The Montreal Canadiens (13-9-3) are set to host the Winnipeg Jets (13-12-0), with the puck drop scheduled for 7:00 pm ET.
It will be a battle of two struggling teams, as both the Jets and Habs have had a hard time finding their rhythm in recent games. Winnipeg has lost four of its last five games, whereas the Canadiens have been outscored 12-4 in their most recent matchups.
We saw a heightened level of frustration in Tuesday’s loss to the Ottawa Senators. It’s become a recurring theme for the Canadiens, and one that needs to be snuffed out as soon as possible. Versus the Sens, it was Brendan Gallagher who stopped playing to complain to the referee, while Ottawa quickly made its way to Montreal’s zone, and scored the insurance goal that put the game out of reach for the Habs.
While it’s true that the Canadiens receive fewer powerplays than most teams, there’s absolutely nothing to be gained from whining during the game, and it’s a terrible look for all involved.
Terrible defensive coverage, again. Tkachuk makes it 5-2.
— Marc Dumont (@MarcPDumont) December 3, 2025
Also, not the greatest reaction from Gallagher after the non-call. pic.twitter.com/gdzr7rXdhw
Starting Goalie, Defensive Situation
Seeing as it’s the second leg of back-to-back games, we won’t be given any practice updates via head coach Martin St-Louis, however, it appears that Jared Davidson will be re-inserted in the lineup, while Florian Xhekaj is expected to watch the game from the press box as a healthy scratch.
Despite Tuesday’s shambolic effort on defence, St-Louis is expected to run the same defensive as he did versus the Senators.
Florian Xhekaj and Adam Engstrom skated this morning. Jared Davidson wasn’t on the ice. https://t.co/cM7au35uu6
— Renaud Lavoie (@renlavoietva) December 3, 2025
Rookie netminder Jakub Dobes will likely guard the net, and will be looking for a much stronger performance from the blue line. While it’s true that both Dobes and Samuel Montembeault are having a hard time, it’s also fair to say they’re playing behind a defensive core that lacks any semblance of confidence.
The defencemen may be inspired by the presence of former Hab Andrei Markov, who is set to be honoured by the team prior to puck drop.
Markov spent his entire career with the Canadiens, and currently sits tied with Guy Lapointe for the second-most points from a defenceman in franchise history (572).
Montreal Canadiens Projected Lineup
Cole Caufield – Nick Suzuki – Zachary Bolduc
Juraj Slafkovsky – Oliver Kapanen – Ivan Demidov
Alexandre Texier– Jake Evans – Josh Anderson
Jared Davidson – Joe Veleno – Brendan Gallagher
Mike Matheson – Noah Dobson
Jayden Struble – Lane Hutson
Arber Xhekaj – Alexandre Carrier
Jakub Dobes
Winnipeg Jets Projected Lineup
Kyle Connor – Mark Scheifele – Gabriel Vilardi
Vladislav Namestnikov – Jonathan Toews – Cole Perfetti
Nino Niederreiter – Adam Lowry – Alex Iafallo
Tanner Pearson – Morgan Barron – Gustav Nyquist
Josh Morrissey – Dylan DeMelo
Dylan Samberg – Luke Schenn
Logan Stanley – Colin Miller
Thomas Milic
How To Watch The Habs Vs. The Winnipeg Jets
The Montreal Canadiens versus the Winnipeg Jets, Wednesday, December 3, 2025, will be aired on Sportsnet and RDS. An instant recap complete with highlights will be available on Sportsnaut as soon as the final whistle blows.
