The New Jersey Devils are taking on the Montreal Canadiens on Wednesday night. This is a matchup between two teams in different spots of their rebuild.
With that said, they are closer in the standings than people may have guessed before the season because of New Jersey's injuries. Well, they are getting a boost to their lineup for this one as Timo Meier is returning to the lineup.
Luke Hughes is missing from practice because of a bug but he is expected to suit up against the Canadiens. Brenden Smith was hurt in the last game and he will be out so Cal Foote will be in the lineup.
As for Montreal, they play a tough game for coach Martin St. Louis. They have been better than most would have thought but they still have a long way to go. Their top like with Cole Caufield, Nick Suzuki, and Juraj Slafjovsky has been very good lately and it should be interesting to see them in this game.
The New Jersey Devils and Montreal Canadiens are set for battle
Here is how the lines for each team should shake out:
New Jersey
Toffoli - Hischier - Bratt
Meier - McLeod - Mercer
Haula - Lazar - Bastian
Willman - Tierny - Holtz
Foote - Nemec
Hughes - Marino
Bahl - Miller
Daws
Montreal
Caufield - Suzuki - Slafkovsky
Harvey-Pinard - Evans - Gallagher
Roy - Monahan - Armia
Pezzetta - Stephens - Ylonen
Guhle - Matheson
Struble - Savard
Harris - Kovacevic
Montembault
The goalie matchup of Samuel Montembault vs Nico Daws isn't one fans may have expected to see before the season started but it's a good one for this game. Daws has been sensational for New Jersey as they try to figure out that big weakness (goaltending) on their team.
New Jersey is without Jack Hughes. He hasn't played since January 5th against the Chicago Blackhawks. Both teams are missing some good players due to injury but none are as important as Jack Hughes in terms of what he brings to a hockey game.
In 2022, Juraj Slafkovsky was the number one pick and Simon Nemec was the number two pick in the draft. They both come from Slovakia and this will be their first time playing against each other in the NHL. It is a very exciting time for both of them as they take big steps in their hockey careers.
Earlier in the year, you might remember that former Canadien Tyler Toffoli's hat trick led to a big Devils win over the Habs. It was a 5-2 win for the Devils. Now, they'd like to take it to them again and earn a big January win but the Habs will be ready to play at their best.
There is a lot of talent on these two rosters. On a night not loaded with games in the NHL, this is one to take in if you love hockey.