Preview: Red Wings, Canadiens set to face off for final time this season

DETROIT -- The Detroit Red Wings will face a familiar foe to wrap up their four-game homestand, with a winning record in sight. To do so, they'll have to reverse an early-season lopsided trend.
The Red Wings and Montreal Canadiens will play for the third and final time this season on Saturday night from Little Caesars Arena in The District Detroit. Puck drop is set for 7 p.m., with broadcast coverage on Bally Sports Detroit and the Red Wings Radio Network.

Montreal has taken care of business in the first two matchups between the Original Six and Atlantic Division rivals, defeating Detroit, 6-1, on Oct. 23, and recording a 3-0 shutout on Nov. 2. Both games took place at the Bell Centre.
According to Red Wings coach Jeff Blashill, Detroit fell short in those contests for different reasons.
The Red Wings would prefer not to repeat the performance they had just 11 days ago on the road.
"They were probably a little bit different games," Blashill said. "The last game, I thought we played poorly. It was the worst game, I think, we've played all season in terms of how we actually played, in terms of our energy.
"We were a step behind the whole night, and it was an egg for us. It was just one of those nights."

The 6-1 loss on Oct. 23 - Detroit's first road game of the season - featured the Red Wings taking an early 1-0 lead before committing three penalties in the first period that led to a pair of Montreal goals.
"The first game, I think we started fine," Blashill said. "We got into penalty trouble, and then we weren't able to create enough after that."
Detroit enters Saturday's game having earned four of a possible six points in the homestand, but coming off a 2-0 shutout loss against the Washington Capitals on Thursday night. The Canadiens have strung together three points of their own over the past two games after taking the Los Angeles Kings to overtime before losing, 3-2, on Nov. 9, and recording an impressive 4-2 win over the Calgary Flames on Thursday.
Center Nick Suzuki is the lone double-digit point scorer among Montreal's skaters with 14 points on four goals and 10 assists. The Red Wings have limited Suzuki to two points this season, with Montreal's first goal and an assist the last time out.
Tyler Toffoli (3 goals, 6 assists), Mike Hoffman (4 goals, 3 assists), Brendan Gallagher (3 goals, 4 assists) and Jonathan Drouin (2 goals, 5 assists) have all tallied seven or more points this season. Drouin has missed the last four games with headaches after a puck hit him in the head against Detroit on Nov. 2.
Goalie Jake Allen has started 13 of Montreal's 16 games and posted a 2.86 goals-against average with a .902 save percentage.

The Red Wings (7-6-2) remain in third place in the Atlantic Division with 16 points. Tyler Bertuzzi, who will play his first game against Montreal this season, has a team-high 15 points, while rookies Lucas Raymond and Moritz Seider have tallied 14 and 11 points, respectively. Vladislav Namestnikov and Dylan Larkin have chipped in with nine points each.
Alex Nedeljkovic could earn the start in goal after Thomas Greiss largely kept the Red Wings in the game on Thursday against Washington. Nedeljkovic has posted a 2.89 GAA and .914 save percentage in seven starts and eight total appearances.