Marc Dumont
The Montreal Canadiens (36-18-10) will host the San Jose Sharks (31-26-6) on Saturday night, with the puck drop scheduled for 7 pm ET.
Even though the Canadiens are on a three-game winning streak, and have picked up points in nine of their last 10 games, they’re unlikely to take the Sharks lightly, as they’re the only team that has managed to beat the Habs in regulation during their last stretch.
That being said, it was far from a one-sided match up. The Sharks emerged with a 7-5 victory in a defence-optional game, which was very entertaining for the fans, while being incredibly frustrating for every member of the respective coaching staffs.
Saturday night’s game is unlikely to feature as many goals, however, given that both teams feature a bevy of young, talented forwards, it is not expected to be a low-scoring affair.
Macklin Celebrini, in particular, will require an extra dose of defensive attention from the Habs. Not only is he among the most talented players in the league, he also registered four points the last time he faced the Canadiens.
Lineup changes
Jakub Dobes will get the start for the Canadiens, though the story of the night will be the absence of Brendan Gallagher from the lineup.
Gallagher, 33, has actually maintained very strong underlying numbers this season, but there’s no denying his production rate has slowed down significantly in recent years.
Consider this load management, if you will. While Gallagher can still provide great shifts on most nights, it’s clear his gas tank is running a little low. By limiting his usage down the stretch, the Canadiens can maximize his value to the organization at this late point of his career.
Replacing Gallagher will be 26-year-old Frenchman Alexandre Texier, a player who has managed to provide a relatively consistent source of secondary offence despite a lack of consistency in his usage.
Montreal Canadiens Projected Lineup
Cole Caufield – Nick Suzuki – Juraj Slafkovsky
Alex Newhook – Oliver Kapanen – Ivan Demidov
Zach Bolduc – Jake Evans – Kirby Dach
Alexandre Texier – Phillip Danault – Josh Anderson
Mike Matheson – Noah Dobson
Kaiden Guhle – Lane Hutson
Jayden Struble- Alex Carrier
Jakub Dobes
San Jose Sharks Projected Lineup
Will Smith – Macklin Celebrini – Collin Graf
Adam Gaudette – Alexander Wennberg – Kiefer Sherwood
William Eklund – Michael Misa – Tyler Toffoli
Barclay Goodrow – Zack Ostapchuk – Ryan Reaves
Dmitry Orlov – John Klingberg
Mario Ferraro – Shakir Mukhamadullin
Sam Dickinson – Vincent Desharnais
Alex Nedeljkovic
How To Watch The Habs Vs. The Sharks
The Montreal Canadiens versus the San Jose Sharks, Saturday, March 14, 2026, will be aired on Sportsnet East, TVA Sports, and CityTV. An instant recap complete with highlights will be available on Sportsnaut as soon as the final whistle is blown.
