Game 10 - Canadiens vs Blackhawks: The First Game Without Suzuki

For the first time in 546 games, the Montreal Canadiens will have to make do without their rock as they take on the Chicago Blackhawks at the United Center. Nick Suzuki has been ruled out for two to four weeks, and Ivan Demidov isn’t close to returning either, since he didn’t even make the trip. Martin St-Louis can find some solace in still having two working lines and in only having to break up a low-impact fourth line to fill the captain’s spot. Still, it remains to be seen whether Oliver Kapanen can handle centering Juraj Slafkovsky and Cole Caufield.

This is the first meeting of the season between the two sides. While the Canadiens had the upper hand both times last year (3-2 in October and 4-1 in December), the Hawks have made some notable tweaks this offseason: they’ve acquired Bowen Byram and Jordan Greenway from the Buffalo Sabres, signed Cole Smith, Ian Cole, and, of course, Patrick Kane as free agents. Gone are Ilya Mikheyev, Andre Burakovski, Louis Crevier, and Matt Grzelcyk, to name a few.

Canadiens' Dobes Wanted To Help The Team
Canadiens Get Ready For Road Trip Without Suzuki
Beck And Reinbacher Score In Their Return With The Laval Rocket

Neither side has confirmed who will start in net, though it makes sense for Jacob Fowler to get the nod for Montreal after Jakub Dobes’ overtime blunder on Tuesday. Fowler has never faced the Hawks, while Dobes has won his only game against them, allowing one goal and finishing with a .933 save percentage.

Meanwhile, Spencer Knight, Chicago's number one choice, has a 1-3-0 record against the Habs with a 3.27 goals-against average and a .890 SV. As for backup Arvid Soderblom, he’s 2-0-1 with a 2.21 GAA and a .917 SV. Knight got the Hawks last start on October 17, so he's had plenty of time to rest, and it would be surprising if he weren’t between the pipes tonight.

Up front, Phillip Danault has 18 points in 22 games against the Hawks while Chris Kreider is the Habs' second most productive forward against the host with 17 points in 22 games. Nick Suzuki would have been second with nine points in 11 duels, but he’ll miss the game. Zachary Bolduc has eight points in just six games, the same total as Cole Caufield, but he has played the Hawks nine times. Mike Matheson also has eight points in 16 games, but it’s unclear whether he’ll be ready to suit up, even though he practiced with the team yesterday.

On the other side, Patrick Kane has 26 points in 30 games, followed by Teuvo Teravainen with 24 points in 26 games, and Tyler Bertuzzi with 15 points in 24 games. Meanwhile, Frank Nazar has 5 points in 4 games, and Conor Bedard has 5 points in 4 games. Bedard missed the start of the season, but he has now returned to action and has three points in as many games.

The Canadiens have won six of the last 10 duels between the two sides and will hope to win their first game without Suzuki, which would be a huge confidence boost. The Hawks have only six points in nine games, which may be just what the doctor ordered for the Habs, who are 12th in the Eastern Conference with 10 points in nine games. The game is set for 8:00 PM, and you can catch it on TSN2 in English and RDS in French. Morgan MacPhee and Peter MacDougall will referee, while James Tobias and Ben O'Quinn will serve as linesmen. 

Follow Karine on X @KarineHains Bluesky @karinehains.bsky.social and Threads @karinehains.

Bookmark The Hockey News Canadiens' page for all the news and happenings around the Canadiens.

Join the discussion by signing up to the Canadiens' roundtable on The Hockey News.