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Canadiens Face Bruins in Crucial Atlantic Division Showdown
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- Canadiens Face Bruins in Crucial Atlantic Division Showdown
Bob DeChiara-Imagn Images
The Montreal Canadiens (28-16-7) are set to face the Boston Bruins (29-20-2), with the puck drop scheduled for 7:00 pm ET.
The Habs are fresh off a frustrating loss to the Buffalo Sabres in which they both outshot and outchanced their opponents. That's not to say Montreal played the perfect game, but it was far from the type of effort that should lead to an elevated level of concern.
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Without trying to put lipstick on a pig, it was the epitome of a 'good loss'. Unfortunately for the Habs, they simply did not capitalize on their chances as often as Buffalo did in the first period, which saw them score three times while only generating nine shots.
The Canadiens will look to maintain their advantage in scoring chances as they face their Atlantic Division rivals, a team that is just three points behind them in the playoff race.
Boston won the first meeting of the season, a 3-2 victory in which the Canadiens outshot the Bruins to the tune of 28-23. Montreal fought back on December 15, earning a 6-2 win on the back of a three-point effort by defencemen Lane Hutson and Noah Dobson .
Lineup Changes, Starting Goalie
There are a few notable lineup changes to discuss, including the return to play of forward Alex Texier, who has dealing with a lower-body injury that kept him out of action for a few games. He will return to the first line, while Kirby Dach is set to play with Jake Evans and Zachary Bolduc on the fourth line. Joe Veleno will be made a healthy scratch.
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As for the defencemen, Lane Hutson will be paired with Kaiden Guhle , while Arber Xhekaj takes over from Jayden Struble , a fairly wise decision given Saturday's game is expected to be a tightly-contested match up with a focus on physical play.
Finally, Samuel Montembeault will serve as Montreal's starter, a strong indication that the team is no longer running a 1A/1B goaltending system.
Montreal Canadiens Projected Lineup
Cole Caufield – Nick Suzuki – Alex Texier
Juraj Slafkovsky – Oliver Kapanen – Ivan Demidov
Josh Anderson - Phillip Danault – Brendan Gallagher
Zachary Bolduc – Jake Evans – Kirby Dach
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Mike Matheson – Noah Dobson
Lane Hutson – Kaiden Guhle
Arber Xhekaj – Alex Carrier
Samuel Montembeault
Boston Bruins Projected Lineup
Marat Khusnutdinov – Elias Lindholm – David Pastrnak
Casey Mittelstadt – Pavel Zacha – Viktor Arvidsson
Alex Steeves – Fraser Minten – Morgan Geekie
Tanner Jeannot – Sean Kuraly – Mark Kastelic
Jonathan Aspirot – Charlie McAvoy
Hampus Lindholm – Mason Lohrei
How To Watch The Habs Vs.The Bruins
The Montreal Canadiens versus the Boston Bruins, Saturday, January 24, 2026, will be aired on Sportsnet, TVA Sports, and CBC. An instant recap complete with highlights will be available on Sportsnaut as soon as the final whistle takes place.
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