Canadiens Pre Game
Canadiens Lines & Preview: Oliver Kapanen To Make NHL Debut
The Montreal Canadiens are set to face the Boston Bruins on Thursday night, with the puck drop scheduled for 7 pm ET.
This will be the second game in as many nights for Montreal, as they’re coming off a 1-0 win in their season-opening game against the Toronto Maple Leafs on Wednesday.
Cole Caufield was the lone goal scorer, taking advantage of a fantastic setup by Kirby Dach and Juraj Slafkovsky on the powerplay to find the back of the net for the first time since he switched to No.13, the jersey number used by his late friend, Johnny Gaudreau. Even though the Canadiens scored on the powerplay, there’s still a lot of work left to do on the man-advantage if the team is to have any chance to qualify for the playoffs this season. Puck movement, in particular, will be important. So will Lane Hutson, but we shouldn’t expect a rookie to magically fix the longtime issues plaguing the powerplay.
Samuel Montembeault was dominant against the Leafs, making 48 saves, including 15 high-danger scoring chances from some of Toronto’s best players. The fantastic performance set an NHL record for the most saves made in a season-opening shutout.
On that note, the Canadiens will want to be much more active in the offensive zone if they’re to extend their winning streak to two games. The Bruins may not be the top team in the NHL anymore, but they always do their best against the Canadiens, their longtime rivals.
#Habs Jake Evans on the #GoHabsGo facing rivals Toronto, Boston and Ottawa in a row to open the regular season: “whoever made the schedule is really giving it to us right off the hop”
— Priyanta Emrith (@HabsInHighHeels) October 10, 2024
The lines and defensive pairings that will be used by the Habs will be very similar to what they ice on Wednesday, however, rookie Oliver Kapanen will make his NHL debut. Emil Heineman is the player who will watch the game from the press box, making way for Kapanen’s presence in the lineup. The only other expected change is that goaltender Cayden Primeau will guard the net for the Habs.
“He (Oliver Kapanen) is very calculated on the ice. There’s not much that he can’t do, he just has to get accustomed to the rhythm of the game, the speed of the game & the physicality of the game.”
– Coach Marty St. Louis today pic.twitter.com/LU2zELliZo
— /r/Habs (@HabsOnReddit) October 10, 2024
On Topic: Canadiens Instant Recap: Caufield Honours Johnny Gaudreau, Montembeault Shines
The Boston Bruins dropped their opening game of the season, a 6-4 loss to the defending Stanley Cup champions, the Florida Panthers. Jeremy Swayman did not feature in Boston’s season opener, as he only signed his eight-year, $66 million contract extension very recently, but he will be in the lineup as the Bruins host the Habs.
Charlie McAvoy had two points in the defeat, while eight players registered at least one point, connoting the offensive firepower is fairly well spread throughout the the lineup. Their captain, Brad Marchand, was held scoreless, but the Habs cannot afford to take him lightly, as the 36-year-old still has the skill required to change the momentum in any game.
Montgomery: Swayman starts tonight.
— Scott McLaughlin (@smclaughlin9) October 10, 2024
Montreal Canadiens Projected Lineup
Cole Caufield | Nick Suzuki | Emil Heineman |
Alex Newhook | Kirby Dach | Juraj Slafkovsky |
Brendan Gallagher | Jake Evans | Josh Anderson |
Joel Armia | Christian Dvorak | Oliver Kapanen |
Mike Matheson | Kaiden Guhle |
Lane Hutson | David Savard |
Jayden Struble | Justin Barron |
Cayden Primeau |
Samuel Montembeault |
Boston Bruins Projected Lineup
Zacha – Lindholm – Pastrnak
Marchand – Coyle – Geekie
Tufte – Frederic – Brazeau
Beecher – Kastelic – Koepke
Zadorov – McAvoy
Lindholm – Carlo
Wotherspoon – Peeke
Swayman
How to Watch The Montreal Canadiens vs. The Boston Bruins, October 10, 2024.
Game 2 of the regular season will be aired on TSN2 and RDS. Once the game is over, an instant recap complete with highlights will be available on Montreal Hockey Now.