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

Montreal Canadiens @ Tampa Bay Lightning

How to watch

Start time: 7:00 PM EST / 4:00 PM PST
In the Canadiens region: TSN2 (English), RDS (French)
Streaming: HULU, NHL Live, RDS Direct, TSN Direct

Tonight’s Canadiens lineup features nearly as many AHL players as NHL ones as the team deals with the injury issues that were present before the Christmas break and mutiple COVID cases that came about during it. It’s a difficult thing to manage versus a weak opponent, let alone the top team in the league.

The Tampa Bay Lightning are dealing with their own issues, however, missing both of their regular goaltenders, some key forwards, and a few defencemen, so the playing field will be levelled somewhat for tonight’s game. The odds should still be in favour of the club dressing Steven Stamkos, Brayden Point, and Victor Hedman, however.

With so many players out, we do get to see NHL debuts for Corey Schueneman and Rafaël Harvey-Pinard, so for them at least there is a silver lining in this situation. It offers a few more chances in a season full of them for the depth players in the organization.

Montreal Canadiens projected lineup

Tampa Bay Lightning projected lineup