Canadiens Preview And Lines: Montembeault Starts, Kapanen Sits

The Montreal Canadiens (35-30-9) are set to host the Boston Bruins (30-36-9), with the puck drop scheduled for 7 pm ET.

With just eight games left in the regular season, every point counts for a Habs team that is desperately clinging to the final Wild Card spot in the Eastern Conference. The New York Rangers won on Wednesday, which means they’re now tied with Montreal, but the Canadiens have a game in hand. The Columbus Blue Jackets are currently two points back, however, they’ve only played 73 games at this point of the season.

Simply put, it’s a very tight race, but thanks to a much weaker strength of schedule, the Habs still have an advantage on their competition.

The Canadiens ended up putting together a heroic comeback on Tuesday versus the Florida Panthers, a game in which both Nick Suzuki and Lane Hutson demonstrated they’re desperate to participate in the playoffs.

ON TOPIC: Canadiens Playoff Odds – Down To The Eastern Conference Wire

While Suzuki continues to be the engine that powers Montreal’s offence, Hutson is the rising tide that has elevated all boats, including the captain’s.

There are no changes expected to the lineup on Thursday, which means Arber Xhekaj and Joshua Roy will watch the game from the press box, while Michael Pezzetta will continue to play a few minutes a night on the fourth line.

Newcomer Oliver Kapanen will not play, but that was to be expected. Despite improving his scoring in the SHL this year, the 21-year-old still has to process the Canadiens’ playbook, and since there’s so much on the line at this point in the season, it’s only fair to give him a chance to catch up a little before throwing him into the mix.

For the view from the other side of the rink make sure to visit our sister site, Boston Hockey Now.

Montreal Canadiens Projected Lineup

Boston Bruins Projected Lineup

Geekie – Zacha – Pastrnak

Koepke – Lindholm – Lysell

Khusnutdinov – Mittelstadt – Lettieri

Laurko – Beecher – Brown

Zadorov – Jokiharju

Wotherspoon – Peeke

Lohrei – Mitchell

Swayman

How to Watch the Montreal Canadiens vs. the Boston Bruins, Thursday, April 3, 2025

Game 75 of the regular season will be aired on RDS and Sportsnet. Once the game is over, an instant recap complete with highlights will be available on Montreal Hockey Now.