Canucks at Canadiens
The Vancouver Canucks look to turn things around on their season-high seven-game road trip when they visit the Montreal Canadiens on Monday. Vancouver has struggled over the first five games of the trek, winning once (1-3-1) while being held to two goals in three of the contests.
The Canucks dropped a 4-2 decision at Toronto on Saturday for their fifth loss in six overall games (1-4-1). Montreal is having issues of its own as it is coming off back-to-back losses - including a 6-1 setback against Colorado on Saturday in the opener of its three-game homestand. It was the first regulation loss of the season at Bell Centre for the Canadiens, who entered the contest 7-0-1 in their own building. Vancouver posted a 5-1 victory at home Oct. 27 in its first meeting with Montreal this season, with rookie Jared McCann scoring a pair of goals to help end the Canadiens' NHL-record streak of nine straight regulation wins to open the season.
TV: 7:30 p.m. ET, RSN Pacific (Vancouver), RSN East, RDS (Montreal)
ABOUT THE CANUCKS (7-6-5): Vancouver could be without Alex Burrows, who returned home Sunday for personal reasons but may rejoin the team in time to face Montreal. The 34-year-old right wing has recorded four goals and five assists in 18 games. Center Brandon Sutter (undisclosed) did not participate in Sunday's practice and is questionable for the game against the Canadiens.
ABOUT THE CANADIENS (13-3-2): Carey Price skated Saturday for the first time since suffering a lower-body injury Oct. 29 in a loss at Edmonton. The reigning Hart and Vezina Trophy winner, who is 7-2-0 with two shutouts and a 2.01 goals-against average, could return by next weekend. Rookie Mike Condon has gone 4-1-2 in Price's absence.
OVERTIME
1. Canadiens D Alexei Emelin missed the loss to Colorado with a lower-body injury, which also forced him to skip Sunday's practice.
2. Vancouver recalled C Hunter Shinkaruk - a 2013 first-round draft pick - from Utica of the American Hockey League on Saturday, but the 21-year-old did not make his NHL debut versus Toronto.
3. Montreal RW Brendan Gallagher scored his team's goal Saturday, giving him three tallies and three assists during his four-game point streak.