NHL Projected Lineups - Game Day April 30, 2026
Date: April 29, 2026
By IceHockeyMan Newsroom
Final update: All projected lineups for today have been added.
Matchup: Tampa Bay Lightning vs Montreal Canadiens
Faceoff: 01:00 CET
Tampa Bay Lightning - Projected lineup
Forwards
Gage Goncalves - Brayden Point - Nikita Kucherov
Brandon Hagel - Anthony Cirelli - Jake Guentzel
Zemgus Girgensons - Yanni Gourde - Nick Paul
Corey Perry - Dominic James - Scott Sabourin
Defense
J.J. Moser - Darren Raddysh
Ryan McDonagh - Erik Cernak
Declan Carlile - Emil Lilleberg
Goalies
Andrei Vasilevskiy
Jonas Johansson
Scratched: -
Injured: Charle-Edouard D’Astous (DTD), Pontus Holmberg (OUT), Victor Hedman (IR-LT)
IHM Lineup Note:
Tampa enters with Vasilevskiy confirmed, which instantly raises their floor. However, without Hedman, their breakout structure and defensive calm are still slightly compromised, especially under heavy forecheck pressure.
IHM Tactical Signals:
Forecheck Signal: Tampa must dictate early physical tone to avoid Montreal gaining confidence.
Transition Signal: Kucherov and Point remain elite decision-makers under pressure.
Blue Line Signal: Lack of Hedman reduces high-end puck distribution from the back end.
Goalie Stability Signal: Vasilevskiy is still the most reliable goalie in this matchup.
X-Factor Signal: Tampa must dominate special teams to fully exploit their experience edge.
Montreal Canadiens - Projected lineup
Forwards
Cole Caufield - Nick Suzuki - Juraj Slafkovsky
Alexandre Texier - Alex Newhook - Ivan Demidov
Zachary Bolduc - Oliver Kapanen - Kirby Dach
Jake Evans - Phillip Danault - Josh Anderson
Defense
Mike Matheson - Alexandre Carrier
Kaiden Guhle - Lane Hutson
Jayden Struble - Arber Xhekaj
Goalies
Jakub Dobes
Jacob Fowler
Scratched: -
Injured: Noah Dobson (OUT), Patrik Laine (IR)
IHM Lineup Note:
Montreal continues to play fearless hockey with a young core driving pace and creativity. Demidov and Hutson give them high-end offensive unpredictability, but defensive consistency remains a concern without Dobson.
IHM Tactical Signals:
Forecheck Signal: Montreal should stay aggressive and not fall into passive defensive play.
Transition Signal: Suzuki and Demidov are key to clean entries and tempo control.
Blue Line Signal: Hutson creates offense but requires strong support structure behind him.
Goalie Stability Signal: Dobes must handle high-danger chances consistently.
X-Factor Signal: Montreal’s speed can destabilize Tampa if they maintain pressure pace.
IHM Match Pressure Index:
Offensive Pressure: Lightning edge
Transition Edge: Even
Defensive Stability: Lightning slight edge
Goaltending Edge: Lightning edge
Game Control Projection: Tampa projects to control structure, while Montreal must win through speed and unpredictability.
Matchup: Philadelphia Flyers vs Pittsburgh Penguins
Faceoff: 01:30 CET
Philadelphia Flyers - Projected lineup
Forwards
Tyson Foerster - Trevor Zegras - Owen Tippett
Travis Konecny - Christian Dvorak - Porter Martone
Denver Barkey - Noah Cates - Matvei Michkov
Luke Glendening - Sean Couturier - Garnet Hathaway
Defense
Travis Sanheim - Rasmus Ristolainen
Cam York - Jamie Drysdale
Nick Seeler - Alex Bump
Goalies
Dan Vladar
Samuel Ersson
Scratched: -
Injured: Nikita Grebenkin (OUT), Ty Murchison (OUT), Rodrigo Abols (IR)
IHM Lineup Note:
Flyers continue to lean into speed and pressure. Their ability to force turnovers and attack quickly remains their biggest advantage over Pittsburgh’s slower defensive reactions.
IHM Tactical Signals:
Forecheck Signal: Flyers must maintain relentless pressure.
Transition Signal: Zegras and Tippett drive speed.
Blue Line Signal: Needs discipline under pressure.
Goalie Stability Signal: Vladar confirmed provides stability but not dominance.
X-Factor Signal: Flyers speed vs Penguins experience is the key battle.
