|
Preview: Blues at Canadiens
Send a link to a friend
 [December 05, 2017]
It's no surprise that the return
of star netminder Carey Price helped to reverse the sagging fortunes
of the Montreal Canadiens, who have yet to lose since the former
Vezina Trophy winner rejoined the lineup. The surging Canadiens go
for their sixth consecutive victory when they host the slumping St.
Louis Blues on Tuesday night.
Not only did Price end his team's five-game skid in his first
appearance since sitting out three weeks due to a lower-body injury,
he is having an effect at the other end of the ice. Montreal scored
eight goals during the five-game losing streak but erupted for 16 in
a home-and-home sweep of Detroit, including a 10-1 demolition on
Saturday. The Blues sported the best record in the Western
Conference for much of the early season but dropped their third in a
row with Saturday's 2-1 overtime loss at Minnesota. St. Louis has
produced only four goals during the three-game skid, but it has won
three in a row and eight of its last 11 against the Canadiens.
TV: 7:30 p.m. ET, FSN Midwest (St. Louis), RDS, TSN2 (Montreal)
ABOUT THE BLUES (17-8-2): One glimmer of optimism for St. Louis is
that half of the four goals during the current slide have come from
Patrik Berglund, who also registered seven shots on net in
Saturday's loss -- his third game since returning from offseason
surgery. “It’s not easy to miss 20 games, step in and play well,”
defenseman Alex Pietrangelo said of Berglund. “He’s had an impact.”
Star forward Vladimir Tarasenko has not scored in his last five
games and has one tally in eight games versus the Canadiens.
[to top of second column] |
ABOUT THE CANADIENS (13-12-3): Price has won all five starts since
his return and on Monday was named the NHL's Second Star of the Week
after posting a 4-0-0 mark with a 1.50 goals-against average and
.950 save percentage. "You're not going to score 10 every night,"
forward Paul Byron said after recording a hat trick in Saturday's
romp, "but if we focus on not giving up goals, with Carey in net, I
think we have a chance to win every time we play." Price last faced
St. Louis on Oct. 20, 2015 -- a 38-save shutout at home.
OVERTIME
1. Montreal C Jonathan Drouin (lower body) skated on his own Monday
and is expected to miss his third straight game.
2. St. Louis has split its last eight games despite outshooting the
opposition in each -- by an aggregate of 87 shots.
3. Canadiens F Jacob De La Rose has four points in his last two
games after failing to hit the scoresheet in his first 17 games.
PREDICTION: Canadiens 3, Blues 2
[© 2017 Thomson Reuters. All rights
reserved.] Copyright 2017 Reuters. All rights reserved. This material may not be published,
broadcast, rewritten or redistributed. |
