The Montreal Canadiens (24-22-5) are set to face the Anaheim Ducks (21-24-6) on Sunday afternoon, with the puck drop scheduled for 4 pm ET.
It’s the first game of the dreaded West Coast trip, though given how poorly some of the Californian teams have played this year, the Habs will have a great opportunity to bolster their playoff hopes.
While a strong stretch in December and January led to improved playoff odds, the recent losses have resulted in the odds dropping below 15 percent.
Such is life in a forced-parity league. Not only are the Canadiens in the mix for a Wild Card spot, they’re also quite close to being among the bottom-five teams in the league, as evidenced by their five-point lead over the Ducks, who are currently 28th in the NHL.
ON TOPIC: Impact Of Long Term Kaiden Guhle Injury On Canadiens Lineup
A few wins in California would go a long way in re-establishing the momentum from January, not to mention the level of confidence necessary to navigate the final stretch of the 2024-25 season.
Both Logan Mailloux and Owen Beck were recalled from the Laval Rocket, which means they will not take part in the AHL All-Star festivities this weekend, which are also set to take place in California. Missing the All-Star Game is a shame, but I’m certain neither player will bemoan the situation. Not only does it bring them one-step closer to their long-term goals, securing a permanent job in the lineup, the discrepancy in pay between both leagues is impossible to ignore.
Due to the early start, the pre-game media availabilities were pushed back. Once an update is available we will modify the projected lineup.
Montreal Canadiens Projected Lineup
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Anaheim Ducks Projected Lineup
Vatrano – Strome – Terry
Zegras – Carlsson – Killorn
Gauthier – McTavish – Fabbri
Harkins – Lundestrom – Leason
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Lacome – Gudas
Mintyukov – Trouba
Dumoulin – Helleson
Dostal
How to Watch The Montreal Canadiens vs. Anaheim Ducks, Sunday, February 2, 2025.
Game 52 of the regular season will be aired on RDS and TSN2. Once the game is over, an instant recap complete with highlights will be available on Montreal Hockey Now.
Marc has been covering the Habs for over a decade. He previously worked for Journal Metro, The Athletic, The … More about Marc Dumont