Carolina @ Montreal preview

Last Meeting ( Nov 27, 2018 ) Carolina 2, Montreal 1

The Montreal Canadiens will try to erase the memory of their most lopsided defeat of the season when they host the struggling Carolina Hurricanes on Thursday night in the opener of a three-game homestand. Montreal's bid for a fourth consecutive victory and perfect three-game road trip went by the boards when they absorbed a 7-1 beating by the Minnesota Wild.

Canadiens coach Claude Julien told reporters that he talked to the team about the chance to complete a perfect road trip and the need to be ready to play, but his team was blown off the ice in a four-goal second period. "We can choose to look at this two ways," Montreal forward Brendan Gallagher said. "It can crush us for a few games, or it can show the type of character that we have in this locker room." Carolina's character also is being test -- it has lost four of five since a 2-1 victory at Montreal on Nov. 27 and has scored one goal or less in each of the fourth defeats. “There’s huge urgency,” Hurricanes captain Justin Williams said of turning things around. “We’re middling, which is what we’ve done the past few years and it’s not good enough and we need to get a string (of wins) together. I keep saying that.”

TV: 7:30 p.m. ET, FS Carolina, RDS, TSN2 (Montreal)

ABOUT THE HURRICANES (13-12-4): Defenseman Dougie Hamilton, part of a blockbuster offseason trade with Calgary, has struggled offensively with Carolina and is coming off a dreadful game with a minus-4 in Tuesday's 4-1 loss to Toronto. “He’s got to be better,” coach Rod Brind'Amour said. “There’s no question, in my opinion. He knows it. We’ve talked about it. He’s supposed to be one of our best defensemen. We expect more." Leading goal scorer Micheal Ferland, also acquired from Calgary, returned to the lineup Tuesday after missing four games with a concussion but exited in the first period due to related symptoms.

ABOUT THE CANADIENS (15-11-5): Montreal's special teams -- the penalty-killing unit in particular -- was immense in a 3-2 victory over Chicago on Sunday, snuffing out 7 of 8 short-handed situations, but Minnesota converted on all four power-play opportunities in Tuesday's romp. “Our whole game wasn’t good," captain Shea Weber said. "Our power play has to be better but we also have to get back to where we were on the penalty kill.” Goaltender Carey Price, who had to come on in relief of Antti Niemi in Tuesday's shelling, has won his last three starts but took the loss in last month's 2-1 setback to Carolina.

OVERTIME

1. The Hurricanes have won five consecutive meetings against Montreal.

2. Canadiens D Jeff Petry has goals in three of his past five games.

3. Carolina placed Jordan Staal on injured reserve and recalled fellow F Janne Kuokkanen from Charlotte of the American Hockey League.

PREDICTION: Canadiens 3, Hurricanes 2