0.31 xG
MTL: Gallagher, Suzuki, Hutson, Slafkovský, DemidovSTL: Faulk, Thomas, Toropchenko, Tucker
MTL 0 – 2 STL

Box score

Skaters grouped by the line they played on; CF% is the 5v5 share of shot attempts while on the ice.

Montreal Canadiens

MTL skaters
Skater	Line	+/-			Hits	Blk	PIM		PP	SH
Nick Suzuki C	L1	-1	3	0.61	0	1	0	24:21	—	—	52	35
Cole Caufield R	L1	0	4	0.41	0	0	0	21:54	—	—	54	42
Alexandre Texier L	L1	0	0	0.03	1	1	0	15:28	—	—	55	19
Phillip Danault C	L2	-1	2	0.57	2	0	0	15:22	—	—	65	51
Brendan Gallagher R	L2	-2	7	0.60	1	0	2	14:19	—	—	75	69
Zachary Bolduc R	L2	-1	1	0.13	2	0	0	14:03	—	—	76	71
Juraj Slafkovský L	L3	-1	1	0.07	0	0	0	20:29	—	—	47	24
Ivan Demidov R	L3	-1	2	0.26	1	1	0	19:38	—	—	59	45
Oliver Kapanen C	L3	0	0	0.15	0	0	0	15:48	—	—	52	37
Joseph Veleno C	L4	0	0	0.00	1	0	0	9:14	—	—	44	35
Owen Beck C	L4	0	0	0.00	1	0	0	8:02	—	—	40	35
Sammy Blais L	L4	0	1	0.21	0	0	0	6:43	—	—	44	35
Noah Dobson D	D1	0	3	0.61	0	0	2	27:23	—	—	52	30
Mike Matheson D	D1	0	0	0.00	1	3	0	21:22	—	—	46	40
Lane Hutson D	D2	-1	2	0.07	0	3	0	28:03	—	—	64	51
Alexandre Carrier D	D2	0	0	0.00	2	0	0	20:12	—	—	62	60
Jayden Struble D	D3	-1	0	0.00	1	0	0	9:31	—	—	64	15
Arber Xhekaj D	D3	-1	0	0.00	2	1	0	7:53	—	—	55	10

MTL goalies
Goalie	Dec	SA	SV	GA			TOI
Jacob Fowler(start)	L	19	17	2	.895	2.46	56:15

St. Louis Blues

STL skaters
Skater	Line	G	A	P	+/-			Hits	Blk	PIM		PP	SH
Robert Thomas C	L1	1	0	1	+1	2	0.33	0	0	0	22:33	—	—	48	63
Jake Neighbours L	L1	0	0	0	0	2	0.26	4	1	0	17:11	—	—	43	53
Jordan Kyrou R	L1	0	0	0	0	3	0.31	1	1	0	14:06	—	—	39	63
Brayden Schenn C	L2	0	0	0	0	2	1.24	1	1	2	17:30	—	—	46	49
Jimmy Snuggerud R	L2	0	0	0	0	1	0.30	0	0	0	16:32	—	—	45	47
Pavel Buchnevich L	L2	0	0	0	0	3	0.14	0	0	4	15:13	—	—	46	46
Otto Stenberg C	L3	0	1	1	+1	1	0.14	0	1	0	13:43	—	—	44	80
Dalibor Dvorsky R	L3	0	0	0	+1	1	0.10	2	1	0	11:59	—	—	38	84
Jonatan Berggren R	L3	1	0	1	+1	1	0.15	0	0	0	11:21	—	—	44	91
Alexey Toropchenko R	L4	0	1	1	+1	2	0.18	3	1	0	14:33	—	—	27	70
Mathieu Joseph R	L4	0	0	0	0	0	0.00	0	2	0	11:57	—	—	40	92
Robby Fabbri C	L4	0	0	0	0	1	0.10	1	0	0	10:04	—	—	36	72
Philip Broberg D	D1	0	0	0	0	0	0.00	0	0	0	24:59	—	—	31	27
Colton Parayko D	D1	0	0	0	0	0	0.00	0	7	2	22:31	—	—	26	17
Justin Faulk D	D2	0	0	0	+1	0	0.00	1	2	0	20:47	—	—	50	75
Tyler Tucker D	D2	0	0	0	+1	0	0.00	3	0	0	15:19	—	—	50	67
Cam Fowler D	D3	0	1	1	+1	0	0.10	0	0	0	18:22	—	—	56	69
Logan Mailloux D	D3	0	0	0	+1	0	0.00	0	0	0	13:20	—	—	56	69

STL goalies
Goalie	Dec	SA	SV	GA			TOI
Jordan Binnington(start)	W	26	26	0	.1000	3.74	60:00

Goal anatomy

Animated replays from NHL EDGE tracking, with the entry, passes and shot speed for each goal.

Jonatan Berggren (STL) 1st 10:48 · assists Cam Fowler, Otto Stenberg · Forecheck turnover · carried in · 70.0 mph shot · 8.1 s from entry to goal.

Jonatan Berggren · 1st 10:48 · STL

Play: turnover-forecheck
Entry: carry
Odd man: No
Passes: 2
Shot: 70.0 mph
Distance: 19 ft
Entry to goal: 8.1 s
Type: one-timer

Watch on NHL.com → · Tracking-derived via NHL EDGE

Robert Thomas · 2nd 10:13 · STL SH

Play: rebound
Entry: carry
Odd man: No
Passes: 0
Shot: 26.2 mph
Distance: 9 ft
Entry to goal: 3.7 s
Type: rebound

Watch on NHL.com → · Tracking-derived via NHL EDGE

Methodology

Shot locations come from the NHL play-by-play, normalised so each shooter attacks the same way, then flipped so the home team attacks right. On-ice stats and lines come from the shift charts: a unit is the exact set of skaters sharing the ice, and CF% is the share of all shot attempts while they were out. Head-to-head cells are 5v5 time against each opponent. Expected goals and the Pressure Index appear as their models are released.