Canadiens @ Bruins: Game thread, rosters, lines, and how to watch

Montreal Canadiens @ Boston Bruins

How to watch

Puck drop: 7:00 PM EDT / 4:00 PM PDT
In Canada: Sportsnet One, CityTV, Sportsnet Now (English,) TVA Sports (French)
In the US: NHL Network
In the Bruins region: NESN
Elsewhere: NHL.tv/Rogers NHL Live

After winning three games in a row quite recently, the Canadiens haven’t been able to maintain their play for the entire 60 minutes in the past seven days. It started off with a 3-1 first-period lead in Ottawa being erased, with the Senators eventually winning the game in overtime. On Thursday, the quick passing and forechecking the Canadiens have employed in the early part of the season was rarely seen against the Buffalo Sabres, and they once again watched the home side come back and claim the two points.

With the exception of their loss versus the Los Angeles Kings, each game the Canadiens have failed to win this season has come while facing an Atlantic Division team on the road, with the overtime loss to the Maple Leafs on opening night joining the two mentioned above. Tonight they hope that trend doesn’t continue, as they take on the Boston Bruins in the rivalry’s first instalment of the season.

The Canadiens have made a change at forward for the game, replacing Andrew Shaw with Charles Hudon, who sat out the previous three games in favour of Nicolas Deslauriers. Hudon will be eager to show that the decision to leave him on the sidelines was a mistake, and he’ll be doing his best to improve upon the two goals he has to this point.

A change was forced on the back end due to an upper-body injury to Noah Juulsen. In the rookie’s place comes Karl Alzner, who will play just his third game of the season tonight. He may see a lot of Brad Marchand, Patrice Bergeron, and David Pastrnak both in matchup situations at five-on-five and on the penalty kill.

The three Bruins forwards are leading the team in scoring and ranking high on the league leaderboard yet again, led by Pastrnak’s 10 goals. Limiting their offence will be a key factor in tonight’s game if Montreal is to get back in the win column.

Montreal Canadiens projected lineup

Boston Bruins projected lineup