Canadiens get early Hurricanes rematch as Demidov’s status in doubt

The Montreal Canadiens will get an early crack at the Carolina Hurricanes on Tuesday night, just four months after being knocked out by the same opponent in the Eastern Conference final. The rematch comes at a time when Montreal’s season is barely underway, with an 84-game schedule and a shortened training camp leaving the team still fine‑tuning its structure and forward combinations.

Quick reminder of a lopsided playoff series

Defenceman Alexandre Carrier, who left Saturday’s game in Pittsburgh after a hard fall but returned to practice on Monday, downplayed the broader meaning of facing Carolina so soon. From the Canadiens’ perspective, this is a very different setting from last spring, when they won Game 1 before being heavily outshot and outscored over the next four games to lose the series decisively. Early‑season form and shortened preparation make direct comparisons difficult.

Head coach Martin St-Louis nonetheless framed the meeting as an important early checkpoint, calling it a “good test” while stressing that a single October result will not establish which club is superior. For him, the priority is building the right habits and game identity now, rather than chasing statements in the standings this early in the schedule.

Contrasting lines and growing emphasis on details

St-Louis highlighted clear differences between two of his forward lines. He praised the Zachary Bolduc–Jake Evans–Josh Anderson unit, which has stood out both analytically and to the eye through two games. That trio has been credited with playing to its identity by putting pucks deep, forechecking hard and bringing physicality, elements the staff wants to ingrain across the lineup.

The line of Juraj Slafkovsky, Alex Newhook and Ivan Demidov has posted strong numbers as well, but has not always looked as effective in real time. In St‑Louis’ view, that group is leaning too heavily on rush chances instead of establishing a deeper, more grinding game, a tendency that could be exposed against a structured, disciplined team like Carolina. The pointed comments from Slafkovsky and Lane Hutson after Saturday’s overtime loss in Pittsburgh underscored a sense of internal urgency to correct these issues.

Demidov questionable, Guhle nearing contact clearance

Personnel-wise, Ivan Demidov did not take part in Monday’s practice, with the team granting him a treatment day. St-Louis offered no firm update on the winger’s availability for Tuesday, saying only that a decision would come later. During power‑play drills, Chris Kreider skated on the top unit and Kirby Dach on the second, a possible hint at how the staff might adjust if Demidov is unable to go.

Carrier, meanwhile, completed the full session and described his removal from Saturday’s game after a heavy spill into the boards as precautionary, crediting the medical staff for managing the situation. On the blue line, Kaiden Guhle wore a sweater that allowed for contact and was paired with Adam Engström in most drills, a sign he is moving closer to returning after starting the season on injured reserve.

Should Demidov sit out, St‑Louis has several internal options. Florian Xhekaj spent much of practice on the left side of Evans and Anderson, while Oliver Kapanen rotated in with Bolduc and Phillip Danault alongside Alexandre Texier in certain sequences. Those combinations suggest the battle for spots in the game‑night lineup could extend into Tuesday morning, ahead of an emotionally charged first meeting of the season with the Hurricanes.