Daily Primer Jan. 14: Brodeur, Devils visit Canadiens

It's always a special occasion when New Jersey Devils goaltender Martin Brodeur plays at Bell Centre against the Montreal Canadiens. The 41-year-old grew up in Montreal, and as the son of the team's photographer, Brodeur spent his childhood around the Canadiens.

But one has to wonder if Tuesday will mark Brodeur's final appearance in uniform at Bell Centre, where the Canadiens will host New Jersey (7:30 p.m. ET, RDS, MSG PLUS, TSN-HABS).

"I think you kind of enjoy a little more some of the visits you make because you know you're not going to play forever," Brodeur said after practice in Montreal on Monday, according to The (Bergen) Record. "So, sometimes you catch yourself looking up and being in the moment and really enjoying what's going on at the time."

Here's a closer look at all the action Tuesday:

Toronto Maple Leafs at Boston Bruins -- The Maple Leafs ended a four-game skid with a shootout victory against the New Jersey Devils on Sunday, but Toronto has won in regulation twice in its past 26 games. Boston returns home after winning one of three games during its trip to California; the Bruins lost back-to-back games against the Anaheim Ducks and Los Angeles Kings before earning a 1-0 victory against the San Jose Sharks on Saturday.

Tampa Bay Lightning at New York Rangers -- Tampa Bay completes its three-game road after splitting the first two; the Lightning held a 2-1 lead after two periods Monday, only to suffer a 3-2 loss to the Columbus Blue Jackets at Nationwide Arena. Ben Bishop, who hasn't played since Jan. 5 due to a wrist injury, backed up Anders Lindback in Columbus and could get the start against the Rangers. New York will play the third of a four-game homestand; the Rangers are 2-0-0 thus far with wins against the Dallas Stars and Philadelphia Flyers to improve to 7-2-1 over their past 10 games.

San Jose Sharks at Washington Capitals -- It's the start of a three-game road trip against Eastern Conference opponents for San Jose, which has fallen 13 points behind the Anaheim Ducks for the Pacific lead. Washington begins a stretch of three games in four nights and five in eight. Rookie Philipp Grubauer, one of three healthy goalies on the Capitals' roster, has two regulation losses in 13 games and a .934 save percentage.

Philadelphia Flyers at Buffalo Sabres -- Philadelphia is hoping to have forward Matt Read back in the lineup after he's missed the past six games with a concussion. Read has 10 goals in 39 games for the Flyers, who were outscored 10-4 over the weekend in losses to the Lightning and Rangers. Buffalo returns to First Niagara Center after snapping an 11-game road skid with a 2-1 shootout win against the Capitals on Sunday. The Sabres have won six of their past eight home games.

New Jersey Devils at Montreal Canadiens -- It could be the final game in Montreal for Devils goalie Martin Brodeur, with the 41-year-old mulling his future. Brodeur will start for New Jersey after Cory Schneider played the previous three games. The Devils are 2-0-2 in their past four games. The Canadiens will face the Devils at Bell Centre before beginning a four-game road trip Thursday against the Ottawa Senators. Montreal is coming off a 2-1 victory against the Chicago Blackhawks on Saturday.

New York Islanders at Florida Panthers -- The Islanders will aim for their first five-game winning streak since 2008; on Sunday, they became the sixth team to win five straight road games despite trailing in each contest with a 4-2 victory against the Stars. New York has won seven in a row on the road, its longest such streak since 1981. Florida returns to BB&T Center after going 1-1-1 on a three-game road trip. The Panthers are 14-12-3 under interim coach Peter Horachek.

Colorado Avalanche at Chicago Blackhawks -- Colorado hopes to build off a 4-2 win against the Minnesota Wild on Saturday that saw Ryan O'Reilly score the game-winning goal in his return from a shoulder injury that kept him out of the Avalanche's two previous games. After winning twice in seven games, the Blackhawks responded with a 5-3 victory against the Edmonton Oilers at United Center on Sunday. Chicago has a three-point lead on the St. Louis Blues atop the Central Division.

Phoenix Coyotes at St. Louis Blues -- Phoenix suffered its third straight loss Monday, a 5-1 defeat against the Winnipeg Jets at MTS Centre. Oliver Ekman-Larsson gave the Coyotes a 1-0 lead midway through the first period before Winnipeg responded with five unanswered goals. Blues leading scorer Alexander Steen, who has missed the past nine games with a concussion, practiced Monday, though it's uncertain if he will return against Phoenix. The Blues have gone 7-1-1 without him.

Calgary Flames at Nashville Predators -- Calgary tightened up defensively and opened its two-game road trip with a 2-0 win against the Carolina Hurricanes on Monday. Karri Ramo made 23 saves for his first NHL shutout. Nashville has won once in its past seven games (1-3-3) and has fallen to 11th place in the Western Conference. The Predators have not scored with the man advantage in four straight games (0-for-8) and have one power-play goal in their past seven.

Ottawa Senators at Minnesota Wild -- Ottawa hopes to finish strong on its four-game road trip; the Senators are 2-0-1 thus far and have a six-game point streak. The first three games on the trip have all gone past regulation. The Wild have won five of six after losing six in a row to end 2013. Minnesota, which is opening a three-game homestand, has killed 20 of 22 penalties over its past nine games.

Edmonton Oilers at Dallas Stars -- Something's got to give for these teams. Edmonton has dropped six of its past eight games, and the Stars have lost six in a row, all in regulation. The Oilers were outshot 30-14 over the final two periods in a 5-3 loss to the Blackhawks on Sunday. That same night, Dallas blew a 2-0 lead in a 4-2 loss to the Islanders at American Airlines Center. The Stars have not lost seven straight since March 2009.