Canadiens at Blues
The Montreal Canadiens have a lot of work to do in order to avoid missing the playoffs for the second time in three seasons. They begin that quest Tuesday, when they return from the All-Star break to visit the St. Louis Blues.
Montreal sits 10 points out of the second wild-card spot in the Eastern Conference after dropping a 6-5 home decision to Carolina on Thursday and is 8-13-1 away from home but halted a five-game skid on the road when it recorded a 3-2 triumph at Washington on Jan. 19. St. Louis, which ranks third in the Central Division, is wrapping up a four-game homestand that began with a loss to league-worst Arizona. But the Blues followed by outscoring Ottawa and Colorado by a combined 6-1 margin, giving them four wins in their last five overall contests. Vladimir Tarasenko and All-Star Brayden Schenn share the team lead of 21 goals, making St. Louis one of four teams that feature two players with at least that amount.
TV: 8 p.m. ET, TSN2, RDS (Montreal), FS Midwest (St. Louis)
ABOUT THE CANADIENS (20-23-6): Charles Hudon is coming off the first three-point performance of his career as he registered two goals and an assist in the loss to the Hurricanes. The 23-year-old rookie has recorded all six of his NHL tallies in 46 contests this season, with a pair of two-goal efforts under his belt. Carey Price represented Montreal during All-Star Weekend and stopped 8-of-9 shots while notching an assist in the Atlantic Division's 7-4 semifinal victory over the Metropolitan before allowing two goals on eight shots in a 5-2 loss to the Pacific.
ABOUT THE BLUES (30-18-3): Schenn and defenseman Alex Pietrangelo failed to record a point in the Central's 5-2 loss to the Pacific Division on Sunday, as each finished with a minus-2 rating in their first All-Star Game appearance. The 26-year-old Schenn, who is two points shy of 300 for his career, carries a four-game goal-scoring streak into Tuesday's contest while adding a pair of assists along the way. Jaden Schwartz returned to the lineup against Colorado on Thursday after a 20-game absence because of a fractured ankle and was kept off the scoresheet, but still is tied for third on the team in scoring with 35 points despite having been sidelined since Dec. 9.
OVERTIME
1. Schenn shares the league lead with seven game-winning goals, which matches the career high he set last season with Philadelphia.
2. Montreal LW Paul Byron is riding a six-game point streak during which he has recorded two goals and five assists while C Tomas Plekanec's next point will be his 600th in the NHL.
3. St. Louis returns from the break without LW Magnus Paajarvi, who was claimed off waivers by Ottawa after notching two goals and two assists in 44 games this season.