Canadiens @ Kings: Game thread and lines
Credit: Jayne Kamin-Oncea-Imagn Images
Game 62: Montreal Canadiens @ Los Angeles Kings
Start time: 7:00 PM EST / 4:00 PM PST
In Canada: CityTV, Sportsnet East (English), TVA Sports (French)
In the Kings region: FanDuel Sports Network West, KCAL
Streaming: ESPN+, Sportsnet+
The tone of the game was set very early last night with a goal scored by each of the Anaheim Ducks and Montreal Canadiens in the opening 61 seconds, and another for the Ducks disallowed at the 20-second mark. It was going to be another barn-burner, and at the end of regulation there were 10 goals scored, after 12 in the game versus the San Jose Sharks three days earlier.
High-event hockey hasn’t been a phrase you could use to describe the Los Angeles Kings over the past two decades, but at least right now it applies. They’ve given up 29 goals in their past seven games, and that includes a shutout of the goal-starved Calgary Flames. So Montreal should still be able to score even if it isn’t a young, inexperienced team on the other side.
As ever, the questions are on defence, and at some point the players just have to decide they’re going to perform better in that department. The goaltenders have faced 16 high-danger chances at five-on-five on this trip, and surrendered three power-play goals. Holding the Kings to three goals should be enough to let their offence take over and get a needed win in the finale, though that’s been a tough ask so far.
Montreal Canadiens projected lineup
| Left Wing | Centre | Right Wing |
|---|---|---|
| #13 Cole Caufield | #14 Nick Suzuki | #20 Juraj Slafkovský |
| #15 Alex Newhook | #91 Oliver Kapanen | #93 Ivan Demidov |
| #76 Zachary Bolduc | #71 Jake Evans | #77 Kirby Dach |
| #17 Josh Anderson | #24 Phillip Danault | #11 Brendan Gallagher |
| Left Defence | Right Defence |
|---|---|
| #8 Mike Matheson | #21 Kaiden Guhle |
| #48 Lane Hutson | #53 Noah Dobson |
| #72 Arber Xhekaj | #45 Alexandre Carrier |
| Starter | Backup |
|---|---|
| #75 Jakub Dobeš | #35 Samuel Montembeault |
Scratched: Jayden Struble, Alexandre Texier, Joe Veleno
Injured: Patrik Laine
Los Angeles Kings projected lineup
| Left Wing | Centre | Right Wing |
|---|---|---|
| Artemiy Panarin | Anze Kopitar | Adrian Kempe |
| Trevor Moore | Alex Turcotte | Alex Laferrière |
| Mathieu Joseph | Scott Laughton | Jared Wright |
| Jeff Mallott | Samuel Helenius | Taylor Ward |
| Left Defence | Right Defence |
|---|---|
| Mikey Anderson | Drew Doughty |
| Joel Edmundson | Brandt Clarke |
| Brian Dumoulin | Cody Ceci |
| Starter | Backup |
|---|---|
| Darcy Kuemper | Anton Forsberg |
