Canadiens vs. Bruins Game thread, rosters, lines, and how to watch

Things have been tough for the Montreal Canadiens of late, with their goaltenders struggling to stop the puck and their vaunted offensive depth limited mostly to the output of the captain. With a five-day break on the horizon to forget about the grind of the regular season for a short respite, the Habs will hope to head into the vacation on a high note with a win in the barn of their hated rival.

The team will get a big lift in tonight’s game against the Bruins in Boston. For the second season in a row, Brendan Gallagher returns from a hand injury just in time to face the Habs’ nemesis. Fans can only hope things go as well this time as they did in the Winter Classic a little more than a year ago.

On the line is a nine-game winning streak in whichever building the Bruins have called home over the last few seasons. Given the way the team has been playing in this recent stretch, the Habs may be hard-pressed to run that streak to 10, but with Gallagher back in the fold they just may be able to build some confidence before a brief hiatus.

How to watch

Puck drop: 7:30 PM EST / 4:30 PM PST
In Canada: Sportsnet (English), RDS (French)
In the United States: NBCSN
Elsewhere: NHL.tv/NHL Gamecenter Live, NHL Center Ice

Montreal Canadiens projected lineup

Forwards

Defencemen

Goaltenders

Scratched: Greg Pateryn, Sven Andrighetto, David Desharnais

Boston Bruins projected lineup

Forwards

Scratched: Matt Beleskey, John-Michael Liles, Joe Morrow
Injured: Austin Czarnik