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Canadiens Game Preview: Dobes Starts, RHP Debut, New Pairings

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Montreal Canadiens Vs Wild

The Montreal Canadiens (24-21-5) are set to host the Minnesota Wild (30-17-4) on Thursday night, with the puck drop scheduled for 7 pm ET.



The glow from Montreal’s strong holiday stretch has faded, as evidenced by their current three game losing streak. That’s not to say they’re out of the mix for the playoffs, seeing as they’re just two points behind the Tampa Bay Lightning for the final Wild Card spot in the East. But given the forced parity in the NHL, they’re also just six points away from finishing among the bottom-five teams in the league.

In other words, every point matters, leaving the rebuilding Canadiens in a position where the final games of the season will actually hold some semblance of importance, unlike the previous seasons.

To get back on track, the Habs will turn to rookie goaltender Jakub Dobes on Thursday. The 23-year-old has established a fantastic 5-0-1 record, paired with a sparkling .933 save percentage.

The only other lineup change expected is the return of Rafael Harvey-Pinard to the lineup. After earning four goals and seven assists in 24 games for the Laval Rocket, Harvey-Pinard was promoted to the NHL, but was yet to make his season debut. Michael Pezzetta will be the odd-man out, returning to the familiar setting that is the press box.

It remains to be seen what the defensive pairings will look like now that Kaiden Guhle has been sidelined by a lacerated quadricep that necessitated a surgical intervention. Consequently, Jayden Struble was recalled, and if history is any indication, the team should avoid pairing him with veteran David Savard, as that combination has produced very poor results.

Playing him alongside Arber Xhekaj is probably a much safer bet, though there’s no denying losing Guhle will create an issue that will be difficult to solve, regardless of the new pairings.

ON TOPIC: Impact Of Long Term Kaiden Guhle Injury On Canadiens Lineup

Thursday’s game will be the final time Montreal-native Marc-Andre Fleury will appear at the Bell Centre. The 40-year-old netminder is set to retire this offseason, putting an  end to a fantastic career that saw him win multiple Stanley Cups, as well as a Vezina and Jennings trophy. His surprisingly good numbers this year are a big reason why the Wild are one of the top 10 teams in the NHL.

Kirill Kaprizov currently leads the Wild in scoring with 23 goals and 29 goals in 37 games, which is the perfect time to remind everyone that top Habs prospect Ivan Demidov is currently outproducing Kaprizov’s U-20 scoring pace in the KHL.

In fact, no other player in the history of the KHL has established a higher scoring pace than Demidov (U-20).

Montreal Canadiens Projected Lineup

Cole CaufieldNick SuzukiJuraj Slafkovsky
Alex NewhookKirby DachJosh Anderson
Owen BeckChristian DvorakBrendan Gallagher
Patrik LaineJake EvansJoel Armia
Mike MathesonAlexandre Carrier
Lane HutsonLogan Mailloux
Arber Xhekaj David Savard
Jakub Dobes
Samuel Montembeault

Minnesota Wild Projected Lineup

Boldy – Eriksson Ek – Zuccarello

Foligno – Rossi – Hartman

Ohgren – Gaudreau – Trenin

Shore – Khusnutdinov – Lauko

 

Middleton – Faber

Chisholm – Spurgeon

Merrill – Bogosian

Fleury

 

How to Watch The Montreal Canadiens vs. Minnesota Wild, Thursday, January 30, 2025.

Game 51 of the regular season will be aired on RDS and TSN2. Once the game is over, an instant recap complete with highlights will be available on Montreal Hockey Now.

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Tyrone

At least with Kaprizov’s injury we won’t have to worry about him tonight, but I think the Wild will be pumped to get a win for Fleury in his final appearance in his home province. Zuccarello always seems to burn us too.