Alex Galchenyuk returned (again) as the Montreal Canadiens faced of against the Philadelphia Flyers on Thursday. The Flyers were sitting in the Eastern Conference’s second wild-card spot; only three wins ahead of the Toronto Maple Leafs. The Canadiens were coming in off of a confidence-boosting win over the Buffalo Sabres.
Montreal began the game with strong play, claiming the game’s first shot on goal when Tomas Plekanec fired one at Michal Neuvirth. Early hits from the Flyers in an effort to slow the Habs set the tone for what would be a physical game.