Canadiens Pre Game
Canadiens Preview And Lines: Dobes Starts, Playoff Implications
The Montreal Canadiens (30-26-6) are set to face the Calgary Flames (29-23-10), with the puck drop set for 7 pm ET.
The Habs saw their five-game winning streak come to an end on Thursday versus the Edmonton Oilers, however, not all the momentum has been lost, as Martin St-Louis’ team managed to secure a point by forcing overtime.
Sniper Cole Caufield’s fantastic individual effort opened the scoring for the Canadiens, yet more evidence that the first line is doing most of the heavy lifting this season. The game also featured Lane Hutson’s 45th assist of the season, a continuation of his fantastic rookie campaign which has led to a bevy of broken records, not to mention a laundry list of entertaining plays that lead to high-danger scoring chances.
Lane Hutson draws the attention and then sets up Joel Armia perfectly. AS is tradition.
Hutson’s 45th assist!!#GoHabsGo pic.twitter.com/ry2ncADiMG
— Marc Dumont (@MarcPDumont) March 7, 2025
ON TOPIC: Habs Highlights: Cole Caufield Is Red Hot, One Point Secured
Rookie goaltender Jakub Dobes will get the start versus the Flames, while the rest of the lineup is expected to remain unchanged, despite a few players missing practice due to therapy days. The biggest question mark is Patrik Laine, who is dealing with the flu again.
Not only does Saturday’s game have important playoff implications for the Canadiens, the result will also have a direct impact on Calgary’s first-round pick, which happens to be owned by the Habs. Simply put, a win would go a long way in improving the short-term outlook for the Habs, as well as their long-term asset management.
The Habs are just one point behind the Ottawa Senators for the final Wild Card spot in the Eastern Conference. That may sound like a relatively comfortable spot for a team that has missed the playoffs three seasons in a row, but the Senators aren’t the only team vying for that spot. If the Canadiens want to improve their playoff hopes, they can’t afford to leave points on the table.
Calgary is also battling hard to secure a Wild Card spot, though their road to the playoffs goes through the slaughterhouse that is the Western Conference, muddying their overall chances to enjoy a little springtime hockey.
The Flames also have a very hard time scoring goals, which means they’ll have to score by committee down the final stretch of the season. They’re dead last in goals per game (2.58, 32nd), and none of their players have managed to produce more than 45 points this season, putting a fine point on their offensive woes.
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 |
Calgary Flames Projected Lineup
Huberdeau – Kadri – Coronato
Coleman – Backlund – Farabee
Sharangovich – Frost – Pospisil
Lomberg – Rooney – Zary
Hanley – Weegar
Bahl – Andersson
Bean – Pachal
Wolf
How to Watch the Montreal Canadiens vs. the Calgary Flames, Saturday, March 8, 2025.
Game 63 of the regular season will be aired on TVA Sports, Sportsnet, and City TV. Once the game is over, an instant recap complete with highlights will be available on Montreal Hockey Now.
