The Montreal Canadiens (16-11-3) are set to face the New York Rangers (15-13-4), with the puck drop scheduled for 7:00 pm ET.
The Habs will look to capitalize on the momentum created on Thursday, when rookie netminder Jacob Fowler made 36 saves to earn his first career win, versus Sidney Crosby and the Pittsburgh Penguins.
Fowler, 21, will once again be tasked with guarding Montreal’s net, a sign that the team is clearly happy with his first step into the chilly waters of NHL hockey.
Even though it seemed like the only logical decision, there was no guarantee Martin St-Louis would once again rely on Fowler, but all things considered, it’s clearly the right way forward for a team that has enjoyed less-than-stellar goaltending throughout the majority of the season.
Fowler out there making casual saves on Crosby in crunch time. #GoHabsGo pic.twitter.com/oME2vlsrHY
— Marc Dumont (@MarcPDumont) December 12, 2025
Beyond Fowler giving the Canadiens a chance to win, Thursday’s game saw Lane Hutson used alongside Noah Dobson, a situation that led to one of the best games of his young career. Coincidentally, or not, Hutson was used on his natural side, rather than being forced to perform on his offside.
Montreal Canadiens Line Changes
Forward Jake Evans will be back in the lineup, as will defenceman Arber Xhekaj. Consequently, Jared Davidson and Jayden Struble will watch the game from the press box.
Struble, in particular, has had a difficult time finding his rhythm in recent games, and the solid play of rookie defenceman Adam Engstrom has further complicated matters. Engstrom may not provide the same physical presence as Struble, but his overall play is encouraging, and his elite skating means he can cover up mistakes from his defensive partner with the greatest of ease.
Engstrom does a good job covering for the Struble giveaway. #GoHabsGo pic.twitter.com/6Pxh5trSvO
— Marc Dumont (@MarcPDumont) December 12, 2025
For the view from the other side of the puck, don’t forget to visit Forever Blueshirts.
Montreal Canadiens Projected Lineup
Cole Caufield – Nick Suzuki – Zachary Bolduc
Juraj Slafkovsky – Oliver Kapanen – Ivan Demidov
Josh Anderson – Jake Evans* – Alexandre Texier
Owen Beck – Joe Veleno – Brendan Gallagher
Mike Matheson – Noah Dobson
Jayden Struble – Lane Hutson
Arber Xhekaj – Alexandre Carrier
Jacob Fowler
New York Rangers Projected Lineup
Artemi Panarin — Mika Zibanejad — Alexis Lafreniere
J.T. Miller — Vincent Trocheck — Conor Sheary
Will Cuylle — Noah Laba — Brett Berard
Jaroslav Chmelar — Sam Carrick — Taylor Raddysh
Vladislav Gavrikov — Braden Schneider
Carson Soucy — Will Borgen
Urho Vaakanainen — Matthew Robertson
Igor Shesterkin
How To Watch The Habs Vs. The Rangers
The Montreal Canadiens versus the New York Rangers, Saturday, December 13, 2025, will be aired on Sportsnet East, City TV and TVA Sports. An instant recap complete with highlights will be available on Sportsnaut as soon as the final whistle blows.
