The Montreal Canadiens (17-11-4) are set to host the Philadelphia Flyers (16-9-6), with the puck drop scheduled for 7:00 pm ET.
The Habs are hoping to build some momentum after enjoying one of their best games of the season, a 4-1 win versus Connor McDavid and the Edmonton Oilers. As per usual, captain Nick Suzuki registered his name on the scoresheet, but this time around a few other lines also provided some semblance of offence, which is rare for the Canadiens.
Ivan Demidov started to trust his shot a little more, resulting in his sixth goal of the year, while Joe Veleno picked up his second marker, and Alex Texier provided insurance with his second goal in a Canadiens uniform.
Ivan Demidov shoots, Ivan Demidov scores.
— Marc Dumont (@MarcPDumont) December 15, 2025
1-0 #GoHabsGo pic.twitter.com/JZYW35orRX
Starting Goalie, Injured Matheson
Head coach Martin St-Louis will turn to rookie netminder Jacob Fowler on Tuesday, marking his third start in the NHL since being called up from the Laval Rocket in the AHL.
Fowler was dominant in his first start, stopping 36 of the 38 shots sent his way versus the Pittsburgh Penguins, but faltered slightly against the New York Rangers, allowing five goals on 29 shots.
The biggest factor, however, was not goaltending, it was defensive prowess, or a lack thereof. The Habs played a staunch brand of defence versus Pittsburgh, but failed to provide decent coverage against the Rangers.
It’s a tale as old as time.
You can hope your goalie makes as many saves a possible, but if you don’t give them a little support, there’s only so much they can do.
Beyond Fowler, the only other lineup change expected will see Mike Matheson miss the game with an upper-body injury. He’s currently listed as day-to-day, therefore we shouldn’t expect a long recovery time. Arber Xhekaj, who didn’t deserve to sit in the first place, will consequently be re-inserted into the lineup.
Habs coach Marty St. Louis on his decision to start Jacob Fowler tonight:
— /r/Habs (@HabsOnReddit) December 16, 2025
“We’re happy with his attitude from the past week. He got time to rest a bit, now he’s coming back. First game at home. There aren’t any grand plans behind this (decision).” pic.twitter.com/O6ETdcFp1n
Montreal Canadiens Projected Lineup
Cole Caufield – Nick Suzuki – Zachary Bolduc
Juraj Slafkovsky – Oliver Kapanen – Ivan Demidov
Alexandre Texier – Owen Beck – Josh Anderson
Joe Veleno – Jake Evans – Brendan Gallagher
Lane Hutson – Noah Dobson
Jayden Struble – Alex Carrier
Arber Xhekaj – Adam Engstrom
Jacob Fowler
Philadelphia Flyers Projected Lineup
Matvei Michkov – Sean Couturier – Owen Tippett
Trevor Zegras – Christian Dvorak – Travis Konecny
Nikita Grebenkin – Noah Cates – Bobby Brink
Carl Grundstrom – Rodrigo Abols – Garnet Hathaway
Nick Seeler – Travis Sanheim
Emil Andrae – Jamie Drysdale
Ty Murchison – Noah Juulsen
Dan Vladar
How To Watch The Habs Vs. The Flyers
The Montreal Canadiens versus the Philadelphia Flyers, Tuesday, December 16, 2025, will be aired on TSN2, and RDS. An instant recap complete with highlights will be available on Sportsnaut as soon as the final whistle blows.
