Canadiens Preview & Lines: Montembeault, Aiming For Sixth Win

The Montreal Canadiens (30-26-5) are set face the Edmonton Oilers (35-22-4), with the puck drop set for 9 pm ET.

The Habs are in the midst of their best stretch of the season, as evidenced by the fact that they’ve won five games in a row. The uptick in results has rekindled playoff hopes, with the Habs just two points back on the Ottawa Senators for the final Wild Card spot in the Eastern Conference.

With that in mind, it won’t be easy to climb back into the playoffs and more importantly, stay there.

To do so, captain Nick Suzuki will have to keep up his impressive scoring pace, which has seen him produce 13 points in the last five games. He’ll also need his most common assist target, Cole Caufield, to extend his goal-scoring streak to four games, while counting on Juraj Slafkovsky to create time and space in the offensive zone.

As for Lane Hutson, well, he knows what to do, and at this point it feels a little foolish discussing his importance to the team since it’s so evident, but as per usual, he’ll have to play a crucial role.

Of course, they’ll also have to show a little more consistency throughout games. The Canadiens got off to a torrid start on Monday against the Buffalo Sabres, but immediately took their foot off the gas once they established a 3-0 lead. Defenceman Mike Matheson secured the 4-3 win in overtime, but it was much too close for comfort when discussing a team that can’t afford to leave any points on the table.

Head coach Martin St-Louis will look to Samuel Montembeault to guard the net, hoping the 28-year-old goaltender can maintain his perfect record since returning from the 4 Nations Faceoff.

ON TOPIC: Habs Highlights: Another Lane Hutson Record, Nick Suzuki Shines

There’s some good news for the Habs when it comes to their opponents. The Oilers, as a whole, have struggled lately, winning just three of their last 10 games. The Canadiens will face a Skinner, but it will be goaltender Stuart Skinner, while Hab killer Jeff Skinner will watch from the press box.

Dealing with Connor McDavid will require a stalwart defensive effort from all, however, the Canadiens tend to do a pretty good job shutting down the best player in the world, at least relative to his standards. McDavid only has nine goals and 23 assists in 26 games versus Montreal, well below his usual scoring pace. And yes,  it does feel odd to suggest a player who registers at least one point per game against the Habs isn’t playing at his best, but here we are.

Montreal Canadiens Projected Lineup

Edmonton Oilers Lineup

Nugent-Hopkins – McDavid – Hyman

Podkolzin – Draisaitl – Arvidsson

Janmark – Henrique – Brown

Jones – Kapanen – Perry

Kulak – Bouchard

Nurse – Emberson

Dineen – Strecher

Skinner

How to Watch the Montreal Canadiens vs. the Edmonton Oilers, Thursday, March 6, 2025.

Game 62 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.