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Canadiens @ Capitals: Game thread, lines, and how to watch

The Canadiens begin a short three-game road trip in Washington.

Credit: Geoff Burke-Imagn Images

Game 47: Montreal Canadiens @ Washington Capitals

Start time: 7:00 PM EST / 4:00 PM PST
In the Canadiens region: TSN2 (English), RDS (French)
In the Capitals region: MNMT
Streaming: ESPN+, RDS, TSN+

The Montreal Canadiens players probably felt like they forgot to pack something for this road trip, one comprising just three games, and that works them closer to home as it goes along. The biggest game on this brief journey will be a stop in Buffalo on Thursday that could ultimately have playoff implications, but before the Habs can think about the upcoming post-season, they’ll first visit the team they played in the last.

They have travelled to Washington, D.C. a day after a 6-3 win on home ice. The team is playing well, and that has been especially true on the road where they’ve earned a 13-4-5 record. They weren’t able to claim a win on the road in the playoff series, so this will be yet another chance for them to show they’ve improved from a year ago.

That task is made easier by several missing stars from the Capitals’ lineup. There is no Tom Wilson, nor will Jakob Chychrun, a defenceman with 15 goals already this season, be in the lineup tonight. As we often say, the Canadiens aren’t going to feel any sympathy for a club missing a few players, and they just showed a week ago when playing the decimated Florida Panthers that they’re not shy to capitalize on such a situation. They bring the better formation to this match, and it will be a matter of which club gets better goaltending and can execute its game plan to determine the winner.

Montreal Canadiens projected lineup

Left Wing Centre Right Wing
#20 Juraj Slafkovský #91 Oliver Kapanen #93 Ivan Demidov
#13 Cole Caufield #14 Nick Suzuki #85 Alexandre Texier
#76 Zachary Bolduc #24 Phillip Danault #17 Josh Anderson
#27 Sammy Blais #90 Joe Veleno #11 Brendan Gallagher
Left Defence Right Defence
#8 Mike Matheson #53 Noah Dobson
#48 Lane Hutson #45 Alexandre Carrier
#47 Jayden Struble #72 Arber Xhekaj
Starter Backup
#35 Samuel Montembeault #75 Jakub Dobeš

Scratched: Owen Beck, Jacob Fowler
Injured: Kirby Dach, Jake Evans, Kaiden Guhle, Patrik Laine, Alex Newhook

Washington Capitals projected lineup

Left Wing Centre Right Wing
Alexander Ovechkin Dylan Strome Aliaksei Protas
Anthony Beauvillier Connor McMichael Ryan Leonard
Brandon Duhaime Nic Dowd Ethen Frank
Sonny Milano Hendrix Lapierre Brett Leason
Left Defence Right Defence
Rasmus Sandin John Carlson
Martin Fehervary Matt Roy
Trevor van Riesmdyk Dylan McIlrath
Starter Backup
Logan Thompson Charlie Lindgren

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