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These three guys are going to generate many points together

No info yet about starting goalies or injury updates. Go Habs Go

Slafkovsky continues to tell reporters in interviews that he intends to play like Brady Tkachuk every game. How wonderful would that be! Dach is out with LBI that is rumoured to be his other knee but considered day to day. I think we need to evaluate Dach’s play next season but I’m not exactly brimming with confidence that he isn’t a bust. Montembault in net tonight Owen Beck has been recalled

I wonder if Evans will be here on Feb. 22 when the season resumes? Is the rest going to reinvigorate the team or are we gonna keep losing? Do we have a hope in hell of making the playoffs? What is Marty going to do with the lines? Is Slafkovsky going to be playing with Gallagher and Dvorak again? A young Bob Gainey looks like Zuckerberg

Posting since there’s no thread by 1st intermission. Today’s Matchup: Tampa Bay Lightning @ Montreal Canadiens - Sunday, February 9th @ 1PM - Centre Bell Tampa Bay Lineup Guentzel - Point - Goncalves Hagel - Cirelli - Chaffee Girgensons - Paul - Eyssimont Atkinson - Glendening - Duke Hedman - Raddysh McDonagh - Cernak Lilleberg - Perbix Vasilevskiy Halverson Montreal Canadiens Lineup Caufield - Suzuki - Slafkovský Newhook - Dach - Anderson Laine - Evans - Armia Beck - Dvorak - Gallagher Hutson - Matheson Struble - Carrier Xhekaj - Savard Dobeš Montembeault Storyline: Welcome to Super Bowl Sunday Habs fans where the Habs hold a 16-14-1 (tie against Philadelphia in 2002) record since they began playing their Super Bowl Sunday matinees every Sunday in 1990. There were a few exceptions where they didn’t play due to things like lockouts, etc. They hold a 21-14-1-2 overall on Super Bowl Sundays including games they played prior to it becoming a yearly thing. The Habs enter the contest amidst a rough patch within their schedule and hope to gain a crucial win for the team prior to a 2 week layoff for the 4 Nations Cup. A few weeks ago, the Montreal Canadiens defeated the Tampa Bay Lightning to gain a 2-0 season series lead against their modern day rivals. After the match, Tampa coach John Cooper referred to the division as being much closer than it has been in the recent past and that the days of having easy matches within the division are long gone. The Habs have been shutout for 2 consecutive games at home so they will need to find some offense from some of their top 6 if they look to stand a chance. The Lightning are entering the game after en extremely solid week, having defeated Ottawa twice and Detroit once both of which are teams that they desperately needed to beat as they are in direct competition for the final few playoff spots. In fact, while Ottawa entered the week with the 3rd playoff spot from our division, Tampa Bay now holds the spot after a very successful week. Finally, Kucherov is a late scratch today due to an upper body injury. Hopefully the Habs can take advantage.

It’s almost game time and no GDT?

Looks like the Habs need to get on another winning streak so let’s get this thing going… Tonight’s matchup: Montreal Canadiens @ San Jose Sharks - Tuesday, February 4th @ 10:30PM EST - Shark Tank (SAP Center) San Jose Sharks Lineup Eklund - Celebrini - Toffoli* Zetterlund - Poturalski - Smith Graff - Kunin - Goodrow Grundstrom - White - Duehr Walman - Thrun Ferraro - Thompson Mukhamadullin - Liljegren Georgiev Vanecek Montreal Canadiens Lineup Caufield - Suzuki - Slafkovský Newhook - Dach - Laine Anderson - Dvorak - Gallagher Pezzetta - Evans - Armia Matheson - Hutson Xhekaj - Carrier Struble - Savard Montembeault Dobeš Storyline Had the date been late October, 2021, one of the main storylines for the Habs heading into the Shark Tank would have been the mere fact that they had yet to find a victory in the building in the 21st century, having not done so since 1999. Since October 28th, 2021, however, the Habs have managed to come out victorious in 3 of their last 5 appearances in the building. Heading into today’s matchup, the Habs enter the game as the favorites to win. San Jose is suffering from many key injuries, including one of the Habs’ former players Tyler Toffoli who enters the contest as a game time decision. Will he enter the game in order to face his former team? The sharks have also recently traded their leading scorer in Granlund. Finally, their back end leaves much to be desired and Georgiev has not exactly been having a stellar season. The opportunity is there for the taking and the Habs should be desperate for a win. The Habs enter the contest with a couple of key injuries themselves but must learn to play with the lineup they have. After Dach and Laine were benched for much of the 3rd period last game, they need to come out and play their best today. Confidence is crucial with this bunch so let’s hope things begin to click again starting tonight. Another thing to note is that Montembeault gets the start tonight. More often than not, Dobeš has started the first of the two games in back to backs. Although I expect Dobeš to start tomorrow, this does theoretically give the Habs the opportunity to have their starting goalie both legs of the back to back. If Dobeš does play, however, he faces the tougher team and will play in front of a potentially tired group in their second leg of a back to back.

