The Montreal Canadiens (31-17-7) are set to face the Minnesota Wild (32-14-10), with the puck drop scheduled for 7:30 pm ET.
This will be a battle of two teams that are currently enjoying three-game winning streaks, and an identical 6-3-1 record in their last 10 games. Minnesota sits fourth in the NHL standings, while the Habs are five points behind them, with one game in hand.
In other words, it should be a hard-fought game between organizations on the rise.
The Canadiens will look to Cole Caufield to continue his dominant ways from the end of January, where he scored an impressive 11 goals in the last 9 nine games. With 32 goals to his credit in 2025-26, only NHL players have managed to find the net with more frequency than Caufield: Nathan MacKinnon (40), and Connor McDavid (32).
It should also be noted Caufield’s goal-scoring has come at the ideal time, given that he’s already registered eight game-winning goals this season, tied with Steven Stamkos for first overall in the league.
As for the Wild, the Canadiens will have to keep a close eye on their superstar forward, Kirill Kaprizov, and their superstar defenceman, Quinn Hughes. Kaprizov has scored five goals in his last five games, while Hughes has been a game-changing presence for the Wild from the very moment they acquired him from the Vancouver Canucks. In 24 games since the trade, Hughes has managed to produce three goals and 26 assists.
Lineup Changes, Starting Goalie
There’s no longer a debate to be had about Montreal’s starting goaltender. That subject has been put to bed, at least for now, thanks to Jakub Dobes’ impressive win streak. In fact, he’s yet to lose in 2026, and his last regulation loss goes all the way back to December 9.
That’s not to say the rookie has been perfect, but he clearly gives the Canadiens their best odds to win, and at this point in the season, the wining margins have become quite thin.
Dobes’ ability to stop high-danger chances, in particular, has stood out throughout the year. While his .894 save percentage leaves something to be desired, he’s making the most important saves at crucial times, giving him the inside track on his counterpart, veteran Samuel Montembeault.
There are no lineup changes expected on Monday, which means head coach Martin St-Louis will run the same lines that brought his team to victory versus the Buffalo Sabres on Saturday night.
Montreal Canadiens Projected Lineup
Cole Caufield – Nick Suzuki – Alex Texier
Juraj Slafkovsky – Oliver Kapanen – Ivan Demidov
Zachary Bolduc – Jake Evans – Kirby Dach
Josh Anderson – Phillip Danault – Brendan Gallagher
Mike Matheson – Noah Dobson
Lane Hutson – Kaiden Guhle
Arber Xhekaj – Alex Carrier
Jakub Dobes
Minnesota Wild Projected Lineup
Kirill Kaprizov – Ryan Hartman – Mats Zuccarello
Marcus Johansson – Joel Eriksson Ek – Matt Boldy
Yakov Trenin – Danila Yurov – Vladimir Tarasenko
Marcus Foligno – Nico Sturm – Vinnie Hinostroza
Quinn Hughes – Brock Faber
Jacob Middleton – Jared Spurgeon
Daemon Hunt – Zach Bogosian
Filip Gustavsson
How To Watch The Habs Vs. The Wild
The Montreal Canadiens versus the Minnesota Wild, Monday, February 2, 2026, will be aired on Amazon Prime and RDS. An instant recap complete with highlights will be available on Sportsnaut as soon as the final whistle takes place.
