Tonight showcases two teams on very different paths.
The Montreal Canadiens roll into Columbus sporting an 9-0-1 record, sitting atop of the league standings, and remain the only NHL team undefeated in regulation. This seems eerily similar to last season, but the feeling around this team is quite different this year, and everything seems to be clicking for the Habs as of late.
Al Montoya gets the start tonight, and has thrived this season during Carey Price’s absence. Even with Price back, he has a 3-0-1 record, .955 save percentage and 1.47 GAA, and will look to get the job done.
The line of Radulov, Galchenyuk and Gallagher were the best line last game against the Canucks, combining for six points. This is one of the most dangerous lines the Habs have had in a while, and they always make something happen when they’re on the ice.
Meanwhile, the Blue Jackets are seen as a candidate to be one of the worst teams in the league this year. They have a record of 4-3-1, good for sixth in the Metro Division. Captain Nick Foligno leads the Jackets with nine points, with five in his last four, and is looking to rebound from a poor season last year. He’s on a line with Brandon Saad and Alex Wennberg, who’ve looked dangerous lately as well.
Puck Drop is 7:00 PM EST
How to watch:
Canada (English): Sportsnet East
Canada (French): RDS
Columbus Region: Fox Sports Ohio
Montreal Canadiens Projected Lineup
| Left Wing | Centre | Right Wing |
|---|---|---|
| Max Pacioretty | David Desharnais | Andrew Shaw |
| Alexander Radulov | Alex Galchenyuk | Brendan Gallagher |
| Artturi Lehkonen | Tomas Plekanec | Paul Byron |
| Philip Danault | Torrey Mitchell | Brian Flynn |
| Left Defence | Right Defence |
|---|---|
| Alexei Emelin | Shea Weber |
| Andrei Markov | Jeff Petry |
| Nathan Beaulieu | Greg Pateryn |
| Goaltenders |
|---|
| Al Montoya |
| Carey Price |
Scratched: Joel Hanley, Daniel Carr.
Columbus Blue Jackets Projected Lineup
| Left Wing | Centre | Right Wing |
|---|---|---|
| Boone Jenner | Brandon Dubinsky | Cam Atkinson |
| Brandon Saad | Alexander Wennberg | Nick Foligno |
| Matt Calvert | William Karlsson | Josh Anderson |
| Scott Hartnell | Lukas Sedlak | Sam Gagner |
| Left Defence | Right Defence |
|---|---|
| Zach Werenski | Seth Jones |
| Ryan Murray | Jack Johnson |
| Markus Nutivaara | David Savard |
| Goaltenders |
|---|
| Sergei Bobrovsky |
| Curtis McElhinney |
Scratched: Sonny Milano, Scott Harrington, Dalton Prout.
