Canadiens at Avalanche
The Montreal Canadiens' offense has mustered three measly goals during the team's three-game winless skid but looks to get untracked versus a struggling team it ravaged for a season-high 10 tallies nearly two months ago. The Canadiens open a two-game road trip against a pair of Western Conference cellar dwellers when they visit the NHL-worst Colorado Avalanche on Tuesday before facing off with Pacific Division doormat Arizona two nights later.
Captain Max Pacioretty (team-leading 25 goals), who has 29 points (20 goals, nine assists) in his past 30 games, scored four goals and set up another as Montreal erupted for six tallies in the first period en route to a 10-1 rout of the Avalanche on Dec. 10. The 28-year-old added his sixth career hat trick in a 5-2 win over Buffalo last week and was denied in his bid for 200th career goal after the Canadiens were blanked by Cam Talbot and Edmonton in a 1-0 shootout loss on Sunday. Montreal will get a good look at a rumored trade interest in Colorado's Matt Duchene (team-leading 15 goals), who notched three assists in Saturday's 5-2 victory over Winnipeg to raise his point total to eight (two goals, six assists) in his last eight contests. Colorado's first regulation home win since Nov. 15 snapped a nine-game overall skid (0-8-1) for the Avalanche, who are just 5-24-2 in their last 31 contests.
TV: 9 p.m. ET, Sportsnet East, RDS (Montreal), Altitude (Colorado)
ABOUT THE CANADIENS (30-16-8): Alexander Radulov (team-leading 28 assists) has recorded four multi-point performances in his last eight games to continue his strong bounce-back season after signing a one-year, $5.75 million deal in the summer. The 30-year-old Russian scored and set up a goal in the rout of Colorado earlier in the season and fellow veteran Tomas Plekanec had four assists in that contest, eclipsing his sum total of three points (one goal, two assists) in his previous 11 games. Former Hart and Vezina Trophy goaltender Carey Price has dropped six of his last nine (3-5-1) after allowing three or more goals in five of those contests, but improved to 4-2-1 in his career versus Colorado after stopping 15 shots in the first encounter.
ABOUT THE AVALANCHE (13-33-2): Claimed on waivers from Montreal on Thursday, defenseman Mark Barberio was thrown into the fire two nights later by logging 20:31 of ice time and is expected to play a large role versus his former team on Tuesday. "It's just funny how things like that work," Barberio said of the schedule. "Change teams and you're playing your old team a few days later. It'll be fun, it'll be exciting to play against my old teammates." Fellow waiver claim Matt Nieto tallied twice on Saturday and has four goals in 11 games with Colorado since being picked up from San Jose.
OVERTIME
1. Colorado veteran LW Rene Bourque sustained an undisclosed injury on his first shift against Los Angeles on Wednesday and is questionable to face his former team.
2. Montreal C Brian Flynn scored twice in the first meeting, but has just four goals and two assists in his last 25 games.
3. Avalanche LW Blake Comeau, who set up a goal versus the Jets, had his team's lone tally in the lopsided loss against the Canadiens.