James Carey Lauder-USA TODAY Sports

It is a battle of Canadian teams when the Winnipeg Jets welcome the Montreal Canadiens on Monday night.

The Jets enter the contest with a lot of things going right for them. They are first in the Central Division despite losing forward Kyle Connor for an extended period, and have collected back-to-back wins against top Western Conference teams, defeating Los Angeles on Wednesday 5-2 and following that up with a Saturday win over the Avalanche 6-2.

"Good control, good forecheck," said Jets forward Alex Iafallo on what's been working for his club, which has won six of its past seven games. "Staying on pucks, good communication. More fun, I guess. Just joking around and making plays ... knowing you're going to have success from it."

Winnipeg netminder Connor Hellebuyck's game is also in top form, which has led the Jets hold their opponents to two goals or fewer for seven straight. Over the past month for goalies who have played more than 10 games, Hellebuyck has the highest save percentage at .943 and the second-best goals-against average at 1.70.

"The team play has been outstanding," coach Rick Bowness said Saturday. "It's been level. We don't let the highs and lows affect us, we just keep playing the same. We want this to continue."

The Canadiens are a team that is still trying to grow into a true contender.

At times this season, the organization has caught glimpses of who it could be. That was very evident on Saturday night during the first two periods of the team's 5-3 win over the Islanders.

After dominating the Isles for the opening 40 minutes and leading 4-0 while outshooting their opponents 36-16, the Habs loosened up their game and allowed New York to score three times as things got real nervous before an empty-net goal sealed the win for Montreal.

"I don't think we're a team where we have superstars. You know, I think we're going with the power of five together and that's what we're trying to do on both sides of the puck," said coach Martin St. Louis on how his club's team play can aid the squad in taking that next step toward being a playoff team.

"That second period shows me that we're on the verge of something ... we're just going to keep getting better as a team, but you see those periods. Our good is really good and we've got to raise our bad."

Saturday represented the final home game of the calendar year for the Canadiens as they head off for seven in a row on the road starting in Winnipeg on Monday. They'll return to Montreal on Jan. 4 to host the Buffalo Sabres.

The Canadiens have had success in other team's buildings this season so far, sitting with a road record of 6-4-2.

"Definitely a point of emphasis before the game," center Nick Suzuki said when asked about the importance of leaving the fans with something positive. "We just have to clean some things up and finish off the road trip."

More must-reads:

TODAY'S BEST
Xander Schauffele, Collin Morikawa lead at PGA Championship
Mystik Dan comes up short at Preakness, denied shot at Triple Crown
Seize the Grey wins in muddy Preakness
Panthers star named winner of 2024 Selke Trophy
Tyson Fury-Oleksandr Usyk epic increases excitement for potential rematch
Knicks could get major boost for Game 7 showdown with Pacers
WNBA to investigate $100,000 sponsorship deals for Aces players
Tiger Woods blames one big factor for missing the cut at PGA Championship
Giants All-Star pitcher suffers setback in recovery from injury
Watch: Juan Soto's first multi-homer game as a Yankee
'Ain't good enough': Draymond Green claims Celtics must 'win it all' or it's a 'failure'
Blue Jays GM wants struggling club to feel 'massive sense of urgency'
Raptors expected to flip former NBA champion during the offseason
MLB insider reveals Mets' massive extension offer that Pete Alonso turned down
Celtics legend provides update after gruesome finger injury
Bulls hire former NBA head coach as top assistant
Chiefs move on from young running back
20-year MLB veteran working out, unsure about playing future
USA Hockey names HC for 2025 4 Nations Face-Off and 2026 Olympics
Key Knicks forward ruled out for Game 7 vs. Pacers

Want more NHL news?

Join the hundreds of thousands of fans who start their day with Yardbarker's Morning Bark, the best newsletter in sports.