Canadiens Preview And Lines: Guhle, Potential Lineup Change

The Montreal Canadiens (33-29-9) are set to play the Carolina Hurricanes (43-24-4), with the puck drop scheduled for 7 pm ET.

There’s no doubt Montreal’s frustrating performance on Thursday versus the Philadelphia Flyers was a low point for a team desperately clinging onto the final Wild Card spot in the Eastern Conference.

Another terrible start put the team behind the eight-ball from the very get-go, a recurring issue that has plagued the team for several years. It was a little easier to understand in the first two years of the rebuild, but with playoffs on the line, it has morphed into a morale-destroy phenomenon Martin St-Louis’ team can’t seem to overcome.

Most players struggled against the Flyers, including netminder Jakub Dobes. To be perfectly fair, Dobes hadn’t started a game in over two weeks, which explains some of the rust that was evident on Thursday night. That’s not to say he’s beyond criticism, far from it, but it’s difficult to blame the loss on an ice-cold netminder. The Canadiens had plenty of opportunities to give Dobes a chance to find his rhythm by giving him more starts in March.

Seeing as Dobes guarded the net in the first leg of the back-to-back road games, veteran Samuel Montembeault will start Friday’s matchup versus the Hurricanes.

Fans are likely a little disheartened when it comes to Montreal’s playoff odds, but thanks to the rest of the Eastern Conference joining the Canadiens in their late-season stumble, the Habs still have an inside track on all their Wild Card counterparts. With a win on Friday, they’ll jump back into the driver’s seat, but a loss wouldn’t just throw cold water on their playoff hopes, it could also lead to either the New York Rangers or the Columbus Blue Jackets taking over the final Eastern Conference Wild Card spot. For what it’s worth, the Blue Jackets are set to face the Vancouver Canucks, while the Rangers play the lowly Anaheim Ducks.

If there’s one silver lining in the recent stretch of games, it has to be the play of rookie phenom Lane Hutson. With yet another two-point effort in the bank, Hutson now has five goals and 51 assists this year, which means he’s on pace for a 6-goal, 59-assist season, just one assist short of the league record for the most assists via a rookie defenceman.

Larry Murphy registered 60 assists as a rookie in 1980, playing for a Los Angeles Kings team that featured three players who reached the 100-point mark: Marcel Dionne (135 points), Dave Taylor (112 points), and Charlie Simmer (105 points). Hutson only has one forward at his disposal that has cracked the 70-point mark this year (Nick Suzuki, 74 points), making his consistent offensive contributions that much more impressive.

Lane Hutson and Jayden Struble set up Cole Caufield.

Caufield’s 33rd of the year. 51st assist of the year for Hutson. #GoHabsGo pic.twitter.com/wliMzE7ctj

— Marc Dumont (@MarcPDumont) March 28, 2025

ON TOPIC: NHL Playoffs: 5 Things Canadiens Must Do To Qualify For Playoffs

The last time these two teams met the Canadiens emerged with a 4-0 win thanks to a three-point effort by Nick Suzuki, not mention a 20-save shutout by Montembeault.

That game took place at the Bell Centre, whereas Friday’s matchup will be in Carolina, further complicating Montreal’s situation. Regardless of previous games, or even their recent stretch, the Habs have no choice but to approach the game against the Hurricanes as if it were a must-win.  Statistically speaking, it isn’t necessarily a must-win game, but from a morale and momentum standpoint, it certainly should be.

The team has not provided an update in regard to Kaiden Guhle’s return to play, but Joshua Roy did skate with Michael Pezzetta and Dobes on Friday morning, indicating the Habs may end up running an 11-forward, 7-defenceman lineup.

Montreal Canadiens Projected Lineup

Carolina Hurricanes Projected Lineup

Jarvis – Aho – Blake

Hall – Kotkaniemi – Roslovic

Martinook – Staal – Stankoven

Robinson – Jankowski – Svechnikov

Slavin – Burns

Orlov – Chatfield

Gostisbehere – Walker

Andersen

How to Watch the Montreal Canadiens vs. the Carolina Hurricanes, Friday, March 28, 2025

Game 72 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.