While the Avalanche are getting their captain back, the talk surrounding the Canadiens’ lineup is who is not there. The Habs have lost their top two offensive centres to injury, with both Alex Galchenyuk and David Desharnais out for at least six weeks. The Canadiens are not changing their lineup from their dominant win against the New Jersey Devils, but they have recalled Mark Barberio and Michael McCarron to help fill in some of the holes the injuries have created.
On the other side, the Avalanche have struggled this season, as they have in recent years. That is not to say they are not a dangerous team with the likes of Matt Duchene and Nathan MacKinnon to watch out for. Rene Bourque will also be playing for the Avs, and his eight goals are only three behind the total he had all of last season between the AHL and NHL.
The Habs will turn to a familiar, reliable face in goal, with Carey Price being in his usual spot for the Saturday night game. He will be opposed by Calvin Pickard, the younger brother of Price’s former Tri-Cities Americans backup, Chet.
Jarome Iginla is also playing in his 1500th NHL game tonight, which means it is a good time to remember his pass to Sidney Crosby that led to the Golden Goal in the Vancouver 2010 Olympics.
Puck drop is at 7:00 PM EST / 4:00 PM PST.
How to Watch
In Canada Sportsnet360, CityTV, TVA Sports
In the Avalanche region: Altitude Network
Elsewhere: NHL.tv/GameCentre Live, NHL Center Ice
Expected Montreal Canadiens Lineup
| Left Wing | Centre | Right Wing |
|---|---|---|
| Max Pacioretty | Tomas Plekanec | Alexander Radulov |
| Paul Byron | Torrey Mitchell | Brendan Gallagher |
| Artturi Lehkonen | Phillip Danault | Andrew Shaw |
| Sven Andrighetto | Brian Flynn | Daniel Carr |
| Left Defence | Right Defence |
|---|---|
| Alexei Emelin | Shea Weber |
| Andrei Markov | Jeff Petry |
| Nathan Beaulieu | Zach Redmond |
| Goalies |
|---|
| Carey Price |
| Al Montoya |
Injured: Alex Galchenyuk (knee), David Desharnais (knee), Greg Pateryn (fractured ankle)
Scratched: Mark Barberio, Michael McCarron
Predicted Colorado Avalanche Lineup
| Left Wing | Centre | Right Wing |
|---|---|---|
| Matt Duchene | John Mitchell | Mikko Rantanen |
| Rene Bourque | Nathan MacKinnon | Jarome Iginla |
| Gabriel Landeskog | Carl Soderberg | Mikhail Grigorenko |
| Andreas Martinsen | Joe Colborne | Blake Comeau |
| Left Defence | Right Defence |
|---|---|
| Nikita Zadorov | Tyson Barrie |
| Francois Beauchemin | Cody Goloubef |
| Fedor Tyutin | Patrick Wiercioch |
| Goalies |
|---|
| Calvin Pickard |
| Semyon Varlamov |
Injured: Erik Johnson (broken leg)
Scratched: Cody McLeod, Eric Gelinas