With a little less than 12 hours until game time, the Habs have another late game tonight (based on their regular timezone) when they face the LA Kings at the Crypto.com Arena at 10:30PM EST this evening. Tonight’s matchup: Montreal Canadiens @ Los Angeles Kings - Wednesday, February 5th @ 10:30PM - Crypto.com Arena LA Kings Lineup Turcotte - Kopitar - Kempe Fiala - Byfield - Laferriere Foegele - Danault - Moore Jeannot - Lewis - Thomas Gavrikov - Doughty Edmundson - Clarke Moverare - Spence Kuemper Rittich Montreal Canadiens Lineup Caufield - Suzuki - Slafkovský Newhook - Dach - Anderson Laine - Evans - Armia Beck - Dvorak - Gallagher Matheson - Hutson Struble - Carrier Xhekaj - Savard Dobeš Montembeault Storyline Until something changes in the “Great White North”, fans will always be reminded about the last time the Montreal Canadiens (or any Canadian team) won a Stanley Cup when these two teams square off. Heading into Wednesday’s game, both teams have something to play for. While many fans, critics and analysts have written the Habs off after their loss on Sunday to the Anaheim Ducks, should the Habs come out of this road trip with 4 out of a possible 6 points, things will no longer be necessarily looking so bleak. Currently, the Kings are only holding on to their playoff spot by 1 point, so tonight’s matchup could prove to be crucial for the morale of the team. The Canadiens on the other hand are sitting out of a playoff spot by 5 points but can move to within 3 points with a victory this evening. A few things to note prior to tonight’s game outside of the importance of the matchup in and of itself is that Drew Doughty has recently returned to the Kings’ lineup. After a long layoff due to an injury in the preseason, Doughty has played 3 games for the Kings and registered his first point in his last game. He will be a welcome addition to the team as Los Angeles has managed to score more than 2 goals in only 3 of their 14 games during this calendar year of 2025. Yes, this means that they have scored 2 goals or less in 11 games out of 14. While their defense is stingy, the Habs game plan needs to be to keep that number to 2 or less once again. With that being said, the Kings are coming off of a 4-2 win against Carolina and have had 3 days off since that win on Saturday. The Habs having had to travel from Southern California to Northern California and now back to Southern California are likely to be the more tired of the two teams, especially having played last night. From the Habs end, outside of their top players, it will be interesting to watch how Evans and Armia fare tonight, both of which have had an extremely effective California roadtrip. Here’s to hoping they can continue their succcess and perhaps even get Laine going. Finally, while the goaltending has not been confirmed as of yet, it is likely that Dobeš will get the nod tonight. Let’s hope he regains the form he had in his first few games with the big club and helps the team come out with an important victory this evening. On the Kings’ end, Kuemper has had a solid season for them. Time will tell if Dobeš can outduel the Kings’ goalie. Personally, I believe in Dobeš. Previous Meeting October 17, 2024: Kings 4 - 1 Habs

Kind of feels like an inflection point type of game. Habs are riding a 4 game losing streak and a win may propel us back to better play and more wins. Another loss, especially if the Habs lose big, could send us spinning. I want a win and to do that Montreal must overcome the loss of Guhle and Montembault needs a strong game. I don’t want the losing streak to continue…

I like smoke and lightnin' Heavy metal thunder Racin' with the wind And the feelin' that I'm under Yeah, darlin', go make it happen Take the world in a love embrace Fire all of your shots at once and Explode into space Like a true nature's child We were born, born to beat wild We can climb so high I never wanna die Born to beat wild, Baby !!!

