Canadiens Preview: Suzuki Returns, Young Players Sidelined
· Yahoo Sports
The Montreal Canadiens (9-3-3) host the Utah Mammoth (10-6-0) on Thursday night, with puck drop set for 7 p.m. ET.
The Habs will receive important reinforcements, as captain Nick Suzuki is set to return to play early, having already recovered from the first injury of his career that forced him to miss games. In total, Suzuki missed six games, a stretch in which his team managed to establish a very impressive 5-0-1 record. It was quite the confidence boost for an organization that often relies on Suzuki to cover many of the longstanding issues.
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IMAGN IMAGES via Reuters ConnectHabs captain Nick Suzuki today on being out injured for the first time in his NHL career:"It was a different experience, not knowing the day to day routines of guys being out. It gives me a different perspective when my teammates are hurting or out of the lineup, I can relate to them a bit more now.""It's tough coming into the rink with everyone gone and you gotta put your work in."
— /r/Habs (@HabsOnReddit) November 5, 2026
However, even if the Habs improved their position in the standings, they're fresh off one of the most embarrassing losses in franchise history. The Suzuki-less Canadiens were well on their way to establishing a six-game winning streak, leading the Winnipeg Jets 4-0 with a little over two minutes left in the third period.
And then, the shambolic collapse began.
The Jets scored four times in the dying minutes of the game, before eventually beating the Canadiens 5-4 in overtime.
In one fell swoop, much of the momentum that was surprisingly accumulated in Suzuki's absence was thrown to the wind. Of course, in the big picture, the Habs did excellent without their best player in the lineup, but Tuesday night's frustrating loss was a good reminder that there are always lessons left to be learned in the NHL.
Legitimate Stanley Cup contenders never take their foot off the gas, opting to rest on their laurels rather than closing-out games. It's an issue the Habs have struggled with in recent years, even with Suzuki in the lineup.
It's also worth noting the first line was more or less mediocre in Suzuki's absence, as neither Alex Newhook, nor Oliver Kapanen managed to find much chemistry alongside Juraj Slafkovsky and Cole Caufield.
Some players flourished, such as Owen Beck, but given that he's one of the youngest players in the lineup, he's now on the outside looking in, as both Beck and Florian Xhekaj will watch Thursday night's game from the press box as healthy scratches.
In addition to Suzuki, the Canadiens will also be able to count on veteran Kirby Dach, who missed the last two games with an illness. As for the netminder, rookie Jacob Fowler will be given the night off, while Jakub Dobes will receive his seventh start of the season.
Montreal Canadiens Projected Lineup
Cole Caufield – Nick Suzuki* – Juraj Slafkovsky
Alexandre Texier – Phillip Danault – Zachary Bolduc
Chris Kreider- Jake Evans – Josh Anderson
Alex Newhook – Oliver Kapanen – Kirby Dach*
Lane Hutson – Noah Dobson
Kaiden Guhle – Alexandre Carrier
Arber Xhekaj – Adam Engstrom
Jakub Dobes*
Utah Mammoth Projected Lineup
Clayton Keller – Nick Schmaltz – Dylan Guenther
Logan Cooley – Vincent Trocheck – Lawson Crouse
Anders Lee – Barrett Hayton – Michael Carcone
Jack McBain – Kevin Stenlund – Liam O'Brien
Mikhail Sergachev – Mackenzie Weegar
Nate Schmidt – Andrew Peeke
Dmitri Simashev – Artem Duda
Sebastian Cossa
Canadiens vs. Mammoth – How To Watch
The Montreal Canadiens versus the Utah Mammoth, Thursday, November 5, will be aired on TSN2, and RDS. An instant recap complete with highlights will immediately be available on Sportsnaut once the final whistle blows.
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