Canadiens Pre Game
Canadiens Preview And Lines: Montembeault To Start Vs. Tampa
The Montreal Canadiens (23-19-4) are set to host the Tampa Bay Lightning (25-17-3) on Tuesday night, with the puck drop scheduled for 7 pm ET.
The Habs renewed their momentum with a strong effort on Sunday night versus the New York Rangers that saw Juraj Slafkovsky, Brendan Gallagher, Christian Dvorak, Nick Suzuki, and Patrik Laine score important goals while the team overcame no less than four one-goal deficits. It’s the type of resilience that has come to define the Canadiens since mid-December.
Jakub Dobes earned his fifth straight win in the NHL by saving 24 of the 28 shots he faced, including two crucial saves in overtime, however, it wasn’t as dominant of a performance as we’ve seen from the rookie in previous games, and if we’re being honest, that’s probably not a bad thing.
Dobes has been excellent, but there’s no need to force him into the starter position just yet. By the same token, Samuel Montembeault has given the team several years of service, connoting that it would be a little harsh to switch the rotation at this exact moment,
With that in mind, Montembeault is set to face the Lightning, a game that could go a long way in determining playoff positions, as they’re just three points up on Montreal, but the Habs have a game in hand.
ON TOPIC: Habs Highlights – Xhekaj Fights Rempe, Canadiens Resiliency
The Lightning are fresh off a 5-3 loss to the Toronto Maple Leafs on Monday night. They held the edge in shots, but only managed five high-danger chances at 5v5, reflecting the slow yet steady drop in results from the Lightning in the last few seasons.
As per tradition, Nikita Kucherov, arguably the most charismatic player in the NHL, leads the team in scoring. He has an impressive 21 goals and 47 assists in just 42 games played, good for third overall among all NHL players. The next closest Lightning player clocks in at 19 fewer points than Kucherov and his eternal smile, which lights up a room as quickly as he lights up most goaltenders.
This will be the second time the two teams meet this season, with the Canadiens emerging from the first game with a well-deserved 5-2 win. Montembeault was the starter for the December 29 matchup, saving 21 of the 23 shots he faced.0
Montreal Canadiens Projected Lineup
| Left Wing | Centre | Right Wing |
|---|---|---|
| Cole Caufield | Nick Suzuki | Juraj Slafkovsky |
| Alex Newhook | Oliver Kapanen | Ivan Demidov |
| Zachary Bolduc | Owen Beck | Owen Beck |
| Josh Anderson | Jake Evans | Brendan Gallagher |
| Mike Matheson | Noah Dobson |
| Jayden Struble | Lane Hutson |
| Arber Xhekaj | Alex Carrier |
| Samuel Montembeault |
| Jakub Dobes |
Tampa Bay Lightning Projected Lineup
Guentzel – Point – Kucherov
Hagel – Cirelli – Paul
Girgensons – Geekie – Chaffee
Eyssimont – Glendening – Atkinson
Hedman – Raddysh
McDonagh – Crozier
Lilleberg – Perbix
How to Watch The Montreal Canadiens vs. Tampa Bay Lightning, Tuesday, January 21, 2025.
Game 47 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.
