Comments / New

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

Now that the losing streak is done, can the Canadiens string consecutive wins together?

Dec 21, 2023; Saint Paul, Minnesota, USA; Montreal Canadiens defenseman David Savard (58) checks Minnesota Wild left wing Kirill Kaprizov (97) in the corner in the first period at Xcel Energy Center. | Credit: Matt Blewett-USA TODAY Sports

Game 17: Montreal Canadiens @ Minnesota Wild

Start time: **8:00 PM EST / 5:00 PM PST**
In the Canadiens region: TSN2 (English), RDS (French)
In the Wild region: Bally Sports North (BSN), Bally Sports Wisconsin (BSWI)
Streaming: ESPN+, RDS, TSN+

Though they did allow five goals on Monday afternoon to the Buffalo Sabres, the Canadiens looked quite good in all facets outside of goaltending. The top three forwards had exceptional games to outscore the issues in the crease. We’ve come to expect that from Cole Caufield so far this season as he sits tied for the league lead in goals, but Nick Suzuki and Juraj Slafkovský took big strides forward with their play.

They will need their stars and many others to play that well tonight to beat the Minnesota Wild. The Winnipeg Jets are stealing the headlines in the Central Division, but Minnesota still has the third-best record in the NHL at 10-2-3, and one of the best scorers in Kirill Kaprizov. The Russian winger is averaging almost two points per game so far, so the Canadiens will likely need to outscore their own season average to keep up.

Martin St-Louis has left his lineup intact after finally coming up with a combination that earned a win. The overall play has been gradually improving, so the coach hopes there can be another incremental step versus one of the top clubs in the NHL.

Montreal Canadiens projected lineup

Left Wing Centre Right Wing
#20 Juraj Slafkovský #14 Nick Suzuki #77 Kirby Dach
#35 Alex Newhook #71 Jake Evans #13 Cole Caufield
#17 Josh Anderson #28 Christian Dvorak #11 Brendan Gallagher
#51 Emil Heineman #82 Lucas Condotta #40 Joel Armia
Left Defence Right Defence
#21 Kaiden Guhle #8 Mike Matheson
#48 Lane Hutson #58 David Savard
#72 Arber Xhekaj #47 Jayden Struble
Starter Backup
#35 Samuel Montembeault #30 Cayden Primeau

Scratched: Justin Barron, Michael Pezzetta
Injured: Rafaël Harvey-Pinard, Patrik Laine

Minnesota Wild projected lineup

Left Wing Centre Right Wing
Kirill Kaprizov Marco Rossi Mats Zuccarello
Marcus Johansson Joel Eriksson Ek Matt Boldy
Marcus Foligno Frederick Gaudreau Ryan Hartman
Jakub Lauko Marat Khusnutdinov Yakov Trenin
Left Defence Right Defence
Jacob Middleton Brock Faber
Jon Merrill Jared Spurgeon
Declan Chisholm Zach Bogosian
Starter Backup
Filip Gustavsson Marc-Andre Fleury

Support Habs Eyes On The Prize by signing up for Norton 360

Talking Points