Canadiens at Flyers
The Montreal Canadiens bolted out of the blocks with nine straight victories to begin the season before a pronounced losing skid has sent the club spiraling to the middle of the pack in the Atlantic Division. Mired in a 5-18-1 swoon, the Canadiens look to get back on track Tuesday when they return from the All-Star break to visit the Philadelphia Flyers.
"This is the time to stand up and push back," forward Brendan Gallagher told the team's website. "We cannot take this anymore. This has to be the end of this. Nobody likes this feeling right now. We all hate the results that we're getting, and it's up to us to change them." Brayden Schenn is enjoying quite the surge for the Flyers, scoring five goals and setting up six others in his last 11 games - including two of each in the last three. Schenn recorded a three-point performance (one goal, two assists) in a 4-3 setback to the Canadiens on Jan. 5.
TV: 7 p.m. ET, RDS, Sportsnet (Montreal), CSN Philadelphia
ABOUT THE CANADIENS (24-22-4): Captain Max Pacioretty is expected to return to the ice after being on the receiving end of a shot from teammate P.K. Subban in Tuesday's 5-2 loss to Columbus. Montreal certainly can use the jolt as Pacioretty has a team-leading 19 goals this season and one of his 17 assists in the previous encounter with Philadelphia. Subban was held off the scoresheet in that tilt versus the Flyers, but has notched two points in each of his last two contests and 13 (three goals, 10 assists) in his last 13 games.
ABOUT THE FLYERS (21-18-8): Steve Mason sat out Wednesday's 4-3 victory over Washington, but the veteran expects the additional rest to do him good as he works past a nagging lower-body injury and into an important stretch for Philadelphia. "This is our season right here, the month of February with the amount of games in that short amount of time," Mason told CSN Philly of the team's hectic 15-game slate which ends on Feb. 29 - the day of the trade deadline. Mason's availability against Montreal is made all the more important as fellow goaltender Michal Neuvirth exited Monday's practice with an undisclosed injury.
OVERTIME
1. Philadelphia RW Jakub Voracek has recorded 10 points (four goals, six assists) in his last seven games.
2. The Canadiens have scored a power-play goal in four of their last six contests, but went 0-for-4 in the last meeting with the Flyers.
3. Philadelphia C Sean Couturier (lower body) is in line to return from a three-game absence.