Winnipeg @ Montreal preview

Last Meeting ( Dec 23, 2019 ) Montreal 6, Winnipeg 2

The injury-plagued Montreal Canadiens look to break out of a damaging tailspin when they complete a three-game homestand against the road-weary Winnipeg Jets on Monday night. The Canadiens have dropped five straight contests (0-4-1) after coughing up a lead in the third period and suffering a 3-2 defeat in overtime against Pittsburgh on Saturday for their fourth loss in the last five at the Bell Centre.

“It’s different and it’s really frustrating because we’ve lost all five games by one goal,” Montreal center Phillip Danault told reporters, not counting a late empty-netter in the 3-1 loss at Carolina on New Year’s Eve. “It seems like we’re not getting any bounces at all (but) I don’t think we’re too far from breaking through. … We’re respecting the system, everybody’s buying in. It’s just a matter of getting a win.” Danault and Tomas Tatar each scored twice in the 6-2 triumph at Winnipeg on Dec. 23 - the Canadiens’ last win - that extended their point streak to five games against the Jets (4-0-1). Winnipeg has managed just one victory in its past six contests (1-3-2) after dropping a 3-2 decision in overtime at Minnesota on Saturday despite center Mark Scheifele reaching 20 goals for the fifth straight season. “They may have (had) a slight advantage in having three days of rest and I think they had better legs than us in the second of the third, and hands,” Jets coach Paul Maurice told reporters after his team's third game in five days. “But we weathered it for the most part and got to overtime.”

TIME: 7 p.m. ET. TV: RDS, TSN2, TSN3

ABOUT THE JETS (22-16-4): Scheifele has goals in three straight games and eight of his team-high 48 points in the same stretch while only two players have scored 20 in more seasons with franchise than the 26-year-old center - captain Blake Wheeler (six) and new Canadien Ilya Kovalchuk (eight). Kyle Connor recorded seven of his team-best 21 goals in the last six contests and Wheeler is warming up with four tallies and two assists in the past five games. Right wing Patrik Laine was kept off the scoresheet Saturday, but boasts 20 points (nine goals) in his last 18 contests to trail only Scheifele and Connor (41) on the team with 40 points.

ABOUT THE CANADIENS (18-17-7): Kovalchuk, who was signed as a free agent Friday after his contract was terminated by Los Angeles last month, hopes to rejuvenate his career and add to his career numbers (859 points, 897 games) while filling the hole left by four key injured forwards. “Obviously, I got a goal in front of me and I want to stay here,” Kovalchuk told the Montreal Gazette. “I think they can use me on the power play. The team is a little banged up right now and hopefully all the guys will come back soon.” Tatar boasts a team-high 35 points - none in the last three games - and center Max Domi has 12 of his 32 points in the past nine contests.

OVERTIME

1. Winnipeg D Neal Pionk recorded 14 of his 24 assists in the last 15 games and boasts a career-high 27 points.

2. Montreal D Marco Scandella, acquired Thursday from Buffalo, had one shot in 15 minutes, 40 seconds of ice time in his team debut Saturday.

3. The Jets have 13 power-play goals in their last 13 games, but allowed seven in their past six contests.

PREDICTION: Jets 3, Canadiens 2