The San Jose Sharks have now lost 12 games in a row. That’s right, I now need my toes to help me count up all the losses. That said, it could all change today because the Sharks are playing the Montreal Canadiens in what should be a winnable game. Montreal has a middling 17-17-6 record this season, placing the team at sixth in the Atlantic Division. Yes, Montreal has a better record than the Sharks, but it’s closer than, say, the Toronto Maple Leafs.
If we’re comparing desperation coming into the game, San Jose wins hands down. While Montreal lost to the Philadelphia Flyers in a shootout on Wednesday, the team beat the New York Rangers in a shootout on Saturday. Meanwhile, the Sharks desperately, desperately need that losing streak to stop at 12.
On the ice for Montreal, keep an eye on Nick Suzuki. The forward leads the team in all three scoring categories: points, goals, and assists. Suzuki has 34 points this season, including 12 goals.
In other news, the Canadiens made a small move today, receiving Filip Cederqvist from the Buffalo Sabres in exchange for future considerations. Cederqvist has only played in the AHL this season, so there’s no reason to believe that he’ll suddenly slot into the lineup tonight.
On San Jose’s side of the ice, this is Mike Hoffman’s first game back in Montreal since he was traded in the summer as part of the Erik Karlsson package. We’ll see if he gets a video tribute since fans seemed to have a love/hate relationship with the forward.
San Jose Sharks lines against the Canadiens
Meanwhile, Curtis Pashelka of the Mercury News is reporting that Ty Emberson will not play tonight and may be placed on IR, adding to the games lost on defense. Head Coach David Quinn says it’s a nagging injury that got worse over time.
While you hate to see a player get hurt, it means that Marc-Edouard Vlasic will get back into the lineup just in time to play in his hometown.
Other notes, it looks like Kevin Labanc gets the nod in place of Scott Sabourin.
So, here’s what the lines will likely look like.
Forwards
William Eklund – Tomas Hertl – Filip Zadina
Fabian Zetterlund – Mikael Granlund – Anthony Duclair
Alexander Barabanov – Luke Kunin – Mike Hoffman
Justin Bailey – Ryan Carpenter – Kevin Labanc
Defensemen
Mario Ferraro – Nikita Okhotiuk
Henry Thrun – Jan Rutta
Marc-Edouard Vlasic – Calen Addison
Goaltenders
Mackenzie Blackwood
Kaapo Kahkonen
Montreal Canadiens lines for Jan. 11, 2024
Montreal played last night, so we’re going off the team’s lines from the last game. Here’s the lineup we think the Canadiens will ice.
Forwards
Cole Caufield – Nick Suzuki – Juraj Slafkovsky
Brendan Gallagher – Jake Evans – Josh Anderson
Rafael Harvey-Pinard – Sean Monahan – Jesse Ylonen
Michael Pezzetta – Mitchell Stephens – Joel Armia
Defensemen
Michael Matheson – David Savard
Kaiden Guhle – Justin Barron
Jayden Struble – Jordan Harris
Goaltenders
Samuel Montembeault
Jake Allen
How to watch the Sharks at Canadiens Jan. 11, 2024
Sharks fans can watch the game on NBCSCA or tune in on the radio through the Sharks app. If you’re out of the market, you can watch the game through ESPN+. Blackout restrictions apply for people living in the Bay Area.
Canadiens fans can tune in on TSN2 for the English coverage and RDS if they want the French feed.
The puck drops at 4:00 p.m. PT. That’s 7:00 p.m. ET.
Check back here at game time to watch with other Sharks fans.
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