With just two games left on the schedule before the All-Star break, the Canadiens look to increase their lead atop the Atlantic Division, with the Ottawa Senators hot on their heels and just eight points back and with three games at hand.
The Habs have been dealing with possibly their toughest stretch of the season schedule-wise. This will be the first week in January where the Canadiens don’t play games back-to-back. Not only have the Habs have to deal with a back-to-back for the past three weeks, but of the six games played, five were on the road (and all required travel).
With the prospect of a much-deserved break on the horizon, the Canadiens welcome the Calgary Flames to the Bell Centre. A team struggling over its last two weeks of hockey, the Flames have only produced one win in their past six games. The Flames are coming off a 4-0 loss in Toronto last night.
Puck Drop is 7:30 PM EST / 4:30 PM PST
How to watch:
Canada (English): Rogers Sportsnet East, Rogers Sportsnet West
Canada (French): RDS
Elsewhere: NHL.tv/NHL Gamecentre Live, NHL Centre Ice
Montreal Canadiens Projected Lineup
Forwards
| Left Wing | Centre | Right Wing |
|---|---|---|
| Max Pacioretty | Jonathan Drouin | Alex Galchenyuk |
| Artturi Lehkonen | Tomas Plekanec | Ales Hemsky |
| Paul Byron | Phillip Danault | Andrew Shaw |
| Charles Hudon | Jacob de la Rose | Brendan Gallagher |
Defencemen
| Left Defence | Right Defence |
|---|---|
| Victor Mete | Shea Weber |
| Karl Alzner | Jeff Petry |
| Joe Morrow | Jordie Benn |
Goaltenders
| Goaltenders |
|---|
| Antti Niemi |
| Charlie Lindgren |
Injured: Alex Galchenyuk (knee), Grey Pateryn (foot), Andrei Markov (lower body), Brendan Gallagher (fractured right hand), David Desharnais (knee)
Calgary Flames Projected Lineup
Forwards
| Left Wing | Centre | Right Wing |
|---|---|---|
| Evander Kane | Jack Eichel | Jason Pominville |
| Benoit Pouliot | Ryan O’Reilly | Kyle Okposo |
| Zemgus Girgensons | Sam Reinhart | Seth Griffith |
| Johan Larsson | Jacob Josefson | Jordan Nolan |
| Left Defence | Right Defence |
|---|---|
| Nathan Beaulieu | Rasmus Ristolainen |
| Marco Scandella | Matt Tennyson |
| Jake McCabe | Viktor Antipin |
| Goaltenders |
|---|
| Robin Lehner |
| Chad Johnson |
Injured: Garnet Hathaway (upper body), Ladislav Smid (neck)
