Projected Lineups for Canadiens vs Rangers – 12/13/25

The Montreal Canadiens and the New York Rangers are set to face off tonight at Madison Square Garden in what promises to be an intriguing matchup. Both teams are looking to solidify their positions in the Eastern Conference playoff race, adding extra intensity to this contest.

Montreal Canadiens Projected Lineup

Head Coach Martin St. Louis has made some adjustments to the lineup despite Montreal's recent 4-2 victory over the Pittsburgh Penguins. Jake Evans returns to the lineup after missing the previous game due to personal reasons, replacing Jared Davidson. Arber Xhekaj will also draw in, replacing Jayden Struble on defense. Jacob Fowler is expected to start in goal, following an impressive NHL debut against the Penguins where he saved 36 shots.

Based on the latest information, the projected lineup for the Canadiens is as follows:

• Forwards:
  • Cole Caufield - Nick Suzuki - Zachary Bolduc
  • Juraj Slafkovsky - Oliver Kapanen - Ivan Demidov
  • Josh Anderson - Jake Evans - Alexandre Texier
  • Owen Beck - Joe Veleno - Brendan Gallagher
• Defense:
  • Mike Matheson - Noah Dobson
  • Lane Hutson - Alexandre Carrier
  • Adam Engström - Arber Xhekaj
• Goalie: Jacob Fowler

Scratched players for the Canadiens are Jared Davidson, Jayden Struble, and Sam Montembeault. Key players like Kirby Dach, Alex Newhook, Kaiden Guhle, and Patrik Laine remain sidelined due to injuries.

New York Rangers Projected Lineup

The New York Rangers, coached by Mike Sullivan, are looking to break a three-game losing streak. They are coming off a 3-0 shutout loss to the Chicago Blackhawks. According to reports, the Rangers are expected to largely maintain the same lineup against Montreal. However, Urho Vaakanainen will enter the lineup in place of Scott Morrow, and Taylor Raddysh will replace Jonny Brodzinski.

Here's the projected lineup for the Rangers:

• Forwards:
  • Artemiy Panarin - Mika Zibanejad - Alexis Lafrenière
  • Conor Sheary - Vincent Trocheck - J.T. Miller
  • Will Cuylle - Noah Laba - Brett Berard
  • Taylor Raddysh - Sam Carrick - Jaroslav Chmelar
• Defense:
  • Vladislav Gavrikov - Braden Schneider
  • Carson Soucy - Will Borgen
  • Urho Vaakanainen - Matthew Robertson
• Goalie: Igor Shesterkin

Adam Fox is injured, while Matt Rempe, despite participating fully in Friday's practice, will not be playing. Scott Morrow and Jonny Brodzinski are expected to be scratched.

Game Notes

The Rangers enter the game as favorites with a moneyline of -137, implying a 58% chance of winning. The Canadiens are underdogs at +117. The over/under is set at 5.5 goals.

Montreal is currently just three points away from the top spot in the Atlantic Division, with a game in hand over the Tampa Bay Lightning. The Rangers are seventh in the Metropolitan Division. The Canadiens have a road record of 9-3-2, while the Rangers have struggled at home, with only three wins in 14 games.

The game starts at 7:00 PM EST and will be broadcast on MSG, SNE, CITY, and TVAS. Streaming options include ESPN+ and Sportsnet+.