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Here are the lines and defense pairings featured by head coach Dominique Ducharme:
News and notes
During his pregame press conference, Ducharme confirmed that goaltender Cayden Primeau will make his second consecutive start.
The 22-year-old was outstanding against Colorado over the weekend, turning aside 43 of 46 shots.
Tweet from @CanadiensMTL: Dominique Ducharme confirme que Cayden Primeau sera devant le filet face au Wild.Dominique Ducharme confirms that Cayden Primeau will start against the Wild.#GoHabsGo pic.twitter.com/wfauw2P29L
Ducharme also provided a brief status update on fowards Joel Armia and Cole Caufield, both of whom are in the NHL's COVID-19 protocol.
The pair will travel to Madison, WI where they'll skate and train since they cannot cross the Canadian border for another five days.
Caufield, of course, is a Wisconsin native and played collegiately at the University of Wisconsin.
Tweet from @CanadiensMTL: Ducharme indique que Cole Caufield et Joel Armia se rendront �� Madison, WI, o�� ils patineront avant de pouvoir traverser la fronti��re.Ducharme indicated that Cole Caufield and Joel Armia will travel to Madison, WI where they'll skate before being permitted to cross the border. pic.twitter.com/oF4K23g1TM
Special game for Pitlick, Poehling
Rem Pitlick and Ryan Poehling have every reason to be pumped for tonight's encounter.
Pitlick is facing his former team for the first time since being claimed off waivers by the Canadiens on January 12.
The 24-year-old forward, who grew up in Minnesota, played 20 games for the Wild this season before joining the Habs.
"It's really cool to be back here. It's definitely interesting. I've had experiences in the past where you play against your former team, so it's definitely an odd experience, but I'm doing my best to treat it like a normal game," said Pitlick, who has one goal and one assist in five appearances with Montreal. "It's definitely cool to be back home. It's going to be interesting that it's such a quick turnaround here now that we're playing them again."
Video: Rem Pitlick on the success of his former team
Poehling, meanwhile, will play his first game against his childhood team since making his NHL debut in 2018-19.
The 23-year-old Lakeville, MN native and St. Cloud State University product has been eagerly awaiting this particular matchup.
"I'm super excited. Growing up, I was the biggest Wild fan ever and came to all the games and playoff games. It'll be weird going up against them. I was a Wild guy at heart. There'll be so many family and friends here, it's honestly a dream for me," said Poehling. "Growing up, you just think about playing in the State High School Hockey Tournament. In Minnesota, that's like the biggest thing, so to kind of look and realize that you're playing an NHL game against the Wild, the team that you loved so much, is honestly a blessing."
Video: Ryan Poehling on playing against his childhood team
Hoping to finish strong
The Canadiens will battle another squad with an impeccable home record tonight.
The Wild are 13-3-1 in the friendly confines of the Xcel Energy Center, so Ducharme fully expects a tough affair.
"It's a team that supports the puck really well. They're five guys around the puck all the time. They play as a block of five, and that's what we also want to do. It's going to be a competitive game. They're working hard and they're a heavy team at the same time with a good mix of size, speed and mobile defensemen," explained Ducharme. "They're playing well. It's a good challenge for us. We want to finish the trip on the right track."
Video: Dominique Ducharme's pregame press conference
Ducharme's contingent has compiled a 1-2-3 record on the trip thus far, collecting five out of a possible 12 points.
