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Canadiens Preview: Fowler Starts, Guhle Game Time Decision
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- Canadiens Preview: Fowler Starts, Guhle Game Time Decision
Sergei Belski-Imagn Images
The Montreal Canadiens (23-13-6) are set to face the Calgary Flames (18-20-4), with the puck drop scheduled for 7:30 pm ET.
This will be the second and final time the Habs will face the Flames this season, though both teams will look a little different from their first meeting, which resulted in a 2-1 overtime win for Montreal. Zachary Bolduc scored the lone goal in regulation, while defenceman Mike Matheson secured the win by scoring a little over a minute into overtime.
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Since then, the Canadiens have managed to position themselves quite well when it comes to qualifying for the playoffs, and currently find themselves third in the Atlantic Division, with 52 points.
The Flames, on the other hand, are 30th in the NHL, with just 40 points. Their biggest struggle is scoring goals on a regular basis, as evidenced by their 2.62 goals per game, which is good for 29th in the league.
Lineup Changes, Starting Goalie
Rookie Jacob Fowler will face the Flames, and will look to improve upon his already encouraging numbers. He's the only netminder in Montreal that has managed to produce a save percentage above .900, while also producing a respectable goals against average of 2.57.
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As for injured defenceman Kaiden Guhle , we're yet to receive confirmation that he'll face the Flames. He practiced with the team on Tuesday and Wednesday, which connotes that a return to play is imminent. If he does end up facing the Flames, the Habs will have to adjust their defensive pairings , with an eye on possibly splitting up the first pairing combination of Matheson and Noah Dobson .
When it comes to offensive contributions, all eyes will be on the second line, the most productive combination in January. Overall, their underlying numbers are still underwhelming, but if we isolate the last 10 games, it's fair to say Juraj Slafkovsky , Ivan Demidov , and Oliver Kapanen are driving the charge , both in scoring and strong possession statistics.
Montreal Canadiens Projected Lineup
Cole Caufield – Nick Suzuki – Alex Texier
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Juraj Slafkovsky – Oliver Kapanen – Ivan Demidov
Zachary Bolduc - Phillip Danault – Josh Anderson
Samuel Blais – Joe Veleno – Brendan Gallagher
Mike Matheson – Noah Dobson
Lane Hutson – Alex Carrier
Jacob Fowler
Calgary Flames Projected Lineup
Connor Zary – Nazem Kadri – Joel Farabee
Jonathan Huberdeau – Morgan Frost – Yegor Sharangovich
Blake Coleman – Mikael Backlund – Matt Coronato
Ryan Lomberg – Justin Kirkland – Adam Klapka
Yan Kuznetsov – MacKenzie Weegar
How To Watch The Habs Vs.The Flames
The Montreal Canadiens versus Calgary Flames, Wednesday, January 7, 2026, will be aired on TSN2 and RDS. An instant recap complete with highlights will be available on Sportsnaut as soon as the final whistle blows.
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