Canadiens vs. Avalanche Game thread, rosters, lines, and how to watch
The Habs visit the last-place Avalanche looking to get back into the win column.
The Montreal Canadiens are currently stuck in a three-game losing skid, with their most recent defeat being a 1-0 shootout loss to the Edmonton Oilers on Sunday afternoon. Even with this current streak, they remain atop the Atlantic Division standings, with the Ottawa Senators currently eight points behind. However, Ottawa does have four games in hand, so there is a reason for slight concern, though that means four fewer rest days over the remaining two months of the season.
The Canadiens need to get going offensively, as thei lack of scoring has cost them recently, with only three goals in their last three games. Max Pacioretty has led the charge lately, with five points in his last four outings, and is tied for fourth in league goal-scoring with 25.
Tonight’s opponent, the Colorado Avalanche, is currently dead last in the NHL, and has been struggling mightily, with only one win in their last 11 games. Trade rumours have been swirling around the team, as captain Gabriel Landeskog and star forward Matt Duchene are supposedly on the trading block. Nathan MacKinnon leads the team with 34 points, followed by Duchene at 32.
Calvin Pickard will get the start against the Habs tonight. He currently owns an 8-14-1 record, with a save percentage of .903 and a goals-against average of 3.05.
How to watch
Puck drop: 9:00 PM EST / 6:00 PM PST
In Canada: Sportsnet East (English), RDS (French)
In the United States: Altitude TV
Elsewhere: NHL.tv/NHL Gamecenter Live, NHL Center Ice
Montreal Canadiens projected lineup
| Left Wing | Centre | Right Wing |
|---|---|---|
| Max Pacioretty | Phillip Danault | Alexander Radulov |
| Artturi Lehkonen | Alex Galchenyuk | Paul Byron |
| Sven Andrighetto | Tomas Plekanec | Andrew Shaw |
| Torrey Mitchell | David Desharnais | Brian Flynn |
| Left Defence | Right Defence |
|---|---|
| Alexei Emelin | Shea Weber |
| Nathan Beaulieu | Jeff Petry |
| Andrei Markov | Nikita Nesterov |
| Goaltenders |
|---|
| Carey Price |
| Al Montoya |
Scratched: Jacob de la Rose, Greg Pateryn
Injured: Brendan Gallagher (fractured hand)
Colorado Avalanche projected lineup
| Left Wing | Centre | Right Wing |
|---|---|---|
| Gabriel Landeskog | Nathan Mackinnon | Mikko Rantanen |
| Mikhail Grigorenko | Matt Duchene | Matthew Nieto |
| Blake Comeau | John Mitchell | Jarome Iginla |
| Andreas Martinsen | Carl Soderberg | Joe Colborne |
| Left Defence | Right Defence |
|---|---|
| Francois Beauchemin | Nikita Zadorov |
| Mark Barberio | Cody Goloubef |
| Patrick Wiercioch | Fedor Tyutin |
| Goaltenders |
|---|
| Calvin Pickard |
| Spencer Martin |
Scratched: Eric Gelinas
Injured: Erik Johnson (broken fibula), Semyon Varlamov (hip), , Tyson Barrie (lower body)