Canadiens at Blue Jackets
The Montreal Canadiens can become the third team to reach 40 wins when they visit the Columbus Blue Jackets on Thursday in the second matchup between the teams in six days. The Canadiens followed a 3-1 home victory over the Blue Jackets with an impressive 5-2 drubbing at St. Louis on Saturday to maintain a one-point edge over the New York Islanders atop the Eastern Conference. Montreal won at Columbus 3-1 on Jan. 14 and is 4-1-0 in the last five meetings.
The Blue Jackets already faced an uphill climb to reach the postseason and their flickering playoff hopes took another jarring hit with a 4-2 home loss to league-worst Buffalo on Tuesday night. Columbus poured a season-high 41 shots on goal but could not overcame a shaky outing from rookie netminder Anton Forsberg, who was sent back to the minors Wednesday. The Blue Jackets have dropped three in a row and are 11 points out of the final playoff slot in the East.
TV: 7 p.m. ET, RSN (Montreal), FSN Ohio (Columbus)
ABOUT THE CANADIENS (39-16-5): Right wing Devante Smith-Pelly is expected to make his Montreal debut after he was acquired from Anaheim on Tuesday in exchange for rookie Jiri Sekac. Smith-Pelly, who had five goals and 17 points in 54 games while leading the Ducks in hits (147) this season, scored five times in 12 playoff games a year ago. "He's not a speed demon, but he'll go into the tough areas and for us that was something we found attractive," Canadiens general manager Marc Bergevin said. "Once you get him, he can help you do some damage (in the playoffs)."
ABOUT THE BLUE JACKETS (26-29-4): Columbus received some good news at Wednesday's practice as starting goaltender Sergei Bobrovsky reported having his best day since suffering a groin injury on Jan. 21. Curtis McElhinney, who yielded a pair of goals in the loss to Montreal on Saturday, has acquitted himself well by going 6-4-1 in Bobrovsky's absence, but Forsberg lost all three of his starts while surrendering 13 goals. The Blue Jackets need to rectify a power play that is 1-for-23 in the last 10 games and has failed on 15 straight chances.
OVERTIME
1. Canadiens G Carey Price set a franchise record Tuesday with his ninth consecutive road victory.
2. The Blue Jackets announced Wednesday that RW Jack Skille will undergo season-ending shoulder surgery.
3. Canadiens D P.K. Subban is mired in a 15-game goalless drought, but has 11 assists in his last 10 contests.