Previewing The Habs First Preseason Game Against The Penguins

Earlier today, the Habs announced that rookie sensation Ivan Demidov will make his preseason debut alongside his linemates Patrik Laine and Oliver Kapanen, who is supposedly filling a role on the line as a stopgap while Kirby Dach continues to be brought back into game shape slowly. It seems that Dach likely will get to play a game at some point during the preseason, but for precautionary reasons they won’t rush him back to the lineup, especially for preseason action.  

On top of the Laine and Demidov duo in the lineup against the Penguins, the Habs will also feature Noah Dobson in his taste of game action in a Canadiens jersey. He will be paired with veteran Mike Matheson, who looked like arguably the best defenseman on the Habs during the team scrimmages at Training Camp so far. However, there is still some worry about how two offensively minded defensemen can function as a pairing when the regular season starts. Tonight will be their first chance to show that they can actually be a strong pairing heading into the season. 

The expectations for them will likely be to dominate against a Penguins team that won’t be featuring any of Sidney Crosby, Evgeni Malkin or Kris Letang. The best player in the Penguins’ lineup is arguably Anthony Mantha or Danton Heinen, as they will be shelling a very young prospect-heavy lineup tonight at the Bell Centre. There is no reason why Dobson and Matheson can’t have a great game tonight as they continue to develop more chemistry throughout Training Camp and the preseason. 

Another very notable name that will be playing tonight is goaltender Jacob Fowler, who should be splitting tonight’s game with Samuel Montembeault. It will be fun to watch him compete against some NHL talent, even though the Penguins won’t be dressing their top guys; he will still get to face some true NHL talent for the first time in his young career. If the Rookie Showcase was any indication, we should see him perform pretty well against a roster of mainly AHL prospects tonight. Fowler will be under the microscope closely this season as he plays his first full pro hockey season.

The projected 4th line of Josh Anderson, Jake Evans, and Brendan Gallagher will also see playing time tonight as the two wingers hope to develop the same chemistry with Evans that they had with Christian Dvorak last season. In all honesty, this line should bring a lot of energy as all 3 players are workhorses and will always find ways to be noticed when on the ice. Not to mention, they can also chip in offensively at times. The Habs may have the best 4th line in the league with these three veterans this year.

Adam Engstrom and Jayden Struble will be a pairing tonight, as both players try to prove that they are worthy of making the Habs’ opening night lineup.

Tonight’s game should be a fun one for the fans as there will be a good mix of high-end NHL talent and Habs prospects in the lineup tonight.

*If you are heading to the game tonight, please note that the STM Metro will be closed between 5:45 pm and 11:00 pm, while buses won’t be running between 6:00 pm and 11:15 pm due to the strike.