The Montreal Canadiens (26-30-4) are set the face the Los Angeles Kings (34-20-8) Thursday night. The puck drop is scheduled for 10:30 p.m. ET.
Martin St-Louis’ team will look to build upon the momentum they gained on Tuesday against the San Jose Sharks. After an incredibly sleepy start to the game, the Canadiens snatched victory from the jaws of defeat, culminating with a late-game rally thanks to goals from Kaiden Guhle and Jesse Ylonen.
Newcomer Denis Gurianov may not have registered a point in his Canadiens debut, but he stood out as the team’s most engaged forward, putting six shots on net, including two high-danger chances.
A change of address clearly reinvigorated the 6’3 forward, although some credit must be given to St-Louis, who placed his new player on the Canadiens’ top line, alongside Nick Suzuki and Mike Hoffman. Consequently, Gurianov was given over 17 minutes of ice time, the highest TOI he’s enjoyed all season.
(who is he playing with)
With the NHL trade deadline just around the corner, this will be the Canadiens’ last opportunity to showcase players who have garnered interest in the trade market.
Joel Edmundson was present at practice, rotating in and out of various pairings, but forward Sean Monahan was unfortunately nowhere to be found.
St-Louis will have to confirm Edmundson’s place in the lineup, but as it stands, it seems like he’s finally ready to make his long-awaited return to the lineup.
Looking like a strong possibility Joel Edmundson will play tonight vs LAK
— Eric Engels (@EricEngels) March 2, 2023
MUST READ: Interest in Edmundson Remains High
Jake Allen will start for the Canadiens.
As for the Kings, they’re 6-2-2 in the last 10 games and will look to solidify their position as one of the best teams in the wide-open Western Conference.
They’ll do so without longtime backstop Jonathan Quick, who was unceremoniously traded to the Columbus Blue Jackets on Wednesday in exchange for Joonas Korpisalo and Vladislav Gavrikov.
We’ve acquired defenseman Vladislav Gavrikov and goaltender Joonas Korpisalo from the Columbus Blue Jackets in exchange for goaltender Jonathan Quick, a conditional first-round pick in the 2023 NHL Draft, and a third-round pick in the 2024 NHL Draft.#GoKingsGo
— LA Kings (@LAKings) March 1, 2023
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Montreal Canadiens Injuries
Chris Wideman (Week-To-Week)
Joel Armia (Day-To-Day)
Kirby Dach (Out Indefinitely)
Brendan Gallagher (Injured Reserve)
Jake Evans (Injured Reserve)
Arber Xhekaj (Injured Reserve)
Juraj Slafkovsky (Injured Reserve)
Cole Caufield (Injured Reserve)
Sean Monahan (LTIR)
Carey Price (LTIR)
Paul Byron (LTIR)
Los Angeles Kings Injuries
Brendan Lemieux (Injured Reserve)
Jacob Ingham (Injured Reserve)
Montreal Canadiens Previous Lineup
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Los Angeles Kings Projected Lineup
Byfield – Kopitar – Kempe
Fiala – Danault – Arvidsson
Iafallo – Lizotte – Vilardi
Grundstrom- Kupari – Kaliyev
Defence:
Anderson – Doughty
Gavrikov – Roy
Durzi – Walker
Goalies:
Korpisalo
Copley
Special Teams
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How to Watch Or Listen
Marc has been covering the Habs for over a decade. He previously worked for Journal Metro, The Athletic, The … More about Marc Dumont