Kapanen was scratched for Finland's tournament opener, but he'll replace Joel Kiviranta as the 13th forward vs. Sweden. Kapanen is having a great season with Montreal, scoring 18 goals with 13 assists (31 points) through 57 games, but he likely won't see many minutes on Friday.
Blais has been productive in bottom-six roles this season, but has not been able to solidify a spot on an NHL roster. The 29-year-old forward is averaging 8:26 time-on-ice, recording eight points (3G / 5A) and 78 hits in 21 games combined with the Toronto Maple Leafs and Montreal Canadiens.
Blais has been productive in bottom-six roles this season, but has not been able to solidify a spot on an NHL roster. The 29-year-old forward is averaging 8:26 time-on-ice, recording eight points (3G / 5A) and 78 hits in 21 games combined with the Toronto Maple Leafs and Montreal Canadiens.
Arber Xhekaj will be a healthy scratch on Wednesday, allowing Struble to re-enter the lineup against the Winnipeg Jets. The 24-year-old Struble is averaging 14:07 time-on-ice, recording seven points (0G / 7A), 17 blocks, and 71 hits in 38 games this season.
Jayden Struble will draw back into Montreal's lineup on Wednesday against the Winnipeg Jets, sending Xhekaj to the sidelines as a healthy scratch. The 25-year-old Xhekaj is averaging 11:20 time-on-ice, recording two points (1G / 1A), 33 blocks, 135 hits, and 104 penalty minutes in 50 games.
Jakub Dobes has started the past several games for the Canadiens. Still, after losing 4-3 to the Minnesota Wild on Monday, Montreal will turn to Montembeault on Wednesday against the Winnipeg Jets. The 29-year-old Montembeault showed encouraging signs immediately after returning from a conditioning stint in Laval (AHL), but has seemingly returned to his early-season struggles, allowing three or more goals in four straight games (1-2-1), posting a 3.80 GAA and .867 SV%. The Canadiens enter Wednesday's contest with even -105 odds on the road against a struggling Jets team that has lost four of its last six games (2-2-2).
Dobes has had a wildly inconsistent season, varying month to month. He had an elite 2.03 GAA and .930 SV% in six October games (6-0-0), which he followed up with a dreadful November, posting a 4.02 GAA and .849 SV% in seven games (2-3-2). The 24-year-old Czech goalie has been more reliable lately, coming off a stellar 36-save performance in a 4-2 win over the Buffalo Sabres and improving to 6-0-0 in his last six games. The Canadiens enter the action on Monday as +113 road underdogs against the Minnesota Wild, who hold the best record in the NHL since the beginning of November (29-8-7).
Dobes has had a wildly inconsistent season, varying month to month. He had an elite 2.03 GAA and .930 SV% in six October games (6-0-0), which he followed up with a dreadful November, posting a 4.02 GAA and .849 SV% in seven games (2-3-2). The 24-year-old Czech goalie has been more reliable lately, is coming off a stellar 32-save performance (.941 SV%) in a 3-2 overtime win over the Vegas Golden Knights, and has won six of his last seven outings (6-0-1).
Sam Montembeault started two straight for the Canadiens, losing both and allowing seven combined goals, so the team will turn to Dobes on Tuesday against the Vegas Golden Knights. The 24-year-old Dobes hasn't fared much better at keeping the puck out of his net, but he has managed to string together wins in five of his last six outings (5-0-1) while posting a 2.74 GAA and .887 SV%.
Montembeault had a rough performance in his most recent outing, allowing five goals on 34 shots (.853 SV%), but managed to salvage a 6-5 overtime victory. The 29-year-old Montembeault has yet to lose in regulation since returning from a multi-week conditioning stint with the Laval Rocket (AHL), posting a 2.98 GAA and .906 SV% in five games (4-0-1). The Canadiens enter Thursday's contest as -118 home favorites against a Buffalo Sabres team that is coming off a 5-3 win over the Nashville Predators.
Dach has not played in over two months, recovering from a fractured foot, but will return to the lineup on Tuesday against the Minnesota Wild. The 24-year-old Dach has struggled to live up to his third-overall selection in the 2019 NHL Entry Draft, a struggle compounded by recurring injuries over the past few seasons. He has seven points (5G / 2A) in 15 games this season. With Alexandre Texier (lower body) out of the lineup, Dach will likely get the opportunity to fill in for him on the top line.
Texier has been productive since joining the Canadiens earlier this season, scoring 16 points (7G / 9A) in 27 games, but he will not play on Tuesday because of a lower-body injury. Kirby Dach (fractured foot) is returning to the lineup from a multi-week absence and will fill in as Texier's replacement.
