Everything you nee to know about the Montreal Canadiens' game against the Nashville Predators tonight at the Bell Centre.
The Montreal Canadiens will take on a Nashville Predators team that is looking for redemption after an awful season last year. Barry Trotz went big game hunting in the 2024 offseason, signing Steven Stamkos, Jonathan Marchessault, and Brady Skjei to long-term deals. On paper, they were the winners of the free agency period, but on the ice? Everything went wrong, and they didn’t make the playoffs. So far this season, they are playing much better and are sixth in the Western Conference with a 2-1-1 record.
The Canadiens have won the last three duels between the two sides, but the two teams have split the previous 10 meetings. Tonight’s game will be the first of two this season, with the Nashville game scheduled for March 28. By then, there will only be 11 games left in the regular season, and if things go according to plan, the Canadiens will be well on their way to qualifying for the spring dance.
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Erik Haula and Marchessault both have four points in as many games this season, while Filip Forsberg and captain Roman Josi have three. Goaltender Juuse Saros has been outstanding so far, with a 1.64 goals-against average and a .947 save percentage. Still, backup Justus Annunen had a rough outing in his only game, posting a .808 SV. He was in the net for the Preds' last match, a 7-4 defeat to the Toronto Maple Leafs, and while tonight’s start hasn’t been confirmed, there’s little doubt that Saros will be back in his net. He has a 5-2-1 record against the Habs with a 2.79 GAA and a .902 SV in eight games. As for Annunen, he’s 0-2-0 with a 2.04 GAA and a .929 SV.
As for the Habs, captain Nick Suzuki is once again leading the charge this season with six points in four games, followed by Cole Caufield, who has five, while Brendan Gallagher and Zack Bolduc have four each. It will be interesting to see who gets the net for the Habs tonight. Samuel Montembeault struggled in his last outing, but the Canadiens won nevertheless, and Martin St-Louis might want to give him a chance to bounce right back. The starter is not having the greatest start to his season, with a 2.97 GAA and a .870 SV, while Jakub Dobes only gave up one goal in his sole start, posting a .968 SV. Montembeault is 4-1-0 against Nashville with a 2.76 GAA and a .917 SV, while Dobes won his only duel against the Preds, giving up a single goal and posting a .973 SV. Historically, both would be good options.
Up front, the Canadiens will have to find a way to counter Stamkos, who has 51 points in 53 games against Montreal. Veteran Ryan O’Reilly also poses a significant threat; he’s got 27 points in 31 duels with the Habs, and Filip Forsberg rounds up the top three with 16 points in 18 games. Two former Canadiens could be in the lineup tonight: Michael McCarron and Justin Barron. The former has played all five games, while the latter has only suited up for one game so far.
As for the Preds, they’ll need to keep a close eye on Caufield, who is a point-per-game player against them with eight points in as many games. Patrik Laine (12 points in 26 games) and Gallagher (nine points in 18 games) are the most productive forwards against tonight’s visitors, but they’ve played them more than any other Hab. Suzuki only has seven points, but he got them in nine games.
Is this the night we’ll see Joe Veleno make his Canadiens’ debut? It’s a possibility, but I don’t think St-Louis will want to mess with his forward group after it generated five goals in the last game. Jayden Struble is also waiting in the wings, and Arber Xhekaj had a challenging match on Tuesday. It would make more sense to insert Struble in the lineup tonight than Saturday night against the New York Rangers and Matt Rempe.
The morning skate should provide some clarity on the lineup. The Habs are set to hit the ice at 10:30, and Martin St-Louis will speak to the media afterwards. Make sure to monitor my social media accounts to know who’s in and who’s out for tonight’s game.
Edit: Both Struble and Dobes will be in the lineup tonight. As for Veleno, St-Louis said he looks forward to being able to give him a game, but the wait goes on.
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