Montreal Canadiens at Tampa Bay LightningDec 31, 2026

Time TBDThursday, Dec 31, 2026

away

Montreal CanadiensMTL

at

home

Tampa Bay LightningTBL

Preview

Probable goalies, start odds, schedule edge and each team's lines from its last game.

Schedule Edge

No schedule edge

MTLaway±0.0 pts

1 day rest · 2,103 km travel

TBLhome±0.0 pts

1 day rest

No meaningful schedule edge: MTL (1 day rest) at TBL (1 day rest).

· Every game this week →

Montreal Canadiens

Goalie: Starter not announced
Start probability: Jakub Dobes66%
Samuel Montembeault18%
Jacob Fowler16%
Schedule: Rested
Last game: W 3–2 at TOR · Sep 29

L1Kreider – Suzuki – Caufield
10:28
L2Newhook – Slafkovský – Demidov
9:55
L3Danault – Texier – Dach
9:22
L4Anderson – Evans – Bolduc
7:09
D1Carrier – Hutson
14:10
D2Matheson – Dobson
13:14
D3Struble – Xhekaj
8:26
PP1Suzuki – Caufield – Hutson – Slafkovský – Demidov
2:21

Projected MTL lines →·MTL goalies →·Goalie start planner →

Tampa Bay Lightning

Goalie: Starter not announced
Start probability: Andrei Vasilevskiy94%
Dennis Hildeby6%
Schedule: Rested
Last game: L 1–5 at NYR · Oct 1

L1Guentzel – Cirelli – Hagel
8:05
L2Kucherov – Point – Mikheyev
6:58
L3Harkins – Goncalves – Geekie
5:04
L4Girgensons – Viel – Holmberg
4:59
D1McDonagh – Cernak
11:26
D2Hedman – D'Astous
11:01
D3Carlson – Moser
9:29
PP1Carlson – Kucherov – Guentzel – Point – Hagel
7:18

Projected TBL lines →·TBL goalies →·Goalie start planner →

Game day: all games on Dec 31.

More

Methodology

Shot locations come from the NHL play-by-play, normalised so each shooter attacks the same way, then flipped so the home team attacks right. On-ice stats and lines come from the shift charts: a unit is the exact set of skaters sharing the ice, and CF% is the share of all shot attempts while they were out. Head-to-head cells are 5v5 time against each opponent. Expected goals and the Pressure Index appear as their models are released.