Martin St-Louis hints at lineup uncertainty as virus circulates in Canadiens' locker room

The Montreal Canadiens face the Boston Bruins tonight at TD Garden in a matchup between two teams sitting close together in the standings. Montreal enters with a 19-12-5 record, while Boston is 20-16-1 and looking to snap a three-game losing streak.

Just before the game, Martin St-Louis hinted that a minor virus is circulating within the team.

Martin St-Louis was unable to confirm his lineup, so there could be an unpleasant surprise before puck drop.

As a result, the head coach was indeed unable to confirm his official lineup. He also specified that everyone will take part in the pre-game warmup, which leaves real uncertainty until the very last minute. This kind of situation quickly becomes a headache, especially when you want to keep your group stable.

The Canadiens have already had to deal with sick players within the organization in recent days, which explains why the staff wants to see who has energy at the final moment.

The good news is that the absence of Cole Caufield and Brendan Gallagher from the morning skate is not worrying the team.

Caufield already has 17 goals and 35 points this season, and he remains the Canadiens' most consistent offensive engine when things are clicking around him.

Another element drawing attention is Phillip Danault.

Acquired Friday, he is back wearing number 24 and arrives at 32 years old with a potentially significant role down the middle. He will line up with Alexandre Texier and Josh Anderson.

Offensively, it has been quiet since the start of the year, with 0 goals, 5 assists, and 42 shots in 30 games, but he is motivated to bounce back here.

In short, the real answer will likely come only after the warmup, when St-Louis makes his final decision.

In the meantime, the Canadiens head to Boston with one more layer of intrigue, and nobody wants a poisoned gift just before the holidays.