The Montreal Canadiens visit the Chicago Blackhawks on Friday, Oct. 23 in a non-conference matchup at United Center, with puck drop set for 8 p.m. ET. Montreal enters at 4-3-2 while Chicago sits at 3-6-0, and both teams are dealing with a lengthy list of injuries heading into the weekend. The biggest question for this Canadiens vs Blackhawks Friday preview is whether Montreal’s deeper lineup can take advantage of a Chicago team still searching for consistency early in the season.
Canadiens Vs Blackhawks Game Information
- Date: Friday, Oct. 23
- Time: 8 p.m. ET
- Venue: United Center, Chicago, IL
- TV/Streaming: NHL Net, CHSN
How Have Both Teams Played Recently?
Montreal has split its last five games, going 3-2 with two overtime and shootout wins in that stretch. The Canadiens beat Detroit 1-0 in a shootout, edged Buffalo 4-3 in a shootout and again 4-3 in overtime, but dropped a 5-4 decision to Washington and fell 4-3 in overtime to San Jose on Oct. 20, according to FOX Sports.
Chicago’s results have been rougher. The Blackhawks dropped their last outing 4-0 to Dallas on Oct. 17, part of a stretch that included losses to the New York Islanders and Carolina sandwiched around wins over Pittsburgh and Winnipeg. Chicago is 3-2-0 at home this season, while Montreal carries a 1-1-1 mark on the road.
Who Is Hurt For Each Team?
Montreal’s injury list is the longer of the two. Center Nick Suzuki is out with an upper-body injury, and the Canadiens are also without forward Florian Xhekaj (lower body), winger Ivan Demidov (lower body) and goaltender Samuel Montembeault (lower body), all on injured reserve. Defenseman Mike Matheson is day-to-day with a lower-body injury. FOX Sports also lists forward Lucas Condotta and defenseman Bryce Pickford as out with undisclosed injuries.
Chicago is missing winger Andrew Mangiapane, who remains on injured reserve with a lower-body injury, and defenseman Ryan Ellis, who is out for the season with a back injury. Defenseman Bowen Byram is day-to-day with an upper-body injury and will miss his second straight game after sitting out against Dallas on Oct. 17, according to CBS Sports. Byram has one assist, five shots on goal, nine blocked shots and two hits in six appearances this season.
Who Is Projected To Start In Net?
Jakub Dobes is listed as the probable starting goaltender for Montreal, while Spencer Knight is projected to get the start for Chicago, according to official data. Both designations remain projections until the lineups are finalized before puck drop. Montembeault’s absence on injured reserve has pushed more of the workload onto Dobes in recent weeks.
What Is The Key Matchup To Watch?
Montreal’s power play and penalty discipline could be a factor against a Chicago team that struggles when opponents stay out of the penalty box. The Canadiens serve 11.8 penalty minutes per game, ranking 10th in the NHL, while the Blackhawks are 1-4-0 this season in games when their opponent takes fewer penalty minutes. That split suggests Chicago has had more success generating offense off the power play than at five-on-five, and Montreal’s discipline could limit those chances.
Offensively, the Canadiens have outscored Chicago by a wide margin through the early season, totaling 28 goals compared to the Blackhawks’ 21. Montreal also holds an edge at the faceoff dot at 52.5% compared to Chicago’s 43.0%, a gap that could help the Canadiens control more offensive-zone time on Friday.
Season Leaders For Both Teams
Lane Hutson paces Montreal with nine points on two goals and seven assists, while Cole Caufield leads the Canadiens with six goals. For Chicago, Anton Frondell tops the scoring sheet with six points on one goal and five assists, and Frank Nazar leads the Blackhawks with three goals.
What To Watch
Montreal sits sixth in the Atlantic Division with 10 points, while Chicago is last in the Central Division with six points through nine games. A Canadiens win would keep pace with the middle of their division, while Chicago is looking for any traction after six losses in nine outings. Montreal’s road record of 1-1-1 will be tested against a Chicago team that has won three of its five home games this season.
Montreal continues division play with another matchup against Buffalo on the horizon, and fans can track full standings updates as both teams try to climb out of the lower half of their respective divisions. For more on Montreal’s recent run, see the Canadiens’ overtime win over Buffalo and their shootout victory over Detroit. Chicago’s injury situation echoes a recent stretch covered in the Blackhawks’ loss to the Islanders, when Chicago also dealt with lineup absences.
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