Canadiens lineup tonight: Montreal's projected lineup for game against Tampa Bay Lightning

The Montreal Canadiens are back in action on Tuesday as they'll host the Tampa Bay Lightning at Bell Centre.

Montreal (23-19-4) had an eventful weekend blowing a 3-0 lead to the Maple Leafs, followed by a wild 5-4 overtime win over the New York Rangers. Meanwhile, Tampa Bay (25-17-3) lost 5-3 to Toronto on Monday.

The Canadiens have been the hottest team in the league since Christmas, going 9-2-1. They are sixth in the Atlantic division with 50 points, just two points out of the final wild-card spot in the Eastern Conference. Tampa Bay is third in the division with 53 points.

Forward Emil Heineman remains the only injury absence from the Canadiens lineup. He was injured in a traffic accident last week and was given a three-to-four-week return timeline.

Montreal Canadiens projected lines

Forwards:

Line 1. LW Cole Caufield - C Nick Suzuki - RW Juraj Slafkovsky

Line 2. LW Patrik Laine - C Kirby Dach - RW Alex Newhook

Line 3. LW Josh Anderson - C Christian Dvorak - RW Brendan Gallagher

Line 4. LW Michael Pezzetta - C Jake Evans - RW Joel Armia

Defense:

Pair 1. LD Lane Hutson - RD Mike Matheson

Pair 2. LD Kaiden Guhle - RD Alexandre Carrier

Pair 1. LD Arber Xhekaj - RD David Savard

Goalies:

Starter - Samuel Montembeault

Backup - Jakub Dobes

Power Play:

First Unit - Cole Caufield, Nick Suzuki, Juraj Slafkovsky, Patrik Laine, Lane Hutson

Second Unit - Kirby Dach, Christian Dvorak, Brendan Gallagher, Mike Matheson, Alex Newhook

Penalty Kill:

First Unit - Jake Evans, Joel Armia, Kaiden Guhle, David Savard

Second Unit - Christian Dvorak, Josh Anderson, Arber Xhekaj, Alexandre Carrier

Odds for Canadiens vs. Lightning and Montreal's upcoming schedule

Montreal heads into Tuesday's action as an underdog on the money line when they host Tampa Bay.

On FanDuel Sportsbook, the Habs are +120 underdogs, while the Lightning are -144 favorites. Should these betting lines remain until puck-drop, a $100 wager on the Canadiens would win $120, while a $144 bet on the Lightning would win $100.

After Tuesday's game, the Habs will travel to Detroit for a divisional matchup with the Red Wings on Thursday. They'll finish the week back at home to host the New Jersey Devils on Saturday.

About the author

Jackson Weber is an NHL journalist at Sportskeeda with a Bcomm degree in Business and Sport Management from the University of Guelph.

Jackson has grown up as a lifelong Pittsburgh Penguins fan. Sidney Crosby and Evgeni Malkin are his all-time favorite players. Watching the Penguins win the Stanley Cup three times is an experience that Jackson will never forget. Years later, you realize how rare it is to see your favorite team win even once, so three championships were just incredible.

When not watching, playing, or writing about sports, Jackson loves to cook and is passionate about health and nutrition.

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Edited by Victor Ramon Galvez

Canadiens lineup tonight: Montreal's projected lineup for game against Tampa Bay Lightning | January 21, 2025