Caufield- Suzuki- Slafkovsky Newhook - Dach - Laine Anderson - Evans - Armia Pezzetta - Dvorak - Gallagher Hutson - Matheson Guhle - Carrier Xhekaj - Savard Montembeault Preliminary lineups, subject to change. The first set of projected lineups I found had Reinbacher in a non-contact jersey with Guhle on the second pair. Somebody took the practice lines reflecting gameday line a little too far.

Past two GDT makers put a great deal of effort and care into their threads. I’m in a lazy mood

Objects in mirror are closer than they appear. The Habs have been burning rubber with two nitrous-fueled comebacks - first, Laine came up clutch against the Rangers in overtime, and then a late-game lamp-lighter by Evans got the checkered flag versus the Lightning. It’s time to put the pedal to the metal in Motor City and leave the Red Wings in our dust.

The Canadiens are at a crossroads, and the stakes couldn’t be higher. After a crushing loss to Toronto that threatened to derail their playoff hopes, the team found a spark—a massive character win over the Rangers the very next day. Now, with the final playoff spots within reach, Montreal faces off against a powerhouse Lightning team. Momentum is building in all the right places. The core is firing on all cylinders, with the team’s key players showing real growth and resilience. Confidence is growing, and the chemistry is undeniable. This is more than just a game—it’s a test of everything they’ve fought for. With every shift, the Canadiens are proving they belong in the hunt. Tuesday is a critical tilt—an opportunity to seize a moment that could define their push for the playoffs.

After a crushing defeat, the Habs need a win to show their resilience, restore their pride, keep the playoff hopes alive and remind everyone of their potential.

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First NHL game ever for the Canadiens Franchise in Salt Lake City. Lineup: #13 Cole Caufield #14 Nick Suzuki #20 Juraj Slafkovský #35 Alex Newhook #77 Kirby Dach #92 Patrik Laine #55 Michael Pezzetta #71 Jake Evans #40 Joel Armia #17 Josh Anderson #28 Christian Dvorak #11 Brendan Gallagher #48 Lane Hutson #8 Mike Matheson #21 Kaiden Guhle #45 Alexandre Carrier #72 Arber Xhekaj #58 David Savard #35 Samuel Montembeault (Starter) #75 Jakub Dobes Hockey Club: Clayton Keller Logan Cooley Nick Schmaltz Mattias Maccelli Barrett Hayton Josh Doan Jack McBain Nick Bjugstad Lawson Crouse Alex Kerfoot Kevin Stenlund Michael Carcone Mikhail Sergachev Olli Maatta Ian Cole Michael Kesselring Juuso Valimaki John Marino Karel Vejmelka (Starter) Connor Ingram

