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With a win today Montreal will sit 2 points behind the Lightning.
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Tampa Bay is riddled with injuries at the moment, including both their goalies. Steven Stamkos is still recovering from a broken leg, and the Lightning lost Valtteri Filppula as well. Essentially the timing couldn't be better for the Habs, as the playoff race in the Eastern Conference is getting extremely heated.
The Lightning are coming off consecutive losses, and will rely on former Canadiens prospect Cedrick Desjardins to tend the goal.
This is the third meeting between the two clubs this season. Both previous games went to a shootout, and each team took home a 2-1 win.
Recent call up Christian Thomas practiced on a line with Bourque and Eller, due to Prust feeling ill from the flu, but it's uncertain whether or not he will face the Lightning, and his father (Steve Thomas) this afternoon.
Update: Michael Bournival will not start the game due to illness, which means Christian Thomas will play his first game as a member of the Montreal Canadiens. The lineup is definitely subject to change.
Puck drop is at 1:00 PM at the Bell Centre.
Here are your projected lineups:
Left Wing | Center | Right Wing |
Christian Thomas | Tomas Plekanec | Brian Gionta |
Max Pacioretty | David Desharnais | Brendan Gallagher |
Rene Bourque | Lars Eller | Brandon Prust |
Travis Moen | Daniel Briere | George Parros |
Left Defense | Right Defense |
Josh Gorges | P.K. Subban |
Andrei Markov | Alexei Emelin |
Douglas Murray | Nathan Beaulieu |
Goaltenders |
Carey Price |
Peter Budaj |
Scratches: Raphael Diaz, Francis Bouillon.
Injuries: Michael Bournival, (flu) Davis Drewiske (shoulder surgery, practicing), Alex Galchenyuk (wrist, 3-4 weeks), Ryan White (shoulder, 1-2 weeks).
As for the Tampa Bay Lightning
Left Wing | Center | Right Wing |
Ondrej Palat | Tyler Johnson | Martin St.Louis |
Alex Killorn | Nikita Kucherov | Teddy Purcell |
J.T. Brown | Nate Thompson | Tom Pyatt |
Ryan Malone | BJ Combreen |
Left Defense | Right Defense |
Sami Salo | Victor Hedman |
Matt Carle | Radko Gudkas |
Eric Brewer | Mark Barberio |
J.P. Cote |
Goaltenders |
Cedrick Desjardins |
Kristers Gudlevskis |
Check out the opposing side at Raw Charge