The Canadiens open the road trip tonight in Chicago, and it is the first game of the Nick Suzuki injury stretch where the lineup has to prove itself on the ice. Puck drop is at 8:00 PM ET at the United Center. Montreal is 4-3-2 with 10 points, and Chicago is 3-6-0 with 6 points, but this is not a game to take lightly. The Blackhawks are better at home, Connor Bedard is back in their lineup, and the Canadiens have already shown this month how fast a lead can disappear. Here are the lines the Canadiens announced for tonight, who is hurt, and what to watch. Our full Lineup Tonight page has the stats for every player.

Kapanen Takes the Top Line, Fowler Gets the Start

The big change is in the middle. With Suzuki out, Oliver Kapanen centers Juraj Slafkovský and Cole Caufield on the first line. Owen Beck plays on the fourth line with Jake Evans and Kirby Dach, and Mike Matheson returns to the lineup on defense, which sends Adam Engström to the press box as a healthy scratch. Florian Xhekaj is not in the lineup. Matheson plays more than 24 minutes a night when he is healthy, so getting him back helps the whole defense. These are the lines the Canadiens confirmed on game day, and we will update this article and the Lineup Tonight page if anything changes at warmup.

Group	Players
Line 1	Slafkovský – Kapanen – Caufield
Line 2	Kreider – Newhook – Anderson
Line 3	Texier – Danault – Bolduc
Line 4	Beck – Evans – Dach
Pair 1	Hutson – Dobson
Pair 2	Guhle – Carrier
Pair 3	A. Xhekaj – Matheson
Goalies	Fowler (starter), Dobeš
Healthy scratches	Engström, F. Xhekaj

In goal, Jacob Fowler gets the start, which fits the rotation. Jakub Dobeš started Tuesday against San Jose, so Fowler gets this one after six days between starts. He is 3-1-0 with a .900 save percentage and a 2.16 goals-against average, and he stopped 23 of 26 shots in the overtime win over Buffalo last Saturday. Dobeš is still looking for his rhythm (.847, 4.47), so the coaching staff is leaning on the goalie who has been steadier. We wrote about the bigger picture in Three Goalies Again.

The Power Play and the Penalty Box

Two things decide this kind of game: the power play and discipline. With Suzuki gone, the first unit is now Caufield, Kapanen and Slafkovský up front with Lane Hutson and Noah Dobson on the points, two defensemen instead of one. The second unit is Kreider, Bolduc, Texier and Newhook with Matheson at the point, and the penalty-kill defensemen are Dobson, Matheson, Guhle and Carrier. The Canadiens are 4-for-29 on the man advantage, a 13.8 percent rate that ranks 27th in the league, so there is plenty of room to improve.

Chicago gives them a chance. The Blackhawks have been shorthanded 27 times in nine games, three times a night, and their penalty kill is at 74.1 percent after allowing seven power-play goals. Their own power play is at 12.5 percent (3 for 24). Montreal’s penalty kill is not much better at 78.4 percent, and the Canadiens have taken 46 minors, fourth most in the league. If Montreal stays out of the box and makes Chicago kill penalties, that is the cleanest way to win. We looked at the problem in Good Hockey Isn’t Enough and Why Can’t the Canadiens Protect a Lead.

Know Your Opponent: The Blackhawks

Chicago has scored only 21 goals and allowed 36 in nine games, an average of 2.33 for and 4.00 against, and the team is winless in four road games. They are 3-2-0 at home, with wins over St. Louis, Pittsburgh and Winnipeg, and they come into this game off a 4-0 loss to Dallas last Saturday and five days of rest. Head coach Jeff Blashill has said his team is creating more offense but still giving up too much, and the numbers back him up.

The player to watch is Connor Bedard. He returned on October 13 after Chicago’s first six games and has 3 points (1 goal, 2 assists) in 3 games, with a power-play goal and 8 shots, playing about 20 minutes a night. Roman Kantserov and Patrick Kane are projected on his wings, and Kane has 5 points but is a minus-11. Anton Frondell leads the team with 6 points (1 goal, 5 assists), Teuvo Teräväinen and Tyler Bertuzzi each have 5, and Frank Nazar has 3 goals in 7 games after coming back from his suspension. On defense, Artyom Levshunov and Wyatt Kaiser carry heavy minutes, and Bowen Byram is day to day, so check the lineup at warmup.

In goal, Spencer Knight has played most of the games (3-4-0, .888, 3.59) and was strong in the win over Winnipeg, and Arvid Söderblom has played two games with a .820 save percentage. Chicago has not confirmed its starter yet.

Injury Updates

Nick Suzuki is out with an upper-body injury and the team projects two to four weeks. Ivan Demidov is still on injured reserve and in a protective boot, Samuel Montembeault is on injured reserve, and Florian Xhekaj is listed on injured reserve but ready to play. He is not in the lineup tonight. Matheson is back from his injury. The Injury Report page is updated with every change.

History and What Comes Next

Montreal is 6-2-2 against Chicago since 2021-22, outscoring the Blackhawks 29-22. The Canadiens won both games last season (3-2 in Chicago on October 11 and 4-1 at home on December 18), but they lost both meetings the year before, 4-2 in Chicago and 4-3 in a shootout in Montreal. The road trip continues Sunday in Winnipeg, then St. Louis on Tuesday and Dallas on Thursday. Check our Head to Head page and the schedule for the rest of the trip.

The plan for tonight is simple: a good start, no penalty parade, and a goaltender who gives the team a chance to settle in. This is the kind of game the Canadiens need before the road trip gets harder.