Montreal Canadiens @ Winnipeg Jets
How to watch
Start time: 8:00 PM EST / 5:00 PM PST
In the Canadiens region: TSN2 (English), RDS (French)
In the Jets region: TSN3
Streaming: NHL.tv/NHL Live, RDS Direct, TSN Direct
It’s only been two days since the Canadiens last played, but there have been some major changes in Montreal. After another loss to the Ottawa Senators, Marc Bergevin decided he’d seen enough losing, enough disappoining performances from a group of players that looked like the cream of the crop in the fist 10 games of the season, and fired Claude Julien from head-coaching duties.
The team that faces the Winnipeg Jets for the first of nine meetings this season will be helmed by Dominique Ducharme. He’s already made a few adjustments, reuniting the line of Tomas Tatar, Phillip Danault, and Brendan Gallagher in an effort to rediscover the play that had them among the league’s best chance-generators for two seasons. He would prefer to see the line taking control of the game, rather than getting frustrated with 50/50 calls that go against them in games that are closer than they should be.
His first scratch as the bench boss is Jake Evans, who comes out of the lineup for the first time all season. What had been a stable role as the fourth-line centre will be taken by Paul Byron, who has played the position for Montreal before. Evans’s departure means that Artturi Lehkonen draws back in after sitting out for the two losses to Ottawa.
The defence will stay the same, at least to start, and Carey Price gets the call in goal. All 19 players who will hit the ice have received a loud message that their play of late has been unacceptable, and we’ll see how they respond to a new instructor.
Montreal Canadiens projected lineup
Forwards
| Left Wing | Centre | Right Wing |
|---|---|---|
| Jonathan Drouin | Nick Suzuki | Josh Anderson |
| Tomas Tatar | Phillip Danault | Brendan Gallagher |
| Tyler Toffoli | Jesperi Kotkaniemi | Corey Perry |
| Artturi Lehkonen | Paul Byron | Joel Armia |
Defencemen
| Left Defence | Right Defence |
|---|---|
| Ben Chiarot | Shea Weber |
| Joel Edmundson | Jeff Petry |
| Brett Kulak | Alexander Romanov |
Goaltenders
| Starter | Backup |
|---|---|
| Carey Price | Jake Allen |
Scratched: Jake Evans, Victor Mete
Winnipeg Jets projected lineup
Forwards
| Left Wing | Centre | Right Wing |
|---|---|---|
| Pierre-Luc Dubois | Mark Scheifele | Blake Wheeler |
| Kyle Connor | Paul Stastny | Nikolaj Ehlers |
| Andrew Copp | Adam Lowry | Mason Appleton |
| Mathieu Perreault | Nate Thompson | Trevor Lewis |
Defencemen
| Left Defence | Right Defence |
|---|---|
| Derek Forbort | Neal Pionk |
| Josh Morrissey | Nathan Beaulieu |
| Sami Niku | Dylan DeMelo |
Goaltenders
| Starter | Backup |
|---|---|
| Connor Hellebuyck | Laurent Brossoit |
