The Montreal Canadiens (19-12-5) visit the Boston Bruins (20-16-1) in an Original Six rivalry matchup that’s pivotal for both teams’ playoff hopes in the Eastern Conference. Montreal, sitting sixth in the Atlantic Division, has been inconsistent but showed resilience in a recent shootout loss, while Boston, third in the Atlantic, aims to snap a three-game skid (0-2-1) before the holiday break. This is the first meeting of the 2025-26 season between these historic foes; their last encounter on April 15, 2025 (prior season) saw Boston win 5-3. Expect a gritty, physical game with Boston’s home-ice physicality (22.8 hits per game, 8th in NHL) clashing against Montreal’s speed and transition play, potentially decided by goaltending—Boston’s Jeremy Swayman (.918 SV%) vs. Montreal’s Samuel Montembeault (.910 SV%). Special teams could be key, with Boston’s power play at 26.0% (5th) exploiting Montreal’s 78.4% penalty kill (24th).
Venue Location
TD Garden, Boston, MA. This 17,850-seat arena has been a tough venue for visitors this season, with Boston posting a 10-8-0 home record and holding opponents to 2.6 goals per game at home.
Puckdrop is set for 7:00 PM ET. The game will be broadcast on ESPN+ (national), MSG (Rangers alternate, but for this Bruins home), NESN (Bruins feed), and TSN/RDS (Canadiens feed), with streaming via ESPN+ and NHL.tv.
Injury Report
Injuries are plaguing both teams, with Montreal’s forward depth hit hard and Boston managing minor absences. Reports as of December 22 evening; final statuses may change.
Montreal Canadiens:
Out: Jake Evans (undisclosed – placed on IR after a hit in Dec. 21 game vs. Pittsburgh; expected out at least a week), Kaiden Guhle (undisclosed – LTIR as of Dec. 20), Kirby Dach (undisclosed – LTIR as of Dec. 20), Alex Newhook (broken ankle – out 4 months since Nov. surgery).
Questionable/Probable: Phillip Danault (undisclosed – day-to-day as of Dec. 22).
Notable Notes: Evans’ injury raises concussion concerns after a blindsided hit; the team recalled Sammy Blais from AHL Laval for depth. Guhle and Dach’s LTIR placements open cap space but weaken the blue line and center depth.
Boston Bruins:
Out: Henri Jokiharju (undisclosed – IR since Nov. 29), Matej Blumel (undisclosed – IR), Jonathan Aspirot (undisclosed – IR).
Questionable/Probable: Viktor Arvidsson (undisclosed – day-to-day), Michael Callahan (lower body – IR as of Dec. 4, but probable return soon).
Notable Notes: Jokiharju’s absence thins the blue line, but Charlie McAvoy returned from facial surgery on Dec. 11. Arvidsson’s status is game-time; if out, expect more from Pavel Zacha on the wing.
Player Matchups
Montreal’s injuries shift focus to their young core against Boston’s veteran grit. The Bruins’ physical style (top-10 in blocked shots at 16.2 per game) could neutralize the Canadiens’ speed, but Montreal’s transition game might exploit Boston’s 29.4 shots allowed (18th).
Cole Caufield (MTL) vs. Brad Marchand (BOS): Caufield (18 goals, top-15 scorer) brings pure sniping (6 power-play goals) against Marchand (12 goals, 20 assists), Boston’s agitator and playmaker. Marchand’s defensive instincts (1.2 takeaways per game) could shadow Caufield, but the Canadien’s quick release tests Boston’s 80.2% PK (18th).
Nick Suzuki (MTL) vs. Elias Lindholm (BOS): Centers duel with Suzuki (14 goals, 25 assists) facing Lindholm (10 goals, 18 assists). Suzuki’s faceoff edge (53.2%) challenges Boston’s 49.8% (15th), while Lindholm’s two-way play exploits Montreal’s injury-thinned depth.
Samuel Montembeault (MTL) vs. Jeremy Swayman (BOS): Montembeault (12 wins, .910 SV%, 2.68 GAA) faces Swayman (14 wins, .918 SV%, 2.45 GAA). Swayman’s home dominance (.925 SV%) could stifle Montreal’s 28.6 shots per game (20th), but Montembeault’s recent form (.915 SV% in December) keeps it competitive.
Other Key Battles: Juraj Slafkovsky (MTL, 10 goals) vs. Charlie McAvoy (BOS, 4 goals, 15 assists)—Slafkovsky’s size vs. McAvoy’s blocking (85 blocks). David Pastrnak (BOS, 20 goals) vs. Mike Matheson (MTL)—Pastrnak’s shot volume (120 shots) vs. Matheson’s mobility.
Recent Team Forms
Both teams are coming off losses, with Boston’s skid raising concerns and Montreal showing fight in close games.
Montreal Canadiens (Last 5 Games):
| Date | Opponent | Result |
| Dec 21 | @ Pittsburgh Penguins | L 3-4 (SO) |
| Dec 13 | @ New York Rangers | L 4-5 (OT) |
| Dec 11 | vs. Calgary Flames | W 3-2 |
| Dec 8 | vs. Vancouver Canucks | L 0-4 |
| Dec 5 | @ Edmonton Oilers | W 4-3 (OT) |
Form: 2-2-1 in last 5, averaging 2.8 GPG while allowing 3.6. The Penguins shootout loss highlighted defensive resilience (Montembeault 32 saves), but earlier blowouts exposed goaltending inconsistencies.
Boston Bruins (Last 5 Games):
| Date | Opponent | Result |
| Dec 21 | vs. Ottawa Senators | L 2-6 |
| Dec 20 | @ Vancouver Canucks | L 4-5 (SO) |
| Dec 16 | vs. St. Louis Blues | W 2-1 |
| Dec 13 | @ Winnipeg Jets | L 1-5 |
| Dec 11 | vs. Carolina Hurricanes | L 2-3 (SO) |
Form: 1-3-1 in last 5, averaging 2.2 GPG while allowing 4.0. The Senators rout exposed defensive collapses (outshot 35-28), but the Blues win showed grit with Swayman (28 saves).
Series History
Montreal holds a commanding all-time edge: 354-297-103-11 in regular-season games (54.4% win rate for Canadiens), with a 7-5 playoff series lead. At TD Garden (and predecessors), Boston is 177-142-56-7 vs. Montreal. Recently, the Bruins have turned the tide, going 20-8-5 in the last 33 meetings since 2015, including a 5-3 win on April 15, 2025. Games average 5.4 total goals in the last 10, with Boston 7-3 straight up.
Betting Trends
Boston is 18-19 ATS overall but 9-9 ATS at home; Montreal is 20-16 ATS and 10-9 ATS on the road. Over is 3-2 in Boston’s last 5 home games; under is 4-1 in Montreal’s last 5 road tilts. Bruins 1-4 ATS in last 5; Canadiens 4-1 ATS after a loss. Series unders hit in 6 of last 10.
Game Odds
Montreal Canadiens 6.5
Boston Bruins – 120
Odds Courtesy of Sports Odds Direct as of Monday, December 22, 2025
