Detroit @ Montreal preview

Last Meeting ( Oct 10, 2019 ) Detroit 4, Montreal 2

Playing perhaps their best hockey of the season and with a seven-game road trip looming, the Montreal Canadiens cannot afford to slip up against the worst team in the NHL. Having won three in a row and four of five since an eight-game slide, Montreal vies for a season-high fourth straight victory versus the visiting Detroit Red Wings on Saturday night.

The Canadiens surrendered 38 goals during their eight-game skid but have yielded only four during the three-game winning streak. “We’re blocking shots, we’re more aware of our positioning, we’re taking away the seam passes,” coach Claude Julien said after Wednesday's 3-2 overtime win over Ottawa. “It’s also important to stay disciplined and not find yourself in a position where you’re short-handed.” While Montreal is heading in the right direction, the Red Wings finally put an end to a disastrous 12-game losing streak (0-10-2) with a 5-2 home win over Winnipeg on Thursday night. "We just need Detroit to get back where it used to be and right now we are in a tough spot, but we won a game and we want to start from bottom and play better hockey for sure," forward Filip Zadina said.

TV: 7 p.m. ET, NHL Network, FS Detroit, TVAS, Sportsnet 360, Sportsnet East, CITY (Montreal)

ABOUT THE RED WINGS (8-22-3): Detroit could receive a huge boost with the potential return of Anthony Mantha, who has been sidelined for eight games since suffering a knee injury on Nov. 23. Mantha appeared headed for a career-best season and was the team's leading scorer with 12 goals and 23 points when he was hurt, including a goal in a 4-2 win at Montreal on Oct. 10. "I wouldn't be saying I was ready to go if I wasn't," said Mantha, who grew up just outside Montreal. "It's still earlyish in the season and I can risk it."

ABOUT THE CANADIENS (15-11-6): Captain Shea Weber became the only active defenseman with 11 seasons of double-digit tallies in Tuesday's win at Pittsburgh and collected an assist Wednesday to become the team's first blue-liner with at least 26 points in 32 games since 2008-09. Weber is third in the NHL among defensemen with 11 goals and leads Montreal with a plus-11 and 56 blocked shots. Ben Chiarot, paired with Weber, also held up his end with the winning tally in overtime to go with a team-high six shots on goal.

OVERTIME

1. Detroit ended a nine-game losing streak in the series with the victory in October.

2. Montreal is 3-for-9 on the power play in the last four games.

3. Detroit D Jonathan Ericsson was hurt in Thursday's game and has been ruled out versus Montreal.

PREDICTION: Canadiens 3, Red Wings 2