Montreal Canadiens @ New Jersey Devils
How to watch
Start time: 7:00 PM EST / 4:00 PM PST
In Canada: Sportsnet One, Sportsnet Now (English), RDS, RDS Direct (French)
In the Devils region: MSG+2
Elsewhere: NHL.tv/Rogers NHL Live
For the first time since the pre-season, the Canadiens will meet up with the New Jersey Devils, last year’s surprising playoff team. In the tune-up schedule, the Canadiens came away the victors, thanks in part to a stunning goal from Jesperi Kotkaniemi late in the game. However, the regular season is a different monster, and for the Devils, it’s currently tearing them apart.
A fantastic start has given way to mediocre results since. The Devils currently sit at the bottom of the Eastern Conference standings with just 18 points in 19 games. In net their long-time stalwart, Cory Schneider, has struggled, while his backup, Keith Kinkaid, has the chance to wrestle the starting job away.
Regardless of who is in net, the Canadiens’ offence will be tough for them to handle. New Jersey is also seeking more balanced production outside of their top line, which is buoyed by last year’s MVP Taylor Hall, but outside of that the team as a whole has been lacking bite on both sides of the puck.
Montreal is flying after a solid trip to Western Canada, and a thrilling affair with the Washington Capitals on Monday night. Max Domi remains red-hot, while Jeff Petry and Carey Price seem to have found the form that previously carried them to successful seasons. A struggling team like New Jersey is primed to get a crack at an opposing backup goaltender, but with back to back games this weekend it should be expected that Price will start in this one, leaving Antti Niemi to take on the Sabres on Friday.
On the injury front, Montreal will be down budding star Noah Juulsen, who is out indefinitely after taking a pair of shots to the face in Monday’s loss. Claude Julien has a few options, but the young defender has been a steady player at the back, and won’t be so easily replaced in the short term.
Montreal Canadiens projected lineup
Forwards
| Left Wing | Centre | Right Wing |
|---|---|---|
| Tomas Tatar | Phillip Danault | Brendan Gallagher |
| Jonathan Drouin | Max Domi | Andrew Shaw |
| Kenny Agostino | Jesperi Kotkaniemi | Artturi Lehkonen |
| Nicolas Deslauriers | Michael Chaput | Charles Hudon |
Defencemen
| Left Defence | Right Defence |
|---|---|
| Jordie Benn | Jeff Petry |
| David Schlemko | Xavier Ouellet |
| Mikey Reilly | Victor Mete |
Goaltenders
| Goaltenders |
|---|
| Carey Price |
| Antti Niemi |
New Jersey Devils projected lineup
Forwards
| Left Wing | Centre | Right Wing |
|---|---|---|
| Taylor Hall | Nico Hischier | Kyle Palmieri |
| Marcus Johansson | Pavel Zacha | Jesper Bratt |
| Blake Coleman | Travis Zajac | Joey Anderson |
| Miles Wood | Brett Seney | Jean-Sebastien Dea |
Defencemen
| Left Defence | Right Defence |
|---|---|
| Mirco Mueller | Damon Severson |
| Andy Greene | Eric Gryba |
| Will Butcher | Ben Lovejoy |
Goaltenders
| Goaltenders |
|---|
| Cory Schneider |
| Keith Kinkaid |
