This morning, the Canadiens confirmed Jacob Fowler will start in net tonight against the Bruins, while Samuel Montembeault stays behind to continue his recovery.
UPDATE (11:27 AM ET): The article already covers Sturm confirming Swayman as Boston's starter, and the Montreal travel news is in there too: Suzuki, Evans and Matheson on the trip, Montembeault staying behind and Fowler in net. The new posts only repeat those items, so there is nothing new to add here.
UPDATE (11:24 AM ET): Marco Sturm confirmed that Jeremy Swayman will start in net for the Bruins tonight, according to a post shared by Boston Hockey Now. That settles the goaltending question the article left open, with DiPietro out of the picture for this one.
Jim McBride shared Boston's morning lines, with Peterka-Zacha-Pastrnak on the top trio and Eyssimont-Minten-Geekie behind them. Lindholm-McAvoy, Zadorov-Borgen and Brunet-Lohrei were the first three D pairs, with Aspirot-Clifton on the fourth.
It's a big night for the Atlantic race. Boston is 13-4-1 with 27 points, Montreal is 11-3-4 with 26, and the Canadiens arrive after a 2-1 overtime loss to the Wild on Tuesday.
MurphysLaw74 passed along word that Nick Suzuki and Jake Evans will make the trip despite today's treatment, and that Mike Matheson travels to Boston too.
The Canadiens' own account then made it official that Fowler has the net in Boston on Thursday.
Fowler is 21, a third-round pick of Montreal in 2023, and he has played 11 games this season. Walking into TD Garden against the team with the best home record in the division is a steep first-rate test for a young goalie.
Montembeault is listed on injured reserve with a lower-body injury, expected out until at least Nov. 12, according to the latest injury report. Staying home to keep working back is the clearest sign Montreal won't rush him, so the crease belongs to Fowler tonight.
The skaters are more encouraging. Suzuki has 16 points in 12 games and is a +10, so having him on the trip, treatment day or not, matters. Matheson is listed as day-to-day with a lower-body injury, expected out until at least Nov. 14, so traveling doesn't confirm he plays.
Who gets the Bruins' crease against Montreal?
Boston hasn't confirmed its starter, and the picture is genuinely open. Both Jeremy Swayman and Michael DiPietro were in net at practice, and neither has been named for tonight.
DiPietro has been a story all week. We covered Michael DiPietro's four straight wins in net last week, and he has played 5 games this season. Swayman has 13.
Boston Hockey Now posted its Game 19 notes, lines and viewing info for the matchup.
Whichever goalie gets the nod, the Bruins hold the edge on paper. They've won four straight and are 8-1-0 at home, and with Montreal leaning on Fowler instead of its veteran, we'd call this a game Boston should control.
Marco Sturm has made it clear what this one means to him. Montreal is still his biggest rivalry, "not even close," he has said.
Puck drop is tonight at TD Garden, and the Bruins' starter should be confirmed before warmups.
This article was written with the help of artificial intelligence, based on public reports and official sources.
Will Jacob Fowler steal a win from the Bruins at TD Garden tonight?
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