Canadiens @ Senators: Game thread, rosters, lines, and how to watch

The Montreal Canadiens open up the regular season on Wednesday night, with many players knowing they will be on the roster when the 82-game schedule begins. Many veterans are simple waiting for the real games to start, while Victor Mete and Jesperi Kotkaniemi, the young players who have surprised the most over the last two seasons, will watch tonight’s game knowing that they have done everything required of them at training camp.

However, there are still more players than there are spots available for the season, so despite the score not meaning much in tonight’s final game, the performances of the players will.

A brimming pool of left-wingers has left Charles Hudon without an assurance of a quality roster position, but with a solid effort on a line with Tomas Tatar and Phillip Danault, he can remind the coaching staff just how effective his game can be. Xavier Ouellet has had a good camp and can prove he’s one of the better defenders in tonight’s game to earn his position.

The main battles will be contested at the bottom of the forward lineup, with Matthew Peca, Jacob de la Rose, Kenny Agostino, Michael Chaput, and Nikita Scherbak still in the mix. All of the players would need to be placed on waivers before they could play in the AHL, so the Canadiens will need to ensure they’re keeping their best players and not risking the loss of a superior one.

Deciding on who will comprise the fourth line is going to be an agonizing process for the men at the helm, and tonight is the last chance for the players to stand out from the crowd.

Puck drop is at 7:00 PM EDT / 4:00 PM PDT

How to watch

In the Canadiens region: RDS, RDS Direct (French)
In the Senators region: TSN5, TSN Direct (English)
Elsewhere: NHL.tv/Rogers NHL Live

Montreal Canadiens projected lineup

Forwards

Defencemen

Goaltenders

Ottawa Senators projected lineup

Forwards

Defencemen

Goaltenders