Puck drop: 8:00 p.m. EDT / 7:00 p.m. CT
TV: Prime Video, TSN2, RDS
The Canadiens wrap up a four-game road trip (already 3-0 with wins over Chicago, Winnipeg in the Heritage Classic, and a 2-0 shutout in St. Louis) against a Stars team that ranks first in the NHL in goals against per game (2.00) and second in penalty kill (92.9%). Montreal is second in the Atlantic; Dallas sits third in the Central. This is the first meeting of the 2026-27 season.
Injury Reports
Montreal Canadiens
Nick Suzuki (C, upper body) — Out, expected return around Nov. 18 (2-4 weeks; ironman streak ended at 546 games).
Ivan Demidov (RW, lower body) — IR, expected ~Oct. 31.
Sam Montembeault (G, lower body) — IR, expected ~Oct. 31.
Bryce Pickford (D, undisclosed) — IR, expected ~Oct. 31.
Lucas Condotta (LW/F, undisclosed) — IR, expected ~Oct. 31.
Martin St. Louis has turned to Jakub Dobes in net after Jacob Fowler’s stellar three-game stretch (99 saves on 101 shots, .980 SV%). Fowler (6-1-0, 1.54 GAA, .942 SV%) has been excellent, but Dobes (1-2-2, 4.47 GAA, .847 SV%) gets the start.
Dallas Stars
Matt Duchene (C, abdomen) — LTIR, expected ~Jan. 12 (core surgery).
Esa Lindell (D, lower body) — IR, expected ~Oct. 31 (possible return in 4-7 days).
Radek Faksa (C, lower/upper body) — Out, expected ~Nov. 3.
Oskar Back (C, finger) — LTIR, expected ~mid-November.
Kyle Capobianco (D, leg) — Day-to-day/out, expected at least a week (MRI).
Sam Steel (C, undisclosed) — Day-to-day.
Cameron Hughes (C, upper body) — IR.
Jake Oettinger (6-2-1, 1.43 GAA, .929 SV%, 3 shutouts) is the clear starter and one of the league’s hottest goalies.
Current Rosters / Key Contributors & Projected Looks
Canadiens (key active forwards/defense from recent form and NHL.com data)
Top contributors without Suzuki: Cole Caufield (6G-4A-10P), Juraj Slafkovský (2G-6A-8P), Zachary Bolduc (5G-2A-7P), Josh Anderson (4G-2A-6P), Lane Hutson (3G-7A-10P from the blue line). Other notables include Alex Newhook, Chris Kreider, Phillip Danault, Jake Evans, Kirby Dach, Alexandre Texier, and defense of Hutson-Noah Dobson, Mike Matheson-Alexandre Carrier, Kaiden Guhle.
Recent lines (adapted from road trip, centered by Oliver Kapanen in Suzuki’s absence):
Caufield – Kapanen – Slafkovský
Texier – Danault – Bolduc
Kreider – Newhook – Anderson
Dach – Evans – Xhekaj (or similar)
Defense: Hutson-Dobson; Matheson-Carrier; Guhle-Engstrom.Stars
Mikko Rantanen leads with 6G-8A-14P; Jason Robertson has 5G-8A-13P. Wyatt Johnston, Roope Hintz, Tyler Seguin, Jamie Benn, and Joel Kiviranta provide depth. Defense features Miro Heiskanen and Thomas Harley as the top pair, with Nils Lundkvist, Lian Bichsel, Tyler Myers available amid absences.
Projected lines (recent usage):
Kiviranta – Johnston – Rantanen
Robertson – Hintz/Seguin – Seguin/Hintz
Benn – Hyry – Hryckowian
Blackwell – Hryckowian – Seminoff
Defense: Heiskanen-Harley; Lundkvist-Bichsel; Myers and others.
PP1 typically features Rantanen, Hintz, Robertson, Heiskanen, Johnston.
Key Player vs. Player Matchups
Caufield / Slafkovský vs. Heiskanen / Harley: Montreal’s skill duo (with Kapanen) against Dallas’s elite shutdown pair and Oettinger. Hutson’s offensive generation from the point is critical for the Canadiens.
Rantanen / Robertson / Johnston vs. Montreal’s top defensive layers (Hutson-Dobson, Matheson): Dallas’s top scorers face a Canadiens group that has limited chances effectively on the road trip.
Special teams: Dallas’s elite PK (92.9%) vs. Montreal’s struggling PP (11.4%, 29th). Montreal’s solid PK (83.7%) vs. Dallas’s average PP (18.5%). Faceoffs favor Dallas (56.1% to 52.4%).
Recent Team Forms
Montreal: 6-3-1 in last 10; three-game win streak (and points in five straight at points). Strong goaltending (especially Fowler) and depth scoring have carried them without Suzuki. They rank mid-pack offensively (3.00 GF/GP) and defensively (3.00 GA/GP). High penalty rate (second in the league in total penalties). Road record 3-1-1 (updated with recent wins).
Dallas: 7-2-1 in last 10; five-game win streak snapped in a 5-1 home loss to New Jersey on Tuesday. Elite defensive metrics (fewest goals and second-fewest shots against). Home record ~4-3-0. Offense is more modest (2.67 GF/GP) but opportunistic with star power.
Series History
Season series: 0-0. Recent meetings have been competitive or lopsided in Dallas’s favor at times (e.g., Stars 7-0 in Montreal in Nov. 2025; Canadiens OT win in Dallas in Jan. 2026). Historically, Dallas holds an edge overall, particularly at home in recent years.
Betting Trends
Trends favor Dallas at home against a depleted Montreal attack, though the Canadiens’ road momentum and Fowler/Dobes question mark add variance. Unders have been strong for Dallas; Montreal has been more over-prone at times.
Game Odds
Montreal Canadiens 6
Dallas Stars – 165
Odds Courtesy of Sports Odds Direct as of Wednesday, October 28, 2026
