The Montreal Canadiens (15-9-3) welcome the St. Louis Blues (10-12-7) to the Bell Centre for an Atlantic-Central showdown that could hinge on Montreal’s red-hot power play (26.4%, 4th in NHL) against a Blues squad reeling from defensive lapses and a fresh injury blow. The Habs enter on a two-game win streak, including a 2-1 shootout thriller over Toronto on Saturday, extending their points streak to three (2-0-1). St. Louis snapped a two-game skid with a gritty 2-1 road win at Ottawa on Saturday, but the cost was steep: leading scorer Jordan Kyrou exited early with a lower-body injury, joining a lengthy IR list that has sapped their offense (2.52 GF/G, 28th). Montreal’s opportunistic attack (3.31 GF/G, 10th) meets the Blues’ leaky net (3.41 GA/G, 25th), but the Habs’ home-ice edge (7-6-1) and superior special teams could tip the scales in this classic Original Six vs. expansion rivalry renewal.
Game Details
Puckdrop: 7:00 p.m. ET
Venue: Bell Centre, Montréal, Quebec (capacity: 21,105)
Broadcast: ESPN+, TSN2, RDS, FDSNMW
This evening affair caps a busy weekend for both, with Montreal wrapping a four-game homestand (5-2-1 at Bell Centre) and St. Louis concluding a three-game road trip (3-4-3 away). The Habs’ raucous crowd has fueled 3.5 GF/G at home, setting the stage for a potential high-event tilt.
Injury Report
St. Louis’s forward depth is decimated, with Kyrou’s status clouding their top line, while Montreal’s absences linger in the bottom-six and on defense, forcing prospects into key roles. The Blues have lost 112 man-games to injury, exacerbating their scoring woes.
| Team | Player | Position | Status | Injury | Estimated Return | Notes |
| St. Louis Blues | Jordan Kyrou | RW | Day-to-Day (Doubtful) | Lower Body/Leg | December 7 | Leading scorer (8G-8A); exited Saturday vs. OTT early after board collision—MRI pending, likely out. |
| St. Louis Blues | Robert Thomas | C | Day-to-Day | Undisclosed | December 7 | 4G-13A in 25GP; practiced but monitored. |
| St. Louis Blues | Alexei Toropchenko | RW | Injured Reserve | Leg | December 9 | Bottom-six energy; 1G-1A before injury. |
| St. Louis Blues | Nathan Walker | LW | Injured Reserve | Upper Body | February 26 | Grinder; 1G-1A in 17GP. |
| St. Louis Blues | Jimmy Snuggerud | RW | Injured Reserve | Wrist (Surgery) | January 13 | Rookie contributor (5G-6A in 26GP). |
| St. Louis Blues | Torey Krug | D | Injured Reserve | Undisclosed | TBD | Veteran leader; heavy minutes eater. |
| Montreal Canadiens | Kirby Dach | C | Injured Reserve | Foot | December 28 | Middle-six pivot; limited to 10GP this season. |
| Montreal Canadiens | Alex Newhook | C | Injured Reserve | Ankle | March 17, 2026 | Depth forward; no games played. |
| Montreal Canadiens | Patrik Laine | RW | Injured Reserve | Abdomen | February 28, 2026 | High-upside sniper; offseason acquisition sidelined long-term. |
| Montreal Canadiens | Kaiden Guhle | D | Injured Reserve | Lower Body (Adductor Surgery) | January 2026 | Shutdown defender; 8-10 weeks out since November. |
| Montreal Canadiens | David Reinbacher | D | Out | Undisclosed | December 9 | Prospect; limited NHL exposure. |
Impact: Kyrou’s absence drops St. Louis to 2.1 GF/G without him; Thomas’s status could shuffle lines. Montreal’s blue line leans on Lane Hutson (emerging star), but Guhle’s void exposes transitions.
Key Player Matchups
Injuries force depth battles, but Montreal’s stars should exploit St. Louis’s depleted attack. Watch the power play: Habs 26.4% vs. Blues 18.2% (and 76.7% PK, leaky).
Nick Suzuki (MTL, C) vs. Robert Thomas (STL, C, if active): Suzuki (8G-23A-31P) owns faceoffs (53%) and dazzles at home (12P in 13GP); Thomas (17P) is the Blues’ engine but day-to-day. Suzuki’s two-way game tilts possession. Edge: Suzuki.
