Marc Dumont
The Montreal Canadiens (10-5-2) are set to host the Boston Bruins (11-8-0), with the puck drop scheduled for 7 pm ET.
It will be a rather difficult assignment for the Habs, given that the Bruins have been one of the hottest teams in November, as evidenced by the fact that they’ve won eight of their last 10 games.
Consequently, the Bruins are now tied with the Canadiens for the top spot in the Atlantic Division, albeit Montreal does have two games in hand.
David Pastrnak continues to be Boston’s top forward, with 11 goals and 13 assists in 19 games this season. The Canadiens will have to pay close attention to the 29-year-old winger, as he tends to dominate any time he faces Montreal. In 32 career games versus the Habs, Pastrnak has scored 20 goals and 22 assists.
Davidson Debut, New Canadiens Lines
The Canadiens will be running new lines on Saturday, due to the injury that forced Alex Newhook to undergo surgery, in a bid to repair his ankle.
With Newhook out of the equation, the Habs decided to recall entertaining forward Jared Davidson from the Laval Rocket, a player who has worked harder than most to make his NHL debut.
Davidson, 23, was ignored for multiple seasons, until finally hearing his name called by the Canadiens in the fifth round of the 2022 NHL Entry Draft. He was sparsely used in his rookie season with the Rocket, but a coaching change led to an opportunity that Davidson quickly seized.
After producing just 16 points in his rookie season, Davidson would go on to score 24 goals and 21 assists the following year, establishing himself as a prospect to watch in the process.
At the time of his recall this season, Davidson was leading the Rocket in goal scoring (9), however, he doesn’t just bring an excellent one-timer and underrated wrist shot to the table.
Beyond having a nose for the net, he’s heavy on the forecheck, and he never hesitates to get involved in any physical battle, regardless of whether he’s facing a much bigger opponent.
Jared Davidson giving up a fair bit of size against Cade Webber, and he wins this fight. pic.twitter.com/4CbJCToWL8
— Matt Drake (@DrakeMT) February 8, 2025
Davidson will play on the fourth line, with Joe Veleno and Brendan Gallagher, a situation that has forced a few other line changes.
Kirby Dach will serve as a winger on the second line with Oliver Kapanen and Ivan Demidov, while Jake Evans will play between Zachary Bolduc and Josh Anderson on the third line.
Of course, the ice time will dictate which line is truly the second and third, and whether the head coach will finally trust Oliver Kapanen and Ivan Demidov when the game is on the line.
Montreal Canadiens Projected Lineup
Cole Caufield – Nick Suzuki – Juraj Slafkovsky
Kirby Dach – Oliver Kapanen – Ivan Demidov
Zach Bolduc – Jake Evans – Josh Anderson
Jared Davidson – Joe Veleno – Brendan Gallagher
Mike Matheson – Noah Dobson
Jayden Struble – Lane Hutson
Arber Xhekaj – Alexandre Carrier
Samuel Montembeault
Boston Bruins Projected Lineup
Morgan Geekie — Marat Khusnutdinov — David Pastrnak
Alex Steeves – Pavel Zacha – Viktor Arvidsson
Tanner Jeannot – Fraser Minten – Mark Kastelic
Jeffrey Viel – Sean Kuraly – Michael Eyssimont
Nikita Zadorov – Charlie McAvoy
Hampus Lindholm – Andrew Peeke
Mason Lohrei – Henri Jokiharju
Jeremy Swayman
How To Watch
The Montreal Canadiens versus the Boston Bruins, Saturday, November 15, 2025, will be aired on TSN2 and RDS. An instant recap will be available on Sportsnaut shortly after the final whistle blows.
