NHL Game Preview: Montreal Canadiens at Detroit Red Wings with Line Combinations 12/20/2024

NHL Game Preview: Montreal Canadiens at Detroit Red Wings with Line Combinations 12/20/2024

Montreal Canadiens (12-16-3, 27 Points) at. Detroit Red Wings (13-14-4, 30 Points) 

Venue: Little Caesars Arena
Date: Friday, December 20
Time: 7:00 pm EST
TV: ESPN+/TSN//FDSN
Radio:
Montreal – TSN 690
Detroit – WXYT 97.1 FM

DraftKings Sportsbook Betting Lines:

Montreal +1.5 ML +150
Detroit +1.5 ML -180
O/U 6.5

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Montreal Canadiens News & Notes:

Montreal snapped a two-game skid with a 6-1 win over the Buffalo Sabres on Tuesday night. In their last ten games, they are 5-5-0 and have been outscored 34-30 in that ten-game span. In Tuesday’s win, they got goals from Josh Anderson, Joel Armia, Juraj Slafkovsky, and a hat trick from Patrik Laine.

Detroit Red Wings News & Notes:

The Red Wings on Wednesday won their second straight game as they beat the Toronto Maple Leafs on Saturday and the Philadelphia Flyers on Wednesday, they’ve scored ten goals in the two-game span. They are expected to get goalie Cam Talbot back for either this game or tomorrow’s game.

Montreal Canadiens Projected Lines

Caufield-Suzuki-Slafkovsky
Newhook-Dach-Laine
Anderson-Dvorak-Gallagher
Heineman-Evans-Armia
Hutson-Matheson
Savard-Guhle
Xhekaj-Struble

Montembeault
Primeau

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Detroit Red Wings Projected Lines

Tarasenko–Larkin–Raymond  
DeBrincat–Copp–Kane
Rasmussen-Compher-Motte
Veleno–Kasper–Fischer 
Chiarot–Seider
Holl–Petry
Gustafsson-Johansson

Talbot
Lyon

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Players To Watch:

Montreal Canadiens

Nick Suzuki this season has 32 points on 11 goals and 21 assists. In his career against Detroit he has 12 points in 15 games on five goals and seven assists; last season in four games against the Red Wings he had five points on two goals and three assists.

Detroit Red Wings

J.T. Compher this season has 16 points on four goals and 12 assists. He’s faced Montreal 12 times in his career recording six points on five goals and an assist; three of those goals came last season against the Canadiens.

Injury Report:

Montreal Canadiens

C Rafael Harvey-Pinard – IR
D David Reinbacher – LTIR

Detroit Red Wings

D Simon Edvinsson – Out

Next Up

Detroit: December 21 at Montreal Canadiens
Montreal: December 21 vs. Detroit Red Wings

ITR 47: Then There Was Nothing Inside The Rink

Join Conrad and Chris as the discuss Gavin McKenna making the jump to the NCAA, Pittsburgh and San Jose making additions, and the NHL season to begin on October 7, 2025.
  1. ITR 47: Then There Was Nothing
  2. ITR 46: Offseason Chaos
  3. ITR 45: Everything Is Happening
  4. ITR 44: We Have A Champion…Again
  5. ITR 43: It's Winning Time

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