Jonathan Drouin is back in the lineup ladies and gentlemen.
The 22-year-old forward suits up for the Montreal Canadiens tonight, as the Habs look to snap a two-game skid at the Bell Centre against the Edmonton Oilers. He will slot in between Andrew Shaw and Alex Galchenyuk.
Forward Jacob de la Rose will be the odd man out of the lineup for tonight.
The team is coming off of a rough overtime loss against the Calgary Flames, which included a controversial Calgary goal and even more even more controversial decision to bench Galchenyuk in the third period. The Canadiens can use this opportunity against the Oilers to spark some momentum their way and go into their four-day break with some positives. Getting back in the form that saw them win five straight just a week ago should be able to help optimize this team over the break.
As for the Oilers, they have had a mediocre stretch, winning just four of their last 10 games. Their offensive output has been good over that stretch with Connor McDavid netting 11 points, followed by Milan Lucic (seven), Marc Letestu (seven), and five others tied with six points.
The Oilers will also be bringing along a familiar face in defenceman Brandon Davidson. He plays his first game since the Oilers claimed him off waivers, and he’ll play beside Yohann Auvitu on the third defensive pairing tonight.
Puck drop is at 7:00 PM EST / 4:00 PM PST.
How to watch
In Canada: Sportsnet, Sportsnet Now (English), TVA Sports (French)
Elsewhere: NHL.tv/NHL GameCentre Live, NHL Center Ice
Montreal Canadiens projected lineup:
Forwards
| Left Wing | Centre | Right Wing |
|---|---|---|
| Alex Galchenyuk | Jonathan Drouin | Andrew Shaw |
| Max Pacioretty | Phillip Danault | Paul Byron |
| Charles Hudon | Tomas Plekanec | Brendan Gallagher |
| Nicolas Deslauriers | Byron Froese | Daniel Carr |
Defensemen
| Left Defence | Right Defence |
|---|---|
| Jordie Benn | Shea Weber |
| Karl Alzner | Jeff Petry |
| Jakub Jerabek | David Schlemko |
Goaltenders
| Goaltenders |
|---|
| Carey Price |
| Antti Niemi |
Injured: Ales Hemsky, Al Montoya, Nikita Scherbak, Artturi Lehkonen
Scratched: Joe Morrow, Victor Mete, Jacob de la Rose
Edmonton Oilers projected lineup
Forwards
| Left Wing | Centre | Right Wing |
|---|---|---|
| Mlian Lucic | Connor McDavid | Jesse Puljujarvi |
| Patrick Maroon | Ryan Nugent-Hopkins | Michael Cammalleri |
| Nathan Walker | Leon Draisaitl | Anton Slepyshev |
| Jujhar Khaira | Mark Letestu | Zack Kassian |
Defensemen
| Left Defence | Right Defence |
|---|---|
| Darnell Nurse | Kris Russell |
| Oscar Klefbom | Matt Benning |
| Yohann Auvitu | Brandon Davidson |
Goaltenders
| Goaltenders |
|---|
| Laurent Brossoit |
| Nick Ellis |
Injured: Andrej Sekera, Cam Talbot, Adam Larsson
Scratched: Eric Gryba, Ryan Strome.
