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Habs Seek Team Effort to Overcome Dallas Stars Challenge
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- Habs Seek Team Effort to Overcome Dallas Stars Challenge
David Kirouac-Imagn Images
The Montreal Canadiens (10-4-2) are set to host the Dallas Stars (10-4-3), with the puck drop scheduled for 7 pm ET.
Thursday night's game will serve as an important barometer for the Canadiens, a team that is starting to struggle when it comes to controlling the play.
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The perfect example of Montreal's current situation took place on Tuesday, versus the Los Angeles Kings . Not only did the Kings outscore the Habs 5-1, they also held a significant advantage in high-danger scoring chances, to the tune of 13-5.
Simply put, the magic that had powered the Canadiens' hot start is starting to fade. The first line is slowing down, relatively speaking, which means the rest of the lineup must pick-up the offensive slack. Fortunately, Josh Anderson scored his second goal of the season earlier in the week, but it was akin to spitting on a blazing fire, as it changed very little in the grand scheme of things.
Suzuki And Montreal Canadiens Goaltending
Even though Canadiens captain Nick Suzuki has missed a few practices following games, he's still set to play versus the Stars. Without knowing the exact details, it seems that Suzuki is nursing a nagging issue, perhaps due to a blocked shot versus the Philadelphia Flyers last week.
Either way, he was on the ice on Thursday morning, connoting that he's not to the point where he's ready to break his 455-game iron-man streak, currently one of the longest in the NHL.
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Martin St-Louis will turn to netminder Jakub Dobes , rather than veteran Samuel Montembeault , a decision that will give the Canadiens their best odds of winning, a necessary step when facing a team such as the Stars.
Dallas is one of the hottest teams in the NHL, with a 7-1-2 record in the last 10 games. They currently have the second-best powerplay in the league (32.8%), and though their puck possession numbers leave something to be desired, they control over 50% of the quality scoring chances at 5v5, compared to just 46.6% for the Habs.
Montreal will be facing netminder Casey DeSmith , giving them the inside track in the goalie battle. Dobes is currently sporting a .920 save percentage whereas DeSmith is sitting at .897.
With that in mind, the Canadiens can no longer depend on their young goaltender to save the day, especially if they keep getting out-shot and out-chanced by a wide margin.
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Yes, Dobes gives the team their best chance to emerge with a win, but Montreal will need a team-wide effort to add another two points to the bank, something that has eluded them for the most part in November. After a red-hot start to the season, things are starting to normalize for the Canadiens, and the overall projection is no longer as rosy as it once was.
They need to start receiving important contributions from all four lines, and they need it to start as soon as possible. There's no long-term value in relying on one line and one goaltender to win the day, as it's the least sustainable option for any hockey team.
Montreal Canadiens Projected Lineup
Cole Caufield – Nick Suzuki – Juraj Slafkovsky
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Zach Bolduc – Kirby Dach – Brendan Gallagher
Alex Newhook – Oliver Kapanen – Ivan Demidov
Josh Anderson – Jake Evans – Joe Veleno
Arber Xhekaj – Alexandre Carrier
Dallas Stars Projected Lineup
Sam Steel – Wyatt Johnston – Mikko Rantanen
Jason Robertson — Roope Hintz — Tyler Seguin
Oskar Back – Justin Hyrckowian – Colin Blackwell
Adam Erne – Radek Faksa – Maverick Bourque
Thomas Harley – Ilya Lyubuhskin
Lian Bichsel – Alexander Petrovic
Casey DeSmith
How To Watch
The Montreal Canadiens versus the Dallas Stars, Thursday, November 13, 2025, will be aired on TSN2 and RDS. An instant recap will be available on Sportsnaut shortly after the final whistle blows.
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