Game Preview: Montreal Canadiens vs. St. Louis Blues

Start Time: 8:00 PM EDT / 5:00 PM PDT

Broadcast: TSN2 (English), RDS (French) in Canadiens territory; Victory+ in Blues territory; Streaming available on ESPN+, RDS, TSN+

As the NHL season approaches its final stretch, both the Montreal Canadiens and St. Louis Blues are making an impressive push towards playoff contention. These two teams, showing remarkable resilience and skill, have posted some of the best records since the conclusion of the 4 Nations break. With an established coach steering the ship in St. Louis and a developing coaching talent guiding the young Canadiens, hockey fans can expect a thrilling showdown tonight.

Earlier this season, Montreal bested the Blues with a notable 5-2 victory at the Bell Centre, but today's encounter promises to be a much tougher challenge. The Blues, under the leadership of their new coach, have shown a significant improvement, and their recent performances echo a more competitive and dangerous team reminiscent of when they faced the Boston Bruins in previous seasons.

One of the keys to the Blues' success has been their balanced offensive attack, featuring dangerous forwards supported by solid contributions from defensemen like Cam Fowler and Justin Faulk. They have bolstered their chances with several high-scoring games recently, underscoring their offensive depth. The Canadiens, too, are finding the back of the net, tallying at least four goals in nine of their last 13 games since the 4 Nations break. The matchup will likely hinge on the performance of the goaltenders, as both teams boast skilled netminders: St. Louis's Jordan Binnington and Montreal's Samuel Montembeault.

Projected Lineups:

Montreal Canadiens:

Forwards: - Cole Caufield (LW) - Nick Suzuki (C) - Juraj Slafkovský (RW) - Emil Heineman (LW) - Jake Evans (C) - Joel Armia (RW) - Joshua Roy (LW) - Alex Newhook (C) - Patrik Laine (RW) - Josh Anderson (LW) - Christian Dvorak (C) - Brendan Gallagher (RW) Defense: - Mike Matheson (LD) - Alexandre Carrier (RD) - Jayden Struble (LD) - Lane Hutson (RD) - Arber Xhekaj (LD) - David Savard (RD) Goaltenders: - Samuel Montembeault (Starter) - Jakub Dobeš (Backup) Key Players out: - Michael Pezzetta (Scratched) - Kirby Dach (Injured) - Kaiden Guhle (Injured)

St. Louis Blues:

Forwards: - Jake Neighbours (LW) - Robert Thomas (C) - Zack Bolduc (RW) - Dylan Holloway (LW) - Brayden Schenn (C) - Jordan Kyrou (RW) - Mathieu Joseph (LW) - Oskar Sundqvist (C) - Alexandre Texier (RW) - Alexey Toropchenko (LW) - Radek Faksa (C) - Nathan Walker (RW) Defense: - Cam Fowler (LD) - Nick Leddy (RD) - Philip Broberg (LD) - Justin Faulk (RD) - Ryan Suter (LD) - Tyler Tucker (RD) Going into this game, both teams need a win to bolster their playoff aspirations, and fans are sure to be treated to a high-stakes and electrifying matchup. Will the Canadiens replicate their earlier success, or will the Blues, buoyed by a strong home crowd, emerge victorious? Tune in to find out!