Credit: Bob DeChiara-Imagn Images

Game 52: Montreal Canadiens @ Boston Bruins

Start time: 7:00 PM EST / 4:00 PM PST
In the Canadiens region: CBC, Sportsnet E/O/P/1, Omni (English), TVA Sports (French)
In the Bruins region: NESN
Streaming: CBC Gem, ESPN+, Sportsnet+

For the first time since December 17, the Montreal Canadiens are no longer a seeded team in the Atlantic Division. With a win this afternoon, the Buffalo Sabres have moved into the third spot, and what was a threat from Buffalo to overtake the Canadiens with their recent play and especially two wins from head-to-head battles in the last two weeks, that threat is now the reality.

Montreal shouldn’t have needed any more motivation for tonight’s game versus Boston, but now they have some anyway. Already seeing one rival team pass them, the Bruins would move just one point back of the Habs with a regulation win tonight. The Habs need an effort equal to the one they had versus Boston just before the Christmas break to avoid losing another of these four-point games to a division opponent.

Needing a win, some changes have been made to the lineup. Alexandre Texier is ready to play after missing a few games with an injury, and Joe Veleno will come out of the lineup to make room for his return. On the blue line, Arber Xhekaj draws in for Jayden Struble. Nothing has changed in net from Thursday’s loss to Buffalo as Samuel Montembeault gets the call for consecutive games. He has been playing somewhat better, but tonight he needs to be a difference-maker to help the team claim a vital two points.

Montreal Canadiens projected lineup

Left Wing
Centre
Right Wing

#20 Juraj Slafkovský
#91 Oliver Kapanen
#93 Ivan Demidov

#13 Cole Caufield
#14 Nick Suzuki
#77 Kirby Dach

#17 Josh Anderson
#24 Phillip Danault
#11 Brendan Gallagher

#76 Zachary Bolduc
#71 Jake Evans
#85 Alexandre Texier

Left Defence
Right Defence

#8 Mike Matheson
#53 Noah Dobson

#21 Kaiden Guhle
#48 Lane Hutson

#72 Arber Xhekaj
#45 Alexandre Carrier

Starter
Backup

#35 Samuel Montembeault
#75 Jakub Dobeš

Scratched: Sammy Blais, Jayden Struble, Joe Veleno
Injured: Patrik Laine, Alex Newhook

Boston Bruins projected lineup

Left Wing
Centre
Right Wing

Marat Khustnutdinov
Elias Lindholm
David Pastrnak

Casey Mittelstadt
Pavel Zacha
Viktor Arvidsson

Alex Steeves
Fraser Minten
Morgan Geekie

Tanner Jeannot
Sean Kuraly
Mark Kastelic

Left Defence
Right Defence

Jonathan Aspirot
Charlie McAvoy

Hampus Lindholm
Mason Lohrei

Nikita Zadorov
Andrew Peeke

Starter
Backup

Jeremy Swayman
Joonas Korpisalo