Canadiens Pre Game
Canadiens Preview & Lines: Jakub Dobes To Start, Forward Lines
The Montreal Canadiens (24-20-4) are set to face the New Jersey Devils (27-17-6) on Saturday night, with the puck drop scheduled for 7 pm ET.
The Habs have played much better of late, but they’re coming off a rather underwhelming 4-2 loss against the Detroit Red Wings, the type of performance that was reminiscent of some of the earlier games of the season.
Samuel Montembeault stopped 41 of the 45 shots he faced, with only two of the goals against coming at 5v5, but it wasn’t enough to secure a win, as the rest of the team failed to find their rhythm until it was too late.
Head coach Martin St-Louis will turn to rookie Jakub Dobes on Saturday, his undefeated goaltender who is currently sporting a .941 save percentage, among the best results in the NHL.
In other news, the Habs proceeded to recall Rafael Harvey-Pinard from the AHL, but it remains to be seen if he’ll play against the Devils. Both Brendan Gallagher and Josh Anderson are considered game-time decisions. We won’t see defenceman Jayden Struble in action, as he was loaned to the Laval Rocket on a conditioning loan that will allow him to spend up to 14 days in the AHL.
ON TOPIC: Finding A Role For Canadiens Defenceman Jayden Struble
The Habs will face two former teammates that played on the team last season, as Jake Allen is set to start due to Jacob Markstrom’s injury, and Johnathan Kovacevic has cemented his place as an important member of the Devils’ defensive group.
This is the second of three meetings between the two teams this season, with the Devils earning a 5-3 win in the first matchup. If you’re looking for the view from the other side of the rink, make sure to visit our sister site, New Jersey Hockey Now.
Montreal Canadiens Projected Lineup
| Cole Caufield | Nick Suzuki | Juraj Slafkovsky |
| Alex Newhook | Kirby Dach | Patrik Laine |
| Josh Anderson* | Christian Dvorak | Brendan Gallagher* |
| Michael Pezzetta | Jake Evans | Joel Armia |
| Rafael Harvey-Pinard* |
| Lane Hutson | Mike Matheson |
| Kaiden Guhle | Alex Carrier |
| Arber Xhekaj | David Savard |
| Jakub Dobes |
| Samuel Montembeault |
New Jersey Devils Projected Lineup
Palat – Hughes – Cotter
Noesen – Hischier – Bratt
Meier – Dowling – Mercer
Tatar – Lazar – Bastian
Dillon – Hamilton
Siegenthaler – Kovacevic
Hughes – Pesce
Allen
How to Watch The Montreal Canadiens vs. New Jersey Devils, Saturday, January 25, 2025.
Game 49 of the regular season will be aired on TVA Sports and Sportsnet East. Once the game is over, an instant recap complete with highlights will be available on Montreal Hockey Now.
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3 former teammates, you forgot “Tuna”, Thomas Tatar !
Sorry, I meant to specify former teammates from last year, but I did not, and therefore you are entirely correct. I’ll fix it. Thanks!
I told the Mrs. we need to watch Bratt before the game started because he always burns us. A goal and an assist in the first period, and a post on his first shift of the second period so far. I guess I should have put some money on that prediction.
Aw man! I also told my wife Carrier was going to score his first goal as a Hab tonight, and then when it went to OT I told her Hughes was going to score the winner. That would have been one hell of a parlay bet!!! 💰 💰💰