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

Montreal Canadiens @ Winnipeg Jets

How to watch

Start time: 8:00 PM EDT / 5:00 PM PDT
In the Canadiens region: TSN2 (English), RDS (French)
In the Jets region: TSN3
Streaming: NHL.tv/NHL Live, RDS Direct, TSN Direct

With news that Ben Chiarot will be out for what could be the entire second half of the season, the Canadiens now have to find some defencemen from within who can play serviceable minutes on the left side to help keep the regular stars fresh down the stretch. While the best option the organization has at the moment may be Otto Leskinen, Xavier Ouellet was the one who travelled west with the Habs on their road trip, and tonight he gets called into action for the first time this season.

Ouellet is no slouch himself, and Claude Julien was perfectly happy to play him in a regular role during last year’s post-season, getting around 14 minutes in each of the 10 games. He will be in a tough position tonight as he plays a Jets team on a high from three great games versus the Toronto Maple Leafs after not playing for over two weeks.

If he does show a bit of rust, he will at least have a resurgent Carey Price behind him to bail him out. Saturday’s game in Calgary was the first time in five games that Price finished with a save percentage under .958, and the .917 mark he did post was quite good considering how many quality chances the Flames were allowed. The Canadiens can only hope for a similar performance from their netminder again tonight as they try to get a key win versus a rival several points up in the standings.

Montreal Canadiens projected lineup

Injured: Ben Chiarot (broken hand)
Scratched: Artturi Lehkonen, Victor Mete

Winnipeg Jets projected lineup