Oilers team scope: Edmonton has gone 5-for-6 on the power play and scored 12 goals while winning its first two games following the All-Star break. McDavid has five points, including three in his return to the lineup Tuesday in the Oilers' 5-1 win against the Columbus Blue Jackets after missing 37 games because of a broken left clavicle. Linemate Jordan Eberle has scored three goals, including a pair in the first period Thursday. All three goals were set up by McDavid, who Oilers coach Todd McLellan had the luxury of limiting to 13:22 of ice time during Edmonton's 7-2 win at the Ottawa Senators. Eberle had three goals in his previous 18 games prior to McDavid's return. "Chemistry is something you have to build," Eberle told the Edmonton Sun on Thursday. "I've only been on the ice with him for two games. That stuff takes a little bit of time. It's a good start but there's a lot of hockey left to be played." Forward Zack Kassian, who scored Thursday, has two goals and two assists in eight games with Edmonton, who acquired him from Montreal in a trade for goalie Ben Scrivens on Dec. 28.
Canadiens team scope: Scrivens will start against his former team. He is 0-4-0 with a 3.85 goals-against-average and .873 save percentage in four games with Montreal, which has lost 21 of 26 games since starting 19-4-3. The Canadiens' fortunes turned on their loss in Edmonton, when Hart and Vezina Trophy-winning goalie Carey Price sustained the initial lower-body injury that has ultimately sidelined him for all but three games since. Price, who has not played since he re-injured himself on Nov. 25, has been skating without goalie equipment daily for several weeks. On Friday, he worked on lateral movement in the crease for the first time while wearing a goalie glove and holding a goalie stick with his blocker. Canadiens coach Michel Therrien did not have any update to offer on Price's progress after practice. "When he's going to come to the next stage of his rehab, I will let you know and I will be more than happy to let you know," Therrien said. "But right now, it's about the same." Forward Lucas Lessio will miss two to three weeks because of a lower-body injury he sustained Tuesday when he was clipped by Philadelphia Flyers defenseman Radko Gudas.
