Coming off a high of a season-opening win at the Bell Centre against the Toronto Maple Leafs, the Montreal Canadiens found themselves on the road in Detroit for the Red Wings’ season-opener. While there were some wobbles in the debut game, the Habs stuck with the same lineup that brought them a win, with the only difference being Sean Monahan listed as a centre as opposed to a winger, swapping with Kirby Dach.
In front of them was a new-look Red Wings team, with the fruits of their rebuilding years coming to roost in the NHL.