Canadiens Pre Game
Canadiens Game 36: Gallagher Ready, Richard Scratched
The Montreal Canadiens (15-17-3) face the slumping Florida Panthers (15-16-4) on Thursday night at the FLA Live Arena. The puck drop is scheduled for 7 PM ET.
This game will have Canadiens fans truly conflicted, as both the Canadiens and Panthers find themselves out of a playoff spot, and a victory on either end will hurt their 2023 NHL Draft Lottery odds, as one team will gain two points. With the Canadiens owning the Florida Panthers‘ first-round pick, the two clubs will be linked to each other all season.
It’s certainly been a less-than-ideal season for the Panthers, whom many had at the top of the Atlantic Division this season, but, a rash of bad luck, untimely injuries and spotty goaltending have coast them big-time in the first half of the season.
They currently find themselves well out of a playoff spot, with one of the toughest schedules remaining in the NHL; needless to say, the Panthers desperately need this win if they want to stay in reach of a Wild Card spot.
The Panthers did receive some good news recently, as Sasha Barkov has been cleared to play and should take to the ice in their matchup against the Habs.
As for the Canadiens, they’re currently in a tailspin that has led them to the bottom of the Atlantic division standings. With just three wins in their last 10 games, they’re trending toward the bottom of the league standings as well.
They’ll hope to quickly turn the page on a dismal performance against the Tampa Bay Lightning, a game in which they failed to show up until the final minutes of the third period.
Montreal held an optional skate on Thursday, and thus did not reveal their line combinations, but if logic has anything to say in the matter, they’ll avoid using Joel Armia on the top line.
Only Michael Pezzetta, Anthony Richard, and Chris Wideman hit the ice, which indicates both Brendan Gallagher and Evgenii Dadonov will be in the lineup against the Panthers.
Samuel Montembeault is expected to make the start for the Canadiens.
Sur la patinoire ce matin à Sunrise, Michael Pezzetta, Anthony Richard et Chris Wideman.
Brendan Gallagher et Evgenii Dadonov devraient donc jouer ce soir.
Samuel Montembeault fait sa préparation d’avant-match. @CanadiensMTL @RDSca pic.twitter.com/VawJIr9wIb
— Patrick Friolet (@PFrioletRDS) December 29, 2022
Samuel Montembeault is expected to make the start for the Canadiens.
Montreal Canadiens Injuries
- Mike Matheson (indefinitely)
- Sean Monahan (2 weeks)
- David Savard (day-to-day)
- Carey Price (LTIR)
- Paul Byron (LTIR)
Florida Panthers Injuries
- Anthony Duclair (LTIR)
- Patric Hornqvist (IR)
- Chris Tierny (IR)
Montreal Canadiens Previous Lineup
LW | C | RW |
---|---|---|
Cole Caufield | Nick Suzuki | Juraj Slafkovsky |
Brendan Gallagher | Alex Newhook | Joel Armia |
Rafael Harvey-Pinard | Jake Evans | Josh Anderson |
Michael Pezzetta | Colin White | Jesse Ylonen |
LD | RD |
---|---|
Mike Matheson | Kaiden Guhle |
Arber Xhekaj | David Savard |
Jayden Struble | Jordan Harris |
Goalie |
---|
Cayden Primeau |
Samuel Montembeault |
Florida Panthers Projected Roster
Verhaeghe – Barkov – White
Luostarinen – Bennett – Tkachuk
Levitchi – Lundell – Reinhart
Lomberg – Staal – Cousins
Defence:
Forsling – Ekblad
Staal – Montour
Mahura – Gudas
Bobrovsky
Knight
Special Teams
Team | PP % | PK % |
---|---|---|
Montreal Canadiens | 16.3% (28th) | 72.1% (29th) |
Boston Bruins | 22.7% (11th) | 87.1% (1st) |
Game Notes:
- Nick Suzuki continues to lead the Canadiens in scoring but has only registered one point in his last five games.
- Cole Caufield has hit a scoring slump, at least for his standards. He has scored one goal in the last five Canadiens games