Game 21 - Canadiens vs Blues

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Match Up

The Canadiens (14-5-1) play host to the Blues (12-5-1) Thursday night at the Bell Centre. The game is set to start at 7:30 and can be seen on RDS and City-Montreal.

This is the first of two games between the Habs and Blues this season, they'll complete the series in St. Louis towards the end of February. Last year the Canadiens only managed to take one point from the Blues in the two games they played. They were beaten handily in St. Louis, by a score of 5-1, and they lost 3-2 in a shootout when they hosted the Blues in Montreal. T.J. Oshie scored the only shootout goal in that game, showing off the skills that would later make him an Olympic hero.

What to Watch

The Canadiens are waiting for their top center, David Desharnais, to pick up his scoring pace. Coming off a 52-point season last year, Desharnais has just two goals and ten points so far this season, and his production has been sporadic at best. Meanwhile, his linemate Max Pacioretty has been holding his own, leading the team in scoring with 8 goals and 16 points this season.

The Blues are led offensively by a pair of 22-year-old snipers, Vladamir Tarasenko and Jaden Schwartz. While he's been held pointless in his last two, Tarasenko is coming off a seven-game point streak and a span in which he scored 16 points in 9 games. Schwartz meanwhile had a six-game point streak come to an end Tuesday when the Blues were shut out by the Bruins. He had picked up 10 points in that time.

What's at Stake

After getting shut out by the Penguins on Tuesday, the Canadiens have a chance at redemption against another one of the league's best. While they've only lost five regulation games so far this season, four of those losses have come against top performers, the Lightning, Blackhawks, Penguins, and Flames. A win against the Blues will go a long way to prove the Habs deserve to be considered among the NHL's elite.

Who's Out

Michael Bournival (shoulder) has begun practicing again, but there is still no indication of when he may return. Mike Weaver (upper body) missed Tuesday's game and did not practice on Wednesday. It's unclear whether he'll dress Thursday night.

St. Louis is healthy heading in to Thursday's game.

What Else

After a perfect night against the Flyers on Saturday, the Canadiens' power play has gone cold once again, going 0-for-7 combined against the Red Wings and Penguins in their last two games. While St. Louis is the stingiest team in the league in terms of goals against per game, their penalty kill ranks 20th in the league at just a 79% efficiency, so the Canadiens may get an opportunity to find space with the man advantage.

The Question Mark

Considering the Habs motto is "No Excuses", give us your best excuse why the Habs were shut out badly by the Penguins on Tuesday.

Tonight's Show

Join myself, Rob Elbaz, along with Kosta Papoulias for the Montreal Hockey Talk Pregame Show as we go live at 6:30 Thursday to preview the Canadiens and Blues.

Posted in: david desharnais,Jaden Schwartz,max pacioretty,t.j. oshie,Vladamir Tarasenko