The Tampa Bay Lightning are set to face off against the Montreal Canadiens in an exciting matchup tonight at 7 p.m. ET. Both teams have impressive records, with the Lightning sitting at 48 wins, 24 losses, and 6 overtime losses, while the Canadiens boast 46 wins, 22 losses, and 10 overtime losses. This game is crucial for both teams as the season progresses.
Projected Lineups for Lightning and Canadiens
Tampa Bay Lightning
- Jake Guentzel — Brayden Point — Nikita Kucherov
- Gage Goncalves — Anthony Cirelli — Corey Perry
- Zemgus Girgensons — Yanni Gourde — Oliver Bjorkstrand
- Jakob Pelletier — Nick Paul — Scott Sabourin
- Defense:
- J.J. Moser — Darren Raddysh
- Ryan McDonagh — Erik Cernak
- Charle-Edouard D’Astous — Emil Lilleberg
- Goalies:
- Andrei Vasilevskiy
- Jonas Johansson
Scratched players include Steve Santini and Victor Hedman. Injuries impact the lineup, with Declan Carlile, Max Crozier, Dominic James, Brandon Hagel, and Pontus Holmberg all sidelined.
Montreal Canadiens
- Cole Caufield — Nick Suzuki — Juraj Slafkovsky
- Alexandre Texier — Alex Newhook — Ivan Demidov
- Josh Anderson — Jake Evans — Kirby Dach
- Joe Veleno — Phillip Danault — Oliver Kapanen
- Defense:
- Mike Matheson — Noah Dobson
- Jayden Struble — Lane Hutson
- Adam Engstrom — Arber Xhekaj
- Goalies:
- Jakub Dobes
- Jacob Fowler
Scratched players for the Canadiens include Zachary Bolduc and Brendan Gallagher. Kaiden Guhle is absent due to maintenance, while Alexander Carrier and Patrik Laine are dealing with injuries.
Status Report
Anthony Cirelli will make his return to the lineup after missing the Lightning’s last game against the Ottawa Senators, where they suffered a 6-2 defeat. Meanwhile, Brandon Hagel continues to be unavailable, missing his fifth consecutive game.
Canadiens coach Martin St. Louis typically does not reveal his lineup before games. Joe Veleno participated in the morning skate after recovering from an illness, while Zachary Bolduc may not feature in the lineup. Brendan Gallagher is likely to remain a healthy scratch for another game, and defenseman Kaiden Guhle will miss his second straight match.
This matchup promises to be compelling, as both teams are looking to secure vital points as the season heads towards the playoffs.
