Jacob Fowler starts in goal for the Montréal Canadiens against the St. Louis Blues at the Enterprise Center on October 27, 2026, as coach Martin St-Louis shakes up his lineup by replacing defenseman Arber Xhekaj with Adam Engström during a busy road trip.
The matchup at the Enterprise Center brings together two offensive sides averaging over three goals per contest, with the Blues putting up 3,18 goals a night and the Canadiens sitting at 3,09 according to pre-game statistical breakdowns. Montréal arrived in Missouri holding a 6-3-2 record and riding a two-game winning streak as reported by sector analysts, while St. Louis stood at 5-5-1 overall following recent home victories against Vegas and Winnipeg.
Fowler sera devant le filet ce soir à St. Louis. Engstrom prendra la place de Xhekaj à la ligne bleueFowler gets the start in St. Louis. Engstrom will enter in place of Xhekaj on the blue line#GoHabsGo pic.twitter.com/hIUOi4Ub0R
Jacob Fowler Earns the Crease After Outdoor Win
Fresh off a 2-1 victory over the Winnipeg Jets at the Heritage Classic where he stopped 33 of 34 shots, rookie netminder Jacob Fowler secured his third start under head coach Martin St-Louis. At 21 years and 335 days old, Fowler became the youngest goaltender to start and win an outdoor NHL game.
That performance earned the young American the league’s third star of the week after he posted a 2-0-0 record with a 1.00 goals-against average and a .964 save percentage over the previous seven days. He followed up a 20-save night in a 4-1 win against the Chicago Blackhawks with stellar play in Winnipeg, maintaining an overall record of 5-1-0 with a 1.79 goals-against average.
Adam Engstrom has elite numbers at 5v5.- 61.4% shot share, 2nd among all defencemen (Hutson 1st with 62.6%).- 63.6% expected goal share, 1st among Habs defencemen.- 71.4% high-danger shot share, 1st among Habs defencemen.He definitely deserves to be playing. #GoHabsGo
Roster Changes and Defensive Shuffle in St. Louis
While the goaltending settled into a groove, the blue line saw a notable personnel shift. Defenseman Arber Xhekaj watched from the press box as Adam Engström re-entered the lineup for the first time since the previous Tuesday. With Mike Matheson returning to health alongside Lane Hutson, Alexandre Carrier, Noah Dobson, and Kaiden Guhle, the team carried five defensemen who required regular ice time, leaving Xhekaj as the odd man out.
The decision drew immediate scrutiny from fans and media observers who noted the presence of Kris Draper of the Red Wings in the stands. Speculation surfaced linking the lineup rotation to potential scouting interest in young roster pieces, though the organization maintained a standard tactical approach to managing a crowded defensive corps.
First Period Stalemate at the Enterprise Center
Play opened with the visitors controlling the early territorial battle. The Canadiens dominated the opening portion of the contest, earning an early power play and coming within inches of opening the scoring when Kaiden Guhle rang a shot off the goalpost against Blues goaltender Jordan Binnington.
The momentum flipped toward the latter half of the frame. St. Louis earned a man-advantage opportunity of its own, and forward Jake Neighbours tested Fowler by striking the iron before both teams retreated to their dressing rooms with the score deadlocked.
I think it’s quite clear the Habs are shopping Engstrom, Xhekaj has been great this season for the most part, that’s the only reason I see him out tonight
Prior to the game, the club announced that players would skip the morning skate to preserve energy on the road trip, a choice that left analysts awaiting final pre-game warmups to confirm personnel groupings. Meanwhile, the opponent deployed Joel Hofer in reserve roles elsewhere on the schedule, while Jordan Binnington took his stance in the crease for the home side.
Habs showcasing Adam Engstrom with Kris Draper in attendance tonight. Would assume the same for Oliver Kapanen. https://t.co/16rDLKq2tA