Martin St-Louis shuffles blue line as Canadiens brace for Rangers: Kaiden Guhle out 4–6 weeks; what it means and how to watch tonight

The Canadien de Montréal are confronting their first major injury test of the season: defenseman Kaiden Guhle is out 4–6 weeks (lower body) after being hurt late in Thursday’s overtime win. The timing is thorny—Montréal had surged to a hot start and hosts the New York Rangers tonight, a pace-and-precision opponent that punishes defensive gaps. Head coach Martin St-Louis now turns to depth pieces and pair tweaks to preserve momentum.

Habs game tonight: broadcast basics and puck drop

• Puck drop: 7:00 p.m. ET (U.S./Canada) • 12:00 a.m. BST (Sun)

• Where to watch (Canada): National French-language and English-language sports channels carry the game; most cable/satellite and major streaming TV bundles include one or both.

• Streaming: Authenticate through your TV provider’s app; regional blackouts may apply.

• Radio: Team network and official mobile app offer live play-by-play.

Listings can shift close to game time—confirm in your device guide before puck drop.

Injury ripple effects: how Martin St-Louis can cover for Kaiden Guhle

The plan as of today points to Jayden Struble stepping in, with usage that likely toggles between a second-pair role next to Lane Hutson and targeted defensive-zone starts against New York’s top six. Expect pairing fluidity: St-Louis has been quick to adjust matchups mid-game when zone exits bog down or the neutral-zone gap widens.

Key levers without Guhle:

• Zone exits by committee: More low support from centers to free Hutson for first passes and controlled carries.

• Simplified weak-side rules: When defending east-west play, Montréal will emphasize early shoulder checks and a conservative pinch to avoid odd-man rushes.

• Shift length discipline: Against a forecheck that builds pressure in layers, keeping defense shifts ~45 seconds becomes non-negotiable.

Status of other Habs names you’re searching

• Patrik Laine: Listed day-to-day (lower body) and not expected to dress tonight. Montréal will continue to mix scoring by committee on the wings around Nick Suzuki and Cole Caufield.

• Kirby Dach: Also day-to-day (lower body); the club has leaned on internal options to stabilize middle-six minutes.

Updates in the final hour before warmups can alter the lineup card; monitor the team’s game-day channels.

Canadiens vs. Rangers: matchup keys at the Bell Centre

1) Breakouts under fire
New York’s forwards hunt turnovers high; Montréal must invert support—dragging a forward below the dots to give Hutson or Struble a clean first read. One clean exit can flip a 30-second hem-in into a rush chance for Caufield on the weak side.

2) Net-front management
With Guhle sidelined, box-out technique and early sticks matter. The Rangers thrive on tips and second pucks; Montréal’s wingers must crash the hash marks to help the D clear bodies and lanes.

3) Special teams discipline
Montréal’s five-on-four has trended chance-positive when Suzuki works the bumper as a hinge. The flip side: staying out of the box protects an already-reshaped blue line from extended ozone sieges.

4) Goaltending cadence
The Habs don’t need a goalie to steal the night so much as kill momentum swings—the save after an icing, or the glove on a first-shift look following a long change.

What Martin St-Louis has signaled

St-Louis’ recent public posture has been clear: Struble isn’t a placeholder. The staff views him as a bona fide rotation piece, not a “seventh D” emergency plug. That framing matters in the room—players respond to defined roles, not short-leash auditions. Expect the coach to trust Struble with real minutes early, then calibrate only if exits or matchups fray.

Habs by the numbers (entering tonight)

• Record: Off to a 4–1–0 start, including 2–0–0 at home.

• When scoring three+: Montréal is unbeaten this season when they reach three goals.

• Streak: Aiming for a fifth straight win tonight.

These splits explain the coaching emphasis: keep five-on-five flow intact, avoid extended D-zone shifts, and force the opponent to chase.

What to watch in the first ten minutes

• Clean first touches for Hutson/Struble. If the exits are crisp, the Habs can attack off the rush and draw penalties.

• Suzuki’s matchups. Last change at home lets St-Louis steer his captain into favorable draws and minimize defensive-zone tax on reworked pairs.

• Shot locations. Early slot touches for Caufield usually presage a multi-point night.

Big-picture takeaway for Habs fans

Losing Kaiden Guhle for 4–6 weeks is a gut punch, but the structure is holding, the room trusts St-Louis’ next-man-up approach, and the schedule offers a telling barometer tonight. Survive the Rangers’ forecheck, protect the house, and the attack—driven by Suzuki-Caufield and a deeper supporting cast—can keep Montréal’s early-season climb on track.