Cole Caufield (MTL, RW) vs. Colton Parayko (STL, D): Caufield (15G-15A-30P, 15.4% shooting) feasts on volume (128 SOG); Parayko (+3) anchors but faces 24+ minutes without Krug. Caufield’s wrist shot tests gaps. Edge: Caufield.
Jake Neighbours (STL, LW) vs. Lane Hutson (MTL, D): Neighbours (team-high 2G Saturday) brings physicality; rookie Hutson (0.5A/game) quarterbacks the rush but -2 rating lately. Neighbours could bully the boards. Edge: Even—youth vs. grit.
Goalie Duel: Jordan Binnington (STL) vs. Jakub Dobes (MTL): Binnington (6-7-5, 3.31 GAA, .874 SV%) rebounds from Saturday’s 41-save win; Dobes (10-3-2, 2.95 GAA, .895 SV%) hot in net (3-1-1 L5). Edge: Dobes—better recent form.
Projected Lines (Subject to change):
Blues: Neighbours-Thomas (if active)-Buchnevich | Holloway-Dvorsky-Joseph | Suter-Schenn-Walker | Kasimaki-Sundqvist-Bjugstad | Broberg-Parayko | Kessel-Faulk | Fowler-Mailloux | Binnington
Canadiens: Caufield-Suzuki-Slafkovsky | Texier-Kapanen-Demidov | Hutson-Savard-Roy | Armia-Dvorak-Beck | Harris-Struble | Xhekaj-Mailloux | Dobes/Montembeault
Team Records and Standings
| Team | Record | Points | Goal Diff. | Home/Away | Division Rank |
| St. Louis Blues | 10-12-7 | 27 | -26 | 6-7-4 Home / 4-5-3 Away | 7th Central |
| Montreal Canadiens | 15-9-3 | 33 | -6 | 7-6-1 Home / 8-3-2 Away | 5th Atlantic |
Blues rank 28th in GF/G (2.52) but 12th in PK (76.7%); Habs 10th in GF/G (3.31), 20th in GA/G (3.54), with elite PP (26.4%).
Recent Team Forms
Montreal’s clutch wins mask defensive hiccups, while St. Louis grinds out low-scorers but leaks late.
Blues Last 5 Games (3-2-0):
| Date | Opponent | Result | Key Notes |
| Dec. 6 | @ OTT | W 2-1 | Hofer 41 saves; Neighbours 2G in tight win. |
| Dec. 4 | @ BOS | L 2-5 | Binnington pulled; 39 SOG but outscored. |
| Dec. 1 | vs. ANA | L 1-4 | Power-play drought (0/6); low-event dud. |
| Nov. 29 | vs. UTA | W 1-0 | Shutout gem; timely goal. |
| Nov. 28 | vs. OTT | W 4-3 | Comeback; 31 SOG. |
Canadiens Last 5 Games (3-2-0):
| Date | Opponent | Result | Key Notes |
| Dec. 6 | @ TOR | W 2-1 (SO) | Dobes 31 saves; clutch SO win. |
| Dec. 3 | vs. WPG | W 3-2 | Suzuki GWG; PP clicks (1/1). |
| Dec. 2 | vs. OTT | L 2-5 | Defensive lapses; 2 PP goals allowed. |
| Nov. 29 | @ COL | L 2-7 | Outshot 36-23; blowout road loss. |
| Nov. 28 | @ VGK | W 4-1 | Offensive surge; 19 SOG enough. |
Blues 4-4-2 L10 (2.4 GF/G); Habs 6-3-1 L10 (3.2 GF/G).
Series History
These Original Six/expansion foes have battled 156 times (regular + playoffs), with Montreal holding a commanding 93-41-22 edge overall (66.7% win rate), including 81-39-22-2 in regular season (63.9%). The Habs lead at home 54-16-7-2, outscoring St. Louis 574-417 all-time. Recent tilts favor Montreal: 5-3 in last 8, including a 3-2 home win on March 10, 2025. Blues own a 4-2 playoff edge (1960s), but no meetings since. Average: 6.35 goals/game.
Betting Trends
Puck Line: MTL covers 55% as home faves.
Total (O/U): Over 7-3 in Habs’ last 10 home; Blues 2-3 O/U L5.
Trends: Habs 46-42 ML last 88 (+12 units, 12% ROI); Blues 2-8 SU last 10 road vs. Atlantic. MTL 5-3 SU last 8 H2H. Sharp on Over 6 (projected 6.2 goals).
Game Odds
St. Louis Blues 5.5
Montreal Canadiens – 142
Odds Courtesy of Sports Odds Direct as of Saturday, December 6, 2025
