Canadiens Preview & Lines: Habs Set To Ice Very Strong Lineup

The Montreal Canadiens will have an opportunity for redemption as they host the Toronto Maple Leafs at the Bell Centre on Saturday night. The puck drop is scheduled for 7 pm.

The two teams met on Thursday, a difficult game for the Habs that resulted in a 2-1 win for the Leafs. The scoreline was a little flattering, as the Leafs definitely carried the momentum and controlled the scoring chances throughout the majority of the game.

This time around, Martin St-Louis will be bringing a much stronger lineup to the table that includes most players who will feature in the team’s top six once the regular season opens. Nick Suzuki, Cole Caufield, and Juraj Slafkovsky will take their place as the Canadiens’ top line, while newcomer Patrik Laine will play on the second line with centre Kirby Dach and winger Alex Newhook. As for the younger players, we won’t see Oliver Kapanen again, but Owen Beck will be present, anchoring the third line between Joshua Roy and Josh Anderson.

The defensive group is also rather talented, with Mike Matheson acting as David Reinbacher’s mentor on the first pairing, while David Savard once again lines up beside Lane Hutson. Arber Xhekaj and Logan Mailloux will complete the defensive group.

This is preseason, which means the results aren’t necessarily important, but given the Canadiens are hosting the Leafs with a lineup that features many of their legitimate NHL players, a much better performance is in order.

On Topic: Instant Recap: Hutson And Kapanen Stand Out In Dominant Win

Montreal Canadiens Projected Lineup

As for the Leafs, we don’t have their exact lineup information yet, but we do have a list of players they’re bringing to Montreal. If the team releases the lines we will update the information as soon as possible. Suffice it to say it’s not a very strong roster, as most of the team’s top players stayed in Toronto, but as we all know, it’s never a good idea to underestimate an opponent in hockey, as any team can win on any given night.

How to Watch The Montreal Canadiens vs. The Toronto Maple Leafs:

Game 4 of the preseason will be aired on RDS, TSN2, and TSN4. Once the game is over, an instant recap complete with highlights will be available on Montreal Hockey Now.