Pittsburgh Penguins - Projected lineup
Forwards
Egor Chinakhov - Sidney Crosby - Bryan Rust
Tommy Novak - Rickard Rakell - Evgeni Malkin
Elmer Soderblom - Ben Kindel - Anthony Mantha
Connor Dewar - Blake Lizotte - Noel Acciari
Defense
Parker Wotherspoon - Erik Karlsson
Samuel Girard - Kris Letang
Ryan Shea - Connor Clifton
Goalies
Arturs Silovs
Stuart Skinner
Scratched: -
Injured: P. Kettles (OUT), Filip Hallander (IR), Caleb Jones (IR)
IHM Lineup Note:
Penguins rely heavily on experience and structure. Crosby and Malkin remain central to their offensive control, but pace mismatch remains a concern.
IHM Tactical Signals:
Forecheck Signal: Must support puck battles better.
Transition Signal: Karlsson and Letang drive exits.
Blue Line Signal: Strong offensively, weaker defensively.
Goalie Stability Signal: Silovs confirmed provides clarity.
X-Factor Signal: Penguins must slow the game.
IHM Match Pressure Index:
Offensive Pressure: Even
Transition Edge: Flyers slight edge
Defensive Stability: Penguins slight edge
Goaltending Edge: Even
Game Control Projection: Flyers push pace, Penguins rely on structure.
Matchup: Utah Mammoth vs Vegas Golden Knights
Faceoff: 04:00 CET
Vegas Golden Knights - Projected lineup
Forwards
Ivan Barbashev - Jack Eichel - Mark Stone
Brett Howden - Mitch Marner - Pavel Dorofeyev
Reilly Smith - Tomas Hertl - Keegan Kolesar
Cole Smith - Nic Dowd - Colton Sissons
Defense
Brayden McNabb - Shea Theodore
Noah Hanifin - Rasmus Andersson
Jeremy Lauzon - Kaedan Korczak
Goalies
Carter Hart
Adin Hill
Scratched: -
Injured: William Karlsson (IR-LT), Alex Pietrangelo (IR-LT)
IHM Lineup Note:
Vegas remains the most structured team in this matchup. Their depth and tactical discipline make them extremely difficult to break down.
IHM Tactical Signals:
Forecheck Signal: Structured pressure.
Transition Signal: Eichel and Marner control tempo.
Blue Line Signal: Still elite depth.
Goalie Stability Signal: Hart confirmed.
X-Factor Signal: Discipline and structure win games.
Utah Mammoth - Projected lineup
Forwards
Clayton Keller - Logan Cooley - Dylan Guenther
Kailer Yamamoto - Nick Schmaltz - Lawson Crouse
JJ Peterka - Alexander Kerfoot - Michael Carcone
Liam O’Brien - Kevin Stenlund - Brandon Tanev
Defense
Mikhail Sergachev - MacKenzie Weegar
Nate Schmidt - John Marino
Ian Cole - Sean Durzi
Goalies
Karel Vejmelka
Vitek Vanecek
Scratched: -
Injured: Barrett Hayton (OUT)
IHM Lineup Note:
Utah still has enough speed and offensive tools but must significantly improve execution and reduce defensive mistakes.
IHM Tactical Signals:
Forecheck Signal: Must increase pressure.
Transition Signal: Cooley and Keller lead pace.
Blue Line Signal: Good puck movement.
Goalie Stability Signal: Vejmelka confirmed.
X-Factor Signal: Needs pace game.
IHM Match Pressure Index:
Offensive Pressure: Vegas edge
Transition Edge: Vegas slight edge
Defensive Stability: Vegas edge
Goaltending Edge: Even
Game Control Projection: Vegas controls structure, Utah must push tempo.
Q&A: Projected Lineups and Starting Goalies
What are NHL projected lineups?
Projected lineups show expected forward lines, defense pairs, and goalies before official confirmation.
How accurate are projected lineups?
They are usually very close but can change due to late scratches or coaching decisions.
Why do playoff lineups matter more?
Because matchups, structure, and goalie performance have a much bigger impact.
What should you focus on first?
Center depth, defense structure, and starting goalie.
Why are goalies critical?
They determine stability and can decide entire series.
Why include power play units?
They reveal offensive hierarchy and key scoring options.
What is a healthy scratch?
A player available but not selected for tactical reasons.
Why do teams keep same lineup after wins?
To maintain chemistry and momentum.
How important are injuries?
Extremely important, especially top players.
What is IHM Match Pressure Index?
A breakdown of pressure, transition, defense, goalie edge, and control projection.
When are final lineups confirmed?
Usually during warmups.
What to watch after posting?
Goalie confirmations and last-minute lineup changes.