Blues at Canadiens
It's no surprise that the return of star netminder Carey Price helped to reverse the sagging fortunes of the Montreal Canadiens, who have yet to lose since the former Vezina Trophy winner rejoined the lineup. The surging Canadiens go for their sixth consecutive victory when they host the slumping St. Louis Blues on Tuesday night.
Not only did Price end his team's five-game skid in his first appearance since sitting out three weeks due to a lower-body injury, he is having an effect at the other end of the ice. Montreal scored eight goals during the five-game losing streak but erupted for 16 in a home-and-home sweep of Detroit, including a 10-1 demolition on Saturday. The Blues sported the best record in the Western Conference for much of the early season but dropped their third in a row with Saturday's 2-1 overtime loss at Minnesota. St. Louis has produced only four goals during the three-game skid, but it has won three in a row and eight of its last 11 against the Canadiens.
TV: 7:30 p.m. ET, FSN Midwest (St. Louis), RDS, TSN2 (Montreal)
ABOUT THE BLUES (17-8-2): One glimmer of optimism for St. Louis is that half of the four goals during the current slide have come from Patrik Berglund, who also registered seven shots on net in Saturday's loss -- his third game since returning from offseason surgery. “It’s not easy to miss 20 games, step in and play well,” defenseman Alex Pietrangelo said of Berglund. “He’s had an impact.” Star forward Vladimir Tarasenko has not scored in his last five games and has one tally in eight games versus the Canadiens.
ABOUT THE CANADIENS (13-12-3): Price has won all five starts since his return and on Monday was named the NHL's Second Star of the Week after posting a 4-0-0 mark with a 1.50 goals-against average and .950 save percentage. "You're not going to score 10 every night," forward Paul Byron said after recording a hat trick in Saturday's romp, "but if we focus on not giving up goals, with Carey in net, I think we have a chance to win every time we play." Price last faced St. Louis on Oct. 20, 2015 -- a 38-save shutout at home.
OVERTIME
1. Montreal C Jonathan Drouin (lower body) skated on his own Monday and is expected to miss his third straight game.
2. St. Louis has split its last eight games despite outshooting the opposition in each -- by an aggregate of 87 shots.
3. Canadiens F Jacob De La Rose has four points in his last two games after failing to hit the scoresheet in his first 17 games.