Canadiens Vs Ducks: Anaheim aims to keep rolling tonight at Honda Center
canadiens vs ducks is on the ice tonight, March 6, 2026, at Honda Center in Anaheim, with the Ducks pushing to stay hot and the Canadiens trying to steady themselves mid-trip. The game is scheduled for 9: 00 p. m. ET, with puck drop listed at 9: 00 p. m. ET in the watch information available for the matchup. Anaheim enters after a decisive win Wednesday, while Montreal arrives after a high-scoring loss Tuesday and still holding a Wild Card position in the East.
Game time and broadcast: Canadiens Vs Ducks at 9: 00 p. m. ET
Friday’s meeting at Honda Center is slated for 9: 00 p. m. ET. Broadcast details available for the game include +. Team records going into the night list Anaheim at 34-24-3 and Montreal at 33-18-9.
The matchup is described as the first meeting between the teams this season, with the next meeting scheduled in Montreal on Sunday, March 15.
Anaheim’s surge, trades, and lineup notes heading into canadiens vs ducks
The Ducks come in chasing a seventh win in their last eight games and keeping their homestand going. Anaheim’s most recent result was a 5-1 win Wednesday against the Islanders, a performance that marked its sixth win in seven games and kept the club second in the Pacific Division, one point behind Vegas.
In that win, Cutter Gauthier scored his 31st goal and was noted as the first Duck in franchise history to score five consecutive team goals. Beckett Sennecke scored his 20th goal of the season, tying Islanders defenseman Matthew Schaefer for the most goals by a rookie this season.
Roster movement also frames Anaheim’s push. Ahead of the trade deadline, the Ducks signed Ryan Poehling to a four-year extension and traded for veteran defenseman John Carlson, who has 10 goals and 36 assists in 55 games this season. The Ducks also traded veteran forward Ryan Strome to the Calgary Flames for a 2027 seventh-round pick.
One key availability note: Carlson will not be available tonight. Head coach Joel Quenneville also said Dostal will return as Anaheim’s netminder for tonight’s matchup.
Montreal’s situation: Wild Card standing and key scorers
Montreal arrives in Anaheim in the middle of a California swing after losing to the Sharks 7-5 on Tuesday. The Canadiens are listed as holding the first Wild Card spot in the Eastern Conference going into Friday.
Offensively, Alex Newhook is on a three-game point streak with 2 goals and 2 assists. Nick Suzuki leads Montreal in assists (50) and points (69), while Cole Caufield leads the team in goals with 35.
The watch information for the game also includes an injury note listing Petr Mrazek: Out For Season (Lower Body).
Immediate reactions: Ducks frame the deadline as a playoff push
Quenneville described the trade-deadline posture as a shift in direction for Anaheim.
“I think in past years here, at this time of the year, the team was in a ‘sell mode, ’” said Joel Quenneville, head coach, Anaheim Ducks. “I think it shows that this year, we’re excited about our opportunity to try and make the playoffs. [Carlson] adds that presence that is necessary and shows that we believe this year, let’s make that push. ”
Defenseman Radko Gudas pointed to Carlson’s experience and what it can add once he’s available.
“He’s a well-experienced guy, he played a lot of big number of games, ” said Radko Gudas, defenseman, Anaheim Ducks. “He knows how to win. He knows how to shoot the puck. He sees the puck very well. He still moves very well. He can play big minutes and important minutes and he’s never losing his composure. He’s a big, experienced guy who’s gonna bring a lot of things to our blue line. His vision on power plays is something fun to watch. ”
What’s next after canadiens vs ducks
With the first head-to-head meeting of the season happening tonight, the immediate focus is the result at Honda Center and how Anaheim’s momentum holds against a Montreal team still positioned in the East’s Wild Card race. After Friday, these clubs are set to see each other again in Montreal on Sunday, March 15, putting a quick rematch on the calendar and keeping the spotlight on how both teams carry the outcome of canadiens vs ducks into the next leg of their schedules.
