Preview: Jackets looking to push win streak to seven

GAME 24: BLUE JACKETS (15-7-1) AT CANADIENS (9-12-3)
BELL CENTRE, 7:30 P.M., MONDAY
TV: FOX SPORTS OHIO/FOX SPORTS GO
RADIO: 97.1 FM & BLUEJACKETS.COM
If the Blue Jackets are going to extend their season-long win streak to seven games Monday, they'll have to do it against one of the NHL's top goalies.
Carey Price, who had a 36-save shutout on Saturday for the Montreal Canadiens, will start against Columbus, which will make its second trip of the season to Montreal this season and month.
Price missed 10 games with a lower-body injury, but was in peak form Saturday, in a 3-0 victory against the Buffalo Sabres at the Bell Centre. Price is 6-3-1 with a 2.18 goals-against average, .923 save percentage and one shutout in 10 career outings against the Blue Jackets.
"I don't focus on who plays [in the other net]," said Sergei Bobrovsky, who's been in net for each game of the Jackets' six-game winning streak and is expected make his eighth straight start. "I just focus on my stuff, and [doing] what I should do. Obviously, I love to win, so there is the competition [factor]. You want to win."

Columbus is second in the Metropolitan Division, one point behind the New Jersey Devils, and owns the NHL's longest active winning streak. The Jackets pushed their streak to six in a row, tied for the fifth-longest in franchise history, by defeating the Ottawa Senators 5-2 on Friday at Nationwide Arena.
They've also won a franchise record 15 of their first 23 games, and will now begin the sixth of 17 back-to-back sets on the schedule. Price helped the Canadiens end a five-game losing streak.
Montreal has been without defenseman Shea Weber for three games because of a lower-body injury, and he is questionable against Columbus.
The Blue Jackets are close to getting center Alex Wennberg back in the lineup, after he missed the past five games with an upper-body injury. Wennberg last played Nov. 11 in Detroit, a 2-1 win in a nine-round shootout that began the win streak.
"It's good to be back on the ice with the boys," Wennberg said Sunday at Nationwide Arena, after his first full practice since leaving the lineup. "It's good to be out handling pucks and doing all that stuff instead of being in the gym."
Columbus will return home for the finale of the back-to-back Tuesday, hosting the Carolina Hurricanes in the third game of the season series.
SERIES RECORD
2017-18 Season: (1-0-0). This is the second of three games in the season series. The Blue Jackets will host the Canadiens on Mar. 12 in the finale.
First game: Josh Anderson scored in the first period and Zach Werenski scored 1:09 into overtime for the Jackets' second win during the current streak. Sergei Bobrovsky made 28 saves, including a lunging effort with his blocker to prevent a goal by Jacob de la Rose off a 2-on-1 rush.
All-time: 12-9-3 overall; 7-5-2 at the Bell Centre
"BY THE NUMBERS"
WHO'S HOT
Canadiens:Alex Galchenyuk ended an 11-game stretch without a goal by scoring and adding an assist Saturday against the Sabres; Paul Byron also had a goal and assist against Buffalo, while Jonathan Drouin had two assists.
Blue Jackets:Nick Foligno has two points in the past two games (one goal, one assist) after going 12 straight games without a point and 13 without a goal; Cam Atkinson ended an eight-game goal drought with two Friday against the Senators.
EYES ON: THE BLUE JACKETS
EYES ON: THE CANADIENS
QUOTABLES
"I watch him very closely, and I can see him look across the ice and want to get on that backhand, and throw a floater across there. Instead, it's late in the shift, and he throws it in and changes. I was screaming at him, 'That was a great play!' and I'm sure he's saying, 'Man, this guy's out of his mind. I just dumped the puck in,' but that's a great play for me, for him, to allow me to trust him more." - Tortorella on rookie Sonny Milano's decision-making with the puck against the Senators on Friday.
"I think it's huge. If I don't play here, at least there's a place where I can play. Otherwise, I would be sitting here for three weeks in a row, just practicing, and that's tough. I'm glad I can do it." - Columbus backup goalie Joonas Korpisalo on staying sharp between NHL outings by making occasional starts with the Cleveland Monsters.
"It's basically I like to play. I like hockey, and that's the thing. Sometimes I need rest, obviously. I like to balance [the] work. I love to be fresh, motivated and to work hard, so I can be very competitive. If you're too tired, it's not fun. You just need to be smart with how you manage yourself." - Blue Jackets goalie Sergei Bobrovsky
PROJECTED LINEUPS
BLUE JACKETS
Forward lines (12)
Artemi Panarin - Pierre-Luc Dubois - Josh Anderson
Boone Jenner - Brandon Dubinsky - Oliver Bjorkstrand
Sonny Milano- Nick Foligno - Cam Atkinson
Tyler Motte - Lukas Sedlak - Jordan Schroeder
Defense pairings (6)
Zach Werenski - Seth Jones
Jack Johnson - David Savard
Ryan Murray - Markus Nutivaara
Goaltenders
Sergei Bobrovsky
Joonas Korpisalo
Others:Scott Harrington, Markus Hannikainen, Alexander Wennberg
Injured reserve:Matt Calvert (upper body)
CANADIENS
Forward lines (12)
Alex Galchenyuk - Jonathan Drouin - Paul Byron
Max Pacioretty - Phillip Danault - Andrew Shaw
Charlie Hudon - Tomas Plekanec - Brendan Gallagher
Nicholas Deslaurier - Jacob De La Rose - Byron Froese
Defense pairings (6)
Karl Alzner - Jeff Petry
Joe Morrow - Jordie Benn
David Schlemko - Jakub Jerabek
Goaltenders
Carey Price
Antti Raanta
Others: Shea Weber (lower body), Victor Mete, Brandon Davidson
Injured reserve: Al Montoya (concussion), Nikita Scherbak (knee), Artturi Lehkonen (lower body), Ales Hemsky (concussion-like symptoms)