Canadiens Pre Game
Canadiens Playoffs Preview & Lines: Demidov To Play With Laine
The Montreal Canadiens (40-31-11) are set to face the Washington Capitals (51-22-9), with the puck drop scheduled for 7 pm ET.
This will be the first game of the playoffs for both teams, as the eighth-seed Canadiens attempt to start their first-round series against the top team in the Eastern Conference on the right foot.
Game One, Canadiens – Capitals Eastern Conference Playoffs
Forward Patrik Laine is set to play with newcomer Ivan Demidov on the second line, which is a somewhat different combination than we saw in the final two games of the year. It had originally been Joel Armia on the second line with Demidov, while Laine played on the fourth line. Of course, line matters aren’t that important when discussing Canadiens combinations. Ice time will tell the tale of which line has gained the trust of head coach Martin St-Louis.
Nick Suzuki will likely face Pierre-Luc Dubois quite often in this series, particularly while on the road, which means the Canadiens will have to count on more than just Suzuki, Cole Caufield, and Juraj Slafkovsky to carry the offensive load. Dubois serves as Washington’s shutdown centre, while Alex Ovechkin’s line does most of the damage in the offensive zone.
As for the defensive pairings, St-Louis is not expected to make any changes, which means Arber Xhekaj will watch from the press box, as David Savard and Jayden Struble are used on the third pairing. Mike Matheson and Alexandre Carrier will resume their play the second pairing, while Lane Hutson and Kaiden Guhle will feature on the first pairing. Again, it all comes down to ice time, with the Canadiens listing Carrier and Matheson as the team’s top defensive combination, rather than Hutson and Guhle.
MUST READ: Ivan Demidov’s Immediate Impact Goes Beyond Points
One of the most significant factors in the series will be whether Logan Thompson is available to start all the games for the Capitals. The 28-year-old netminder was the first goaltender off the ice at practice on Monday, therefore there are very healthy chances he will indeed start game one for Washington.
Aliaksei Protas, on the other hand, will not be available, though there’s a chance he will return at some point during the series.
If you’re looking to learn more about the Capitals prior to puck drop, make sure to check out our playoff primer.
Montreal Canadiens Projected Lineup
| Cole Caufield | Nick Suzuki | Juraj Slafkovsky |
| Ivan Demidov | Jake Evans | Alex Newhook |
| Josh Anderson | Christian Dvorak | Brendan Gallagher |
| Emil Heineman | Oliver Kapanen | Joel Armia |
| Mike Matheson | Alexandre Carrier** |
| Kiaden Guhle | Lane Hutson |
| Arber Xhekaj | David Savard |
| Jakub Dobes |
| Cayden Primeau |
Washington Capitals Projected Lineup
Alex Ovechkin – Dylan Strome – Anthony Beauvillier
Connor McMichael – Pierre-Luc Dubois – Tom Wilson
Andrew Magiapane – Lars Eller – Ryan Leonard
Brandon Duhaime – Nic Dowd – Taylor Raddysh
Jakub Chychrun – John Carlson
Rasmus Sandin – Matt Roy
Alexander Alexeyev – Trevor van Riemsdyk
Logan Thompson
Charlie Lindgren
How to Watch the Montreal Canadiens vs. the Washington Capitals, Monday, April 21, 2025
Game 82 of the regular season will be aired on TVA Sports and Sportsnet. Once the game is over, an instant recap complete with highlights will be available on Montreal Hockey Now.
Montreal Canadiens playoff odds via Money Puck.
The sky is blue! Come on over to the other platform Marc! Would so like to have you there for this run!
Hey Simon, I genuinely appreciate the invitation. Honestly, it means a lot.
At this point in my life, I’m much more likely to just drop all social media, rather than moving over. It has nothing to do with the great people over at Bluesky either, but life is short, and the more time we spend on social media, the less time we spend on things that really matter.
My insomnia has really taken over in the last year or so, and my energy is limited these days due to a lack of sleep.