Game day thread #4. Well boys, after last night’s win, I decided I would follow up going to the Vancouver game (my first game in awhile) by attending tonight’s game as well. Personally, I get the sense that tonight will be even tougher, but am hoping for another positive outcome. Without further ado… Tonight’s matchup Dallas Stars @ Montreal Canadiens - Saturday, January 11th @ 7:00PM - Centre Bell Dallas Stars Lineup Robertson - Hintz - Dadonov Benn - Duchene - Johnston Steel - Bourque - Stankoven Back - Hyry - Blackwell Heiskanen - Lyubushkin Lindell - Lundkvist Harley - Dumba Oettinger DeSmith Montreal Canadiens Lineup Caufield - Suzuki - Slafkovský Pezzetta - Dach - Newhook Anderson - Dvorak - Gallagher Heineman - Evans - Armia Hutson - Matheson Guhle - Carrier Xhekaj - Struble Montembault Dobeš Storyline: Montreal comes into the game as one of the two hottest teams in the East, with the other being the Detroit Red Wings. The Habs are riding a 3 game win streak, have won 9 out of their last 11 games, and have taken out many of the league’s top teams and recent cup winners in the process. Dallas enters the Bell Center as one of the two hottest teams in the West, along with the Los Angeles Kings. The Stars are currently riding a 6 game win streak and will look to continue their scintillating play this evening. The story is a tale of two well oiled machines confronting each other in battle. Which team will be able to continue riding their wave into Sunday morning? We will find out when the game begins in less than 12 hours. This will be Montreal’s first matchup of the season against Dallas, however they will meet again in less than a week on January 16th.

Game day thread #3. If it ain’t broke don’t fix so I will keep things fairly similar. Game #41 brings us to the half way point of the season. Montreal Canadiens @ Washington Capitals - Friday, January 10th @ 7:00PM Montreal Canadiens Lineup Caufield - Suzuki - Slafkovský Pezzetta - Dach - Newhook Anderson - Dvorak - Gallagher Heineman - Evans - Armia Hutson - Matheson Guhle - Carrier Xhekaj - Struble Montembault Dobeš ** Starting Washington Capitals Lineup Ovechkin - Strome - Protas McMichael - Dubois - Wilson Miroshnichenko - Eller - Raddysh Duhaime - Dowd - Mangiapane Sandin - Carlson Chychrun - Van Riemsdyk Fehervary - Roy Thompson Lindgren Storyline: Both Montreal and Washington are coming off of thrilling overtime wins against the Vancouver Canucks. Montreal’s win 5-4, with Nick Suzuki sniping a power play goal in the extra frame. Washington’s game was a little tighter defensively, on the scoreboard at least, with Pierre-Luc Dubois playing very well and scoring both goals in the Capital’s 2-1 overtime win. Can the Canadiens keep up their impressive collective play as a unit, even with Patrik Laine once again on the sidelines? Or will the Capitals and Pierre-Luc Dubois frustrate his hometown team and come out with the victory? Also… Alex Ovechkin continues to chase down Gretzky’s scoring record. Logan Thompson, having not been named to team Canada for the 4 nations cup holds an impressive 17-2-2 record this year. Sam Montembault having been named to the team means that both goalies will be coming into the game with something to prove. Washington leads the season series 2-0 October 31st, 2024: 6-3 Washington December 7th, 2024: 4-2 Washington January 10th, 2025: TBD

I am excited to say that I’ll be at the game Monday night for the first time since I moved back from Southern California a little over 6 years ago. As a result, I’ll get the game day thread started early and update with any new lineup changes that may evolve tomorrow. I am hoping Laine will be in the lineup! Vancouver @ Montreal - Monday, January 6th @ 7:30pm Vancouver Canucks Debrusk - Miller - Boeser Di Giuseppe - Suter - Garland Joshua - Blueger - Sherwood Hoglander - Sasson - Heinen Brisebois - Myers Soucy - Juulsen Forbert - Desharnais Lankinen Silovs Montreal Canadiens Caufield - Suzuki - Slafkovsky Newhook - Dach - Pezzetta Anderson - Dvorak - Gallagher Heineman - Evans - Armia Hutson - Carrier Guhle - Matheson Xhekaj - Struble Montembault Dobes Storyline The Habs look to continue their recent play against a depleted Canucks lineup. Currently, the Canucks are without their top player Quinn Hughes and one of their top forwards in Elias Pettersson. While Lankinen has been a mainstay, Canucks goalie Thatcher Demko also remains out. For the Canadiens, both Savard and Laine remain day to day.

No game thread yet and the puck is about to drop… Haven’t made one in 15 years but I’ll rush one in. Go Habs Go!

Is this team finally coming together? Another afternoon game but those afternoon games have looked pretty good lately. I expect Montembault to play again.

Play the kid again?