Fowler starts again in St. Louis: Canadiens evening report

Jacob Fowler will be back in the Canadiens’ net for a third straight game tonight in St. Louis. La Presse reports that Martin St-Louis is sticking with his winning formula in goal as the Habs wrap up October sitting fifth in the Atlantic Division with 14 points in 11 games (record of 6-3-2).

Fowler gets the crease again, Engström draws in

According to La Presse, Fowler will start against the Blues as his early-season workload continues to grow. On defence, Adam Engström steps into the lineup in place of Arber Xhekaj for this matchup in St. Louis, a change that slightly reshapes the Canadiens’ blue line for this inter-conference contest.

Eyes on the Prize notes that puck drop is scheduled for 8:00 p.m. Eastern in Montreal, with the game serving as the Canadiens’ 12th of the season. In the Canadiens’ region, the matchup will be available on TSN2 in English and RDS in French, with streaming options listed as TSN+ and RDS in Canada and ESPN+ in the United States.

Larkin rumours and a promising goalie pipeline

On the rumour front, The Hockey Writers reports that the Montreal Canadiens are joining the Buffalo Sabres in the Dylan Larkin sweepstakes. The outlet wonders whether either team has a realistic shot at landing the centre, while stopping short of predicting any outcome.

In another piece, The Hockey Writers points out that the Canadiens have three goaltending prospects off to strong starts in 2026-27. With Fowler already making a strong impression at the NHL level, the organization appears, in their view, to have the foundation of a long-term solution in goal. La Presse also raises the question of whether Fowler could end up “saving” the Canadiens’ 2023 draft class, in a year where top-five pick David Reinbacher naturally carries big expectations.

Kreider’s leadership and Blues’ homestand context

The Hockey Writers also argues that Chris Kreider needs to lead even when he isn’t scoring, underlining that his importance to the Canadiens goes well beyond his goal totals. In their Blues gameday preview, the same outlet notes that St. Louis is in the final stretch of a five-game homestand as the Canadiens come to town.

So the stage is set before the opening faceoff in St. Louis: Fowler continues his audition as the go-to starter, the defence gets a tweak with Engström stepping in, and the first serious trade rumours involving the Canadiens are already bubbling as November approaches.