When the Edmonton Oilers last visited Montreal, the Canadiens were kind enough to provide an antidote to a lengthy rough patch.
That December evening resulted in a 4-3 overtime win (the unlamented Dustin Penner tucking the winner past Carey Price seconds after a P.K. Subban turnover).
It provided the Oilers with back-to-back wins for the first weekend of last season, and the youthful bunch from Edmonton are hoping this year's visit will also help them find the winning patch after a dismal showing in Phoenix on Saturday.
"We're coming off one of our bad losses, so this is a really good chance to get a win in a building that everyone loves to play in," 19-year-old winger Taylor Hall said after his team's morning skate.
The 8-3-2 Oilers, who sit a surprise third in the West, will make one significant lineup change: second-year forward Magnus Paajarvi will sit in favour of Ales Hemsky, who is returning from injury.
The Habs (5-6-2) are also looking to return to the win column after a penalty-filled loss in New York on Saturday and may also be forced into a change, winger Andrei Kostitsyn, who co-leads the team in goals, is suffering from an unspecified injury.
Defenceman Yannick Weber could be moved to forward as part of a lineup shuffle if Kostitsyn can't play.