Marc Dumont
The Montreal Canadiens (22-19-4) are set to host the New York Rangers (21-20-3) on Sunday night, with the puck drop scheduled for 7 pm ET.
Seeing as the team played on Saturday night, rookie goaltender Jakub Dobes was already expected to make his fifth career start in the NHL, but even if he wasn’t scheduled to play, a recent downtick in results from starter Samuel Montembeault has opened the door for Dobes to take over as the team’s most trusted goaltender.
Montembeault has many years of service to the organization, and the team can’t ignore his history, but as of now Dobes is the superior goaltender. Loyalty is important, but so is riding the hot hand, especially when there’s a potential playoff berth in play.
That’s not to say Montembeault was the only player who faltered on Saturday night. The Leafs scored seven straight goals, the exact type of impressive comeback that has come to define the Canadiens over the last month. Simply put, the Habs took their foot off the gas, and they paid the price against a very talented team.
ON TOPIC: Habs Highlights: Montembeault Vs. Dobes Debate Resurfaces
Unlike the Leafs, the Rangers aren’t considered a legitimate Stanley Cup contender, but they have rebounded from their terrible start to the season thanks to a 6-2-2 record in their last 10 games, which means Martin St-Louis’ team can’t afford to take them lightly.
The key players to shut down will be Artemi Panarin and Adam Fox, as for forward has an 18-point lead over the next highest scoring Ranger, while Fox has at least a 23-point lead over all his blue line counterparts.
Montreal Canadiens Projected Lineup
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New York Rangers Projected Lineup
Panarin – Trochek – Lafreniere
Cuylle – Zibanejad -Smith
Kreider – Chytil – Kaliyev
Edstrom – Carrick – Rempe
Lindgren – Fox
Miller – Borgen
Vaakanainen – Schneider
Shesterkin
How to Watch The Montreal Canadiens vs. The New York Rangers, Sunday, January 19, 2025.
Game 46 of the regular season will be aired on TVA Sports, HNIC, and Sportsnet. Once the game is over, an instant recap complete with highlights will be available on Montreal Hockey Now.
