Martin St-Louis announces starting lineup ahead of Canadiens-Blackhawks matchup

Beaten by the Flyers on Tuesday, Montreal wants to correct course right away. Chicago is in town, and the game is coming quickly. In his press conference, St-Louis confirmed that he is not touching his lines.

The only change is in goal. Jakub Dobes will be the starting goaltender, and Jacob Fowler will be the backup. It is a stability choice.

Here is the lineup for tonight's game against the Blackhawks:

Mike Matheson still cannot return to the lineup due to an upper-body injury. The defense pairs therefore remain the same to face Chicago. Jayden Struble stays with Noah Dobson, and Lane Hutson is still paired with Alexandre Carrier. Arber Xhekaj rounds things out with Adam Engstrom.

Up front, St-Louis also keeps the same combinations. Cole Caufield, Nick Suzuki, and Zachary Bolduc lead the charge. Juraj Slafkovsky is again paired with Oliver Kapanen and Ivan Demidov. Alexandre Texier remains with Jake Evans and Josh Anderson, while Joe Veleno skates with Owen Beck and Brendan Gallagher.

Chicago arrives without Connor Bedard, and it changes the complexion of the game.

For the Canadiens, it is a chance to cash in without searching for excuses. A win would also allow them to catch the Boston Bruins for second place in the Atlantic Division.

The message is clear and easy to understand. The players in place have the chance to respond on the ice, starting in the first period. Tonight is the kind of game where you can get everyone in a good mood again.