The NHL's newest star steps onto hockey's biggest stage as Connor Bedard and the Chicago Blackhawks take on the Montreal Canadiens at the Bell Centre.
GAME DAY PREVIEW | Chicago Blackhawks vs Montreal Canadiens
Montreal Canadiens vs Chicago BlackhawksGame Preview
Roster News
No lineup changes are expected for the Canadiens for their second game of the regular season with the exception of Sam Montembeault getting his first start in goal.
Christian Dvorak continues to skate with the team wearing a non-contact jersey.
Last Game
In a roller-coaster of an opening game, the Canadiens twice held two-goal leads but couldn't hold them. In the end, Montreal settled for a single point.
Last game: MTL 5 TOR 6 (SO)
For a complete game recap: Canadiens Battle the Leafs in a Thrilling Match | RECAP: MTL @ TOR
Players to Watch
- Nick Suzuki - Will the Canadiens captain take on the role of shutting down Connor Bedard?
- Kirby Dach - Dach was dynamic in game one. Will he continue to dazzle against his former team?
- Sam Montembeault - Can Montembeault leave his struggles of the preseason behind and have a solid start against the Blackhawks?
Matchup for Game 2, Home Game 1
Bell Centre, Montreal, QC | October 14, 7:00 PM ET | TV: TVAS, SN360, CITY, SNE, NBCSCH, NHLN
Pre-Game
Tanner Pearson
- "Pretty much everyone knows [Connor Bedard.] It's not like guys are going to go easy on him. Look at the Penguins shorthanded on Tuesday, they faced him like he was (Alexander) Ovechkin, to take away the shot option from the edge of the boards. Bedard has quite the shot."
Johnathan Kovacevic
- "I'm focused on winning. They have more than Connor Bedard. I watched their game against Pittsburgh, they have young defensemen who skate well. They have the veteran line, (Corey) Perry, (Nick) Foligno and (Jason) Dickinson. As a competitor, I want to win, but I want to neutralize him like any other player."
Projected Canadiens Lineup (subject to change)
Forwards
22 Cole Caufield 14 Nick Suzuki 17 Josh Anderson
15 Alex Newhook 77 Kirby Dach 20 Juraj Slafkovsky
70 Tanner Pearson 91 Sean Monahan 11 Brendan Gallagher
49 Rafael Harvey-Pinard 71 Jake Evans 56 Jesse Ylonen
Defensemen
8 Mike Matheson 58 David Savard
59 Kaiden Guhle 52 Johnathan Kovacevic
72 Arber Xhekaj 54 Jordan Harris
Goaltenders
Starter: 35 Sam Montembeault
Alternate: 34 Jake Allen
Out of the lineup
Scratches: Michael Pezzetta, Justin Barron, Cayden Primeau
Injuries: Christian Dvorak (lower body), Carey Price (lower body), Chris Wideman (upper body)
Visiting Bench
Saturday's night's game will include former Canadiens Corey Perry and Jarred Tinordi as well as former Montreal assistant coach Luke Richardson. But of course all eyes will be on rookie phenom Connor Bedard for his Bell Centre debut. The Blackhawks have a record of 1-1-0 on their first two games of the season.
Game Expectations
It's the home opener for the Montreal Canadiens as they host an Original-six team. The energy in the building will be electric as it typical is for the first Saturday home game. But with a potential generational superstar making his Bell Centre debut, the keenest fans in hockey will want to witness this budding talent.
Be sure to bookmark THN.com/Montreal for year-round coverage of the Montreal Canadiens, Laval Rocket, and Habs prospects playing in leagues around the world.
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