All indications are that Juraj Slafkovský and Mike Matheson will be in uniform tonight

Tonight, the Canadiens travel to Long Island to take on the Islanders. That said, we were keeping a close eye on the pre-game warm-up to see what the Habs line-up would be like.

With Juraj Slafkovský and Mike Matheson both doubtful, there were plenty of situations to keep an eye on during the warm-up.

During the warm-up, Slaf and Matheson jumped onto the ice… and all indications are that they will indeed be in the Canadiens line-up. If the warm-up is anything to go by, both will be in their usual positions, on the first line and first pairing respectively.

Warm-up for the Canadiens. Xhekaj and Pezzetta seem to be in overdrive

Caufield-Suzuki-Slafkovsky
Newhook-Dach-Armia
Anderson-Evans-Gallagher
Heineman-Dvorak-Kapanen

Matheson-Barron
Hutson-Mailloux
Struble-Savard

Primeau

– Guillaume Lefrançois (@glefrancoisLP) October 19, 2024

Kaiden Guhle didn’t make the trip to New York, so he won’t be in the Habs lineup tonight.

This changes the picture on the blue line, with Jayden Struble and Logan Mailloux expected to be in uniform.

Arber Xhekaj will skip his turn… as will Michael Pezzetta on the forward line.

What’s interesting, though, is that Mailloux is expected to play on the right of Lane Hutson. It would be a very young duo… and we’ll have to see if the two guys, whose defensive game isn’t universally appreciated, can hold their own in their zone.

If they can, that said… it has the potential to be a duo that will do some damage offensively.

Hutson-Mailloux is either producing all the Habs goals or letting them all in, there’s no in between https://t.co/c1XaLrAUht

– HFTV (@HFTVSports) October 19, 2024

Struble should be on David Savard’s left. The other duo will be Matheson and Justin Barron.

We’ll see how this revamped brigade holds up, but it’s interesting to see Martin St-Louis stirring the pot. With Kaiden Guhle out, it’s a great opportunity to do so… and one wonders what it would have been like if Guhle had been able to play.

Let’s see if it pays off from now on.

Overtime

– Michael Hage on his team’s 1st line in the NCAA.

Michael Hage is now the 1st line center for Michigan

He has 4G & 3A for 7P in 5GP as a college freshman pic.twitter.com/jmMN5yaXCG

– /r/Habs (@HabsOnReddit) October 19, 2024

– Mackenzie Blackwood, a target for the Avalanche?

Friedman on the Avs/Blackwood (32TP): “I’ve had some people tell me that they think there’s going to be some teams looking at Mackenzie Blackwood from San Jose…I think they’ve (Colorado) looked into Blackwood before, he’s been on their radar”

– NHL Watcher (@NHL_Watcher) October 19, 2024

– Love it.

This Habs fan managed to get Demidov to see his #91 Demidov jersey through his girlfriend pic.twitter.com/fnH70doJjC

– HFTV (@HFTVSports) October 19, 2024