Columbus @ Montreal preview

Last Meeting ( Mar 28, 2019 ) Montreal 2, Columbus 6

The Montreal Canadiens have earned points in six of their last seven games and will try to take advantage of another struggling opponent to keep the momentum going. The Canadiens look to extend their winning streak at home to four games when they host the slumping Columbus Blue Jackets on Tuesday night in the first of three matchups between the teams this season.

Captain Shea Weber, who became the 12th defenseman in league history to reach 100 power-play goals in Saturday's 3-2 victory over Los Angeles, missed Monday's practice due to a virus but is expected to play. "I’m not surprised because when he get his opportunities, he makes the most of them,” goaltender Carey Price said of Weber, who has seven points in his last six games. Columbus enters the final stop of a three-game road trip with just one win in its last seven (1-5-1) and coming off a 4-2 setback at Colorado on Saturday night. The Blue Jackets also will be without captain Nick Foligno, who earned a three-game suspension from the NHL on Monday for elbowing Colorado's Pierre-Edouard Bellemare.

TV: 7 p.m. ET, FS Ohio (Columbus), RDS, TSN2 (Montreal)

ABOUT THE BLUE JACKETS (6-8-3): Columbus has not been able to overcome the losses of two-time Vezina Trophy winner Sergei Bobrovsky and high-scoring forward Artemi Panarin to free agency, allowing 3.41 goals per game while ranking 30th in scoring (2.35 goals). Pierre-Luc Dubois and Gustav Nyquist are the only players to reach double digits in points, tying for the team lead with 11 apiece. Cam Atkinson, who amassed a career-high 41 goals last season and has six tallies in 18 games versus Montreal, has scored three times overall and once in 14 games.

ABOUT THE CANADIENS (9-5-3): Weber's milestone tallies continued a tear for Montreal's defensemen, who have accounted for seven of the team's last 10 goals, including two apiece by Victor Mete and Ben Chiarot. "We want our defensemen to support us on offense," forward Jonathan Drouin said. "If you look at teams like Chicago or Tampa, the defensemen are always in motion and it creates confusion on the ice." Drouin set up both of Weber's goals Saturday, boosting his team-high total to 15 points, and has three goals and four assists in 12 games versus Columbus.

OVERTIME

1. Blue Jackets G Elvis Merzlikins, who has allowed 14 goals in his three starts, will get the nod Tuesday.

2. Price is 9-4-1 with a 2.21 goals-against average versus Columbus.

3. Nyquist has at least one point in all eight road games.

PREDICTION: Canadiens 4, Blue Jackets 2