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

Montreal Canadiens @ Columbus Blue Jackets

How to watch

Start time: 7:00 PM EST / 4:00 PM PST
In the Canadiens region: TSN2, TSN Direct (English), RDS, RDS Direct (French)
In the Blue Jackets region: Fox Sports Ohio
Streaming: NHL.tv/NHL Live

The Montreal Canadiens go into tonight’s meeting — the first of a back-to-back — knowing that they’ll be without both Jonathan Drouin and Paul Byron perhaps until the start of the new year. The loss of a player who had scored at a 20-goal pace in each of the last three seasons and another who was playing well enough to get consideration on the top line is going to put the team under pressure to maintain the scoring it enjoyed to start the season.

Even with both players available, the Canadiens scored just two times versus a very aggressive Blue Jackets team last Tuesday. Montreal will now be expecting that forechecking pressure, and can plan their own strategy around it.

Joonas Korpisalo, who had been left on the bench in favour of Elvis Merzlikins a week ago because the coach thought he needed to settle his emotions a bit, is in tonight for a home start. Seeing the netminder smash a stick or two will be a good indication that the Habs are coping well with a few injuries up front.

Montreal Canadiens projected lineup

Injured: Paul Byron, Jonathan Drouin
Scratched:Christian Folin, Mikey Reilly

Columbus Blue Jackets projected lineup