Marc Dumont
The Montreal Canadiens (39-21-10) will face the Columbus Blue Jackets (38-22-11) on Thursday night, with the puck drop scheduled for 7 pm ET.
This is not the type of match-up that can lead to a team immediately qualifying for the playoffs, but a win will go a long way for either organization.
If the Canadiens win in regulation, their playoff odds will rise to 94.3%, whereas the Blue Jackets will see their odds increase to 92.5% if they secure two points within the first 60 minutes of play.
Seeing as Jakub Dobes did not stay behind at practice, he’s expected to start for the Canadiens, marking the second consecutive game in which the Habs rely on their rookie netminder. Dobes was beyond excellent on Tuesday night, making over 40 saves to secure a significant win for his team versus the high-flying Carolina Hurricanes.
The Hurricanes quickly established a 2-0 lead, but a pair of goals from fellow rookies Oliver Kapanen and Ivan Demidov, not to mention the usual offensive contributions from the first line, led to yet another exciting comeback from the youngest team in the NHL.
Ideally, the Canadiens would not have to play behind the eight-ball as often as they do, but it’s become apparent they’re a hockey team that responds better to adversity than simplicity.
Given the situation in standings, Canadiens head coach Martin St-Louis is holding his cards close to his chest, which means we will not receive any confirmation regarding potential lineup changes until the pregame warm-up.
Joe Veleno did some extra this morning and Josh Anderson didn’t skate. Martin St-Louis doesn’t want to say if he’ll make any changes tonight. @CanadiensMTL
— Renaud Lavoie (@RLavoieTVA) March 24, 2026
Montreal Canadiens Projected Lineup
Cole Caufield – Nick Suzuki – Juraj Slafkovsky
Alex Newhook – Oliver Kapanen – Ivan Demidov
Zach Bolduc – Jake Evans – Alex Texier
Joe Veleno – Phillip Danault – Brendan Gallagher
Mike Matheson – Noah Dobson
Kaiden Guhle – Alex Carrier
Jayden Struble- Lane Hutson
Jakub Dobes
Columbus Blue Jackets Projected Lineup
Mason Marchment – Adam Fantilli – Kirill Marchenko
Kent Johnson – Sean Monahan – Conor Garland
Cole Sillinger – Charlie Coyle – Mathieu Olivier
Isac Lundestrom – Boone Jenner – Danton Heinen
Zach Werenski – Damon Severson
Ivan Provorov – Dante Fabbro
Denton Mateychuk – Erik Gudbranson
Jet Greaves
How To Watch The Habs Vs. The Blue Jackets
The Montreal Canadiens versus the Columbus Blue Jackets, Thursday, March 26, 2026, will be aired on RDS and TSN2. An instant recap complete with highlights will be available on Sportsnaut as soon as the final whistle is blown.
