Canadiens Game 25: Juraj Slafkovsky To Play On Top Line

The Montreal Canadiens (10-11-3) will host the Seattle Kraken (8-11-6) at the Bell Centre on Monday night. The puck drop is scheduled for 7:30 pm ET.

There was some interesting news from practice as the first overall pick at the 2022 NHL Draft, Juraj Slafkovsky, was placed on the top line alongside Nick Suzuki and Cole Caufield.

It’s a great opportunity for the youngest player in the lineup, one that he discussed from the very moment he was drafted. Slafkovsky currently has two goals and five assists in 24 games. He played some of his best hockey in November, an encouraging sign for Canadiens fans, but there’s no doubt the team, the player, and the fans would love to see a little more production.

It’s also important to start the game on the right foot. The Canadiens tend to allow their opponents to score the first goal in most games, which means they’re constantly playing catch-up.

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As for the rest of the lineup, Jake Evans will play on Sean Monahan’s wing on the second line, with Josh Anderson completing the trio. The third line will feature Tanner Pearson, Christian Dvorak, and Brendan Gallagher. And finally, the fourth will be Joel Armia, Mitchell Stephens, and Jesse Ylonen.

The Canadiens will be facing a Kraken team that is struggling to meet expectations. They’re currently 25th overall in the NHL, having accumulated just 22 points in 25 games. The game should be a perfect chance for the streaky Canadiens to register a win.

Oliver Bjorkstrand leads the Kraken in scoring with seven goals and 13 assists, whereas defenceman Vincent Dunn is the team’s highest-producing defenceman, with three goals and 16 assists.

Montreal Canadiens Injuries

• David Savard (out 6-8 weeks)
• Carey Price (IR)
• Chris Wideman (IR)
• Kirby Dach (out indefinitely, ACL/MCL)
• Arber Xhekaj (IR)
• Rafael Harvey-Pinard (IR)
• Jordan Harris (out indefinitely)
• Alex Newhook (out 10-12 weeks)

Seatle Kraken Injuries

• Jaden Schwartz (day-to-day)
• Andre Burakovsky (IR)

Montreal Canadiens Projected Lineup

Seattle Kraken Projected Lineup

McCann – Beniers – Eberle

Tolvanene – Gourde – Bjorkstrand

Tanev – Wennberg – Studenic

Kartye – Bellemare – Yamamoto

Defence:

Dunn – Larsson

Oleksiak – Borgen

Dumoulin – Shchultz

Goalies:

Daccord

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