A six-game winning streak has positioned the Canadiens into the final Wild Card spot in the Eastern Conference and they will turn to Montembeault between the pipes on Friday against the Ottawa Senators. Montembeault was excellent in his most recent outing, saving 35 of 36 shots (.972 SV%) in a 4-1 win over the Detroit Red Wings. The 28-year-old goalie has a 2.81 GAA and .901 SV% in 59 games this season (30-23-6).
Demidov was the fifth-overall pick of the Montreal Canadiens in the 2024 NHL Entry Draft and has signed a three-year, entry-level contract on Tuesday. The 19-year-old forward spent the entirety of the 2024-25 campaign in the KHL, tallying 49 points (19G / 30A) in 65 games.
Savard did not play Montreal's previous game but he could return to the lineup on Tuesday against the Detroit Red Wings. The 34-year-old Savard is averaging 16:54 time-on-ice, recording 15 points (1G / 14A) and 173 blocks in 70 games this season.
With a win over the Detroit Red Wings on Tuesday, the Canadiens will be comfortably sitting in the final wild-card spot in the Eastern Conference. Montembeault will be tending the twine for the Canadiens, looking to build on his 2.85 GAA and .900 SV% in 58 games this season (29-23-6). The 28-year-old goalie has been excellent lately, posting a stellar 1.75 GAA and .926 SV% in his last four games (4-0-0). The Canadiens enter Tuesday's contest as -132 home favorites against a Red Wings team with points in four straight games (3-0-1).
Thorpe was a fifth-round pick, 130th overall, of the Montreal Canadiens in the 2024 NHL Entry Draft. The 19-year-old forward has 52 pints (27G / 25A) in 68 games with the Vancouver Giants (WHL) this season.
Fowler was a third-round pick, 69th overall, of the Montreal Canadiens in the 2023 NHL Entry Draft. The 20-year-old goalie has spent the previous two seasons playing collegiate hockey with Boston College and posted a stellar 1.63 GAA and .940 SV% in 35 games (25-7-2) in 2024-25.
The Canadiens are desperately hanging on to the final Wild Card position in the Eastern Conference and will be desperate for a win Thursday against the Boston Bruins. Montembeault has played well lately, allowing only two goals in his last two contests (2-0-0) and posting a .925 SV%. The 28-year-old goalie has a 2.90 GAA and .899 SV% in 56 games this season (27-23-6). The Canadiens enter Thursday's contest as -198 home favorites against a Bruins team that has lost six straight games in regulation.
Kapanen played 12 games with the Canadiens earlier this season, scoring two points (0G / 2A), before being loaned to Timra IK (SHL). The 21-year-old was impressive with Timra IK, scoring 35 points (15G / 20A) in 36 games.
The Canadiens are desperately fighting to secure a Wild Card spot in the Eastern Conference and will turn to Montembeault on Tuesday against the Florida Panthers. Montembeault was solid in an impressive 4-2 win over the Panthers on Sunday, saving 24 of 26 shots (.923 SV%). The 28-year-old goalie has a 2.91 GAA and .898 SV% in 55 games this season (26-23-6). Still, the Canadiens enter Tuesday's contest as +159 home underdogs against a Panthers team that is 5-5-0 in their last 10 games.
