The Montreal Canadiens complete their pre-Christmas road trip in Chicago facing the Blackhawks.
GAME DAY PREVIEW | Montreal Canadiens (14-13-5) vs Chicago Blackhawks (10-20-1)
GAME DAY: Montreal Canadiens vs Chicago Blackhawks.Game Preview
Roster News
It appears that Emil Heineman will play his second NHL game with Michael Pezzetta watching from the press box.
Cayden Primeau (3-3-0 / 3.40 GAA / .902 SV%) is the confirmed starter for Montreal.
Last Game
Kirill Kaprizov scored the game-winner with just 4.9 seconds remaining in overtime to disappoint Habs fans.
Last game: MTL 3 vs MIN 4 | F/OT
Players to Watch
- Cayden Primeau - Primeau will make just his second start in the month of December.
- Emil Heineman - After his brief exposure to the NHL on Thursday night, will Heineman be afforded a better opportunity in Chicago?
Matchup for Game 33, Away Game 15
United Center, Chicago, IL. | December 22, 8:30 PM ET | TV: TSN2, RDS, NBCSCH
Pre-Game
Marty St. Louis is expected to meet the media prior to the game.
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Projected Canadiens Lineup (subject to change)
Forwards
22 Cole Caufield - 14 Nick Suzuki - 20 Juraj Slafkovsky
91 Sean Monahan - 71 Jake Evans - 17 Josh Anderson
40 Joel Armia - 28 Christian Dvorak - 11 Brendan Gallagher
51 Emil Heineman - 13 Mitchell Stephens - 56 Jesse Ylonen
Defensemen
8 Mike Matheson - 58 David Savard
21 Kaiden Guhle - 52 Justin Barron
47 Jayden Struble - 26 Johnathan Kovacevic
Goaltenders
Starter: 30 Cayden Primeau (3-3-0 / 3.40 GAA / .902 SV%)
Alternate: 35 Sam Montembeault
Out of the lineup
Scratches: Gustav Lindstrom, Jake Allen, Michael Pezzetta
Injuries: Carey Price (knee), Chris Wideman (back), Kirby Dach (knee), Rafael Harvey-Pinard (lower body), Jordan Harris (lower body), Alex Newhook (lower body), Tanner Pearson (upper body)
Visiting Bench
The Blackhawks have a record of 12-4-1 in their last 17 games against the Canadiens.
Connor Bedard leads all rookies in the NHL in goals, assists and points with 12 goals, 16 assists and 28 points.
Petr Mrazek (8-10-0 / 3.04 GAA / .909 SV%) is the confirmed starter for the Blackhawks.
Game Expectations
The Canadiens will play their final game before the Christmas break. Montreal currently ranks 22nd in the NHL with 33 points and a 6.4 percent chance of making the playoffs (according to MoneyPuck .com).
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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