Canadiens Pre Game
Preview And Lines: Roy On First Line, Engstrom Top Pairing
The Montreal Canadiens are set to host the Ottawa Senators at the Bell Centre on Tuesday night. The puck drop is scheduled for 7 pm.
The Habs opted to call-up two players who were recently assigned to the Laval Rocket, Lucas Condotta and Luke Tuch. While the team certainly had enough players to ice a legitimate lineup without the promotions, it appears they wanted to add a little size to the roster given the fallout of the Patrik Laine injury against the Toronto Maple Leafs. Losing a key player in a meaningless game is simply too high of a cost to absorb for a team like the Canadiens.
On Topic: GOTTA SEE IT: Patrik Laine Injured, Arber Xhekaj Retaliates
The Canadiens will run with a new set of lines and pairings, with forward Joshua Roy featuring on the top line, alongside Kirby Dach and Joel Armia. It will be a great opportunity for Roy, one of the few forwards in the lineup with the type of skill set that can be used anywhere in the lineup. It’s also worth remembering Roy had excellent underlying numbers during his audition in the NHL last season.
Jake Evans will anchor the second line, between sniper Emil Heineman and stalwart forward Brendan Gallagher. The third line will see Christian Dvorak down the middle, with Alex Barre-Boulet and Oliver Kapanen on the wings, setting up an interesting situation in which both wingers are hoping to earn a roster spot with the Habs this season.
As for the defensive pairings, Adam Engstrom will also be given a great opportunity to shine. He will feature on the top pairing with veteran David Savard, while Jayden Struble and Justin Barron form the second pairing. The third pairing will see Arber Xhekaj line up with Logan Mailloux for a second game in a row.
Montreal Canadiens Projected Lineup
| Brendan Gallagher | Jake Evans | Josh Anderson |
| Emil Heineman | Christian Dvorak | Alex Barre-Boulet |
| Joshua Roy | Oliver Kapanen | Alex Newhook |
| Michael Pezzetta | Lucas Condotta | Brandon Gignac |
| Adam Engstrom | Kaiden Guhle |
| William Trudeau | Justin Barron |
| Arber Xhekaj | Logan Mailloux |
| Samuel Montembeault |
| Jakub Dobes |
Ottawa Senators Projected Lineup
Tkachuk – Stutzle – Batherson
Greig – Norris – Perron
Highmore – Pinto – Amadio
Gregor – Gaudette – McEwen
Sanderson – Yakemchuk
Chabot – Zub
Kleven – Jensen
How to Watch The Montreal Canadiens vs. The Ottawa Senators:
Game 5 of the preseason will be aired on RDS, TSN2, and TSN5. Once the game is over, an instant recap complete with highlights will be available on Montreal Hockey Now.
