{"id":536966,"date":"2026-04-02T17:49:14","date_gmt":"2026-04-02T17:49:14","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.rawchili.com\/nhl\/536966\/"},"modified":"2026-04-02T17:49:14","modified_gmt":"2026-04-02T17:49:14","slug":"canadiens-preview-fowler-starts-injured-skaters-not-ready","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.rawchili.com\/nhl\/536966\/","title":{"rendered":"Canadiens Preview: Fowler Starts, Injured Skaters Not Ready"},"content":{"rendered":"

The Montreal Canadiens<\/a> (43-21-10) will face the New York Rangers (31-35-9) on Thursday night, with the puck drop scheduled for 7 pm ET.<\/p>\n

This will be the third and final time these teams meet, with the Rangers having won both previous matchups. They were relatively close games, seeing New York emerge with a 4-3 win in October, and a 5-4 win in December. Much has changed since then. The Canadiens are close to qualifying for the playoffs, whereas the Rangers were just the second team to be officially eliminated from the playoff race.<\/p>\n

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As for Thursday\u2019s meeting, we can expect another high-scoring affair from the Habs. With 3.31 goals per game (all situations), the Canadiens rank third in the NHL in G\/PG, whereas the Rangers are a bottom-12 team in goals allowed (3.09). That being said, the Canadiens also allow roughly the same amount of goals per game, a good reminder that the team needs to shore up its defensive play<\/a> before the playoffs begin.<\/p>\n

Goals are fun, and comebacks are entertaining, but a seven-game series is a completely different animal. Defensive miscues are immediately exploited.<\/p>\n

Lineup Changes<\/p>\n

Rookie netminder Jacob Fowler will face the Rangers, looking to earn his third win in a row. It should also be noted that both Fowler and Jakub Dobes now have save percentages above .900<\/a>, a complete reversal in goaltending fortunes in Montreal. The first-year goalies deserve much of the credit, but so does Marco Marciano, the team\u2019s new goaltending guru.<\/p>\n

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Since Marciano\u2019s arrival, the numbers have continued to improve steadily, to the point that it would be fair to suggest hiring him to work in Montreal may have saved the season<\/a>.<\/p>\n

Three injured players took to the ice on Thursday morning, but Kirby Dach, Alexandre Carrier, and Alexandre Texier are not expected to be in uniform as the Canadiens take on the Rangers.<\/p>\n

Montreal Canadiens Projected Lineup<\/p>\n

Cole Caufield<\/a> \u2013 Nick Suzuki<\/a> \u2013 Juraj Slafkovsky<\/a><\/p>\n

Alex Newhook \u2013 Oliver Kapanen \u2013 Ivan Demidov<\/a><\/p>\n

Zach Bolduc \u2013 Jake Evans \u2013 Josh Anderson<\/p>\n

Joe Veleno \u2013 Phillip Danault \u2013 Brendan Gallagher<\/p>\n

Mike Matheson \u2013 Noah Dobson<\/p>\n

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Jayden Struble- Lane Hutson<\/p>\n

Kaiden Guhle \u2013 Arber Xhekaj<\/p>\n

Jacob Fowler<\/p>\n

New York Rangers Projected Lineup<\/p>\n

Gabe Perreault \u2013 Mika Zibanejad \u2013 Alexis Lafreniere<\/p>\n

Tye Kartye \u2013 J.T. Miller \u2013 Conor Sheary<\/p>\n

Will Cuylle \u2013 Vincent Trocheck \u2013 Adam Sykora<\/p>\n

Jonny Brodzinski \u2013 Noah Laba \u2013 Jaroslav Chmelar<\/p>\n

Vladislav Gavrikov \u2013 Adam Fox<\/p>\n

Drew Fortescue \u2013 Braden Schneider<\/p>\n

Matthew Robertson \u2013 Will Borgen<\/p>\n

Igor Shesterkin<\/p>\n

How To Watch The Habs Vs. The Rangers<\/p>\n

The Montreal Canadiens versus the New York Rangers, Thursday, April 2, 2026, will be aired<\/a> on RDS and TSN2. An instant recap complete with highlights will be available on Sportsnaut<\/a> as soon as the final whistle is blown.<\/p>\n

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