CHI@MTL: Five things you need to know

MONTREAL - Here are five things you need to know ahead of Wednesday night's matchup against the Chicago Blackhawks at the Bell Centre.

1. The Canadiens are riding a two-game winning streak into the first of two regular-seasons meetings with the Blackhawks. After besting the Senators over the weekend in overtime, Claude Julien's squad followed that up with a 2-0 victory over the Calgary Flames on Monday night. Jordan Weal and Ryan Poehling scored for Montreal, while Carey Price turned aside 31 shots to register his second shutout of the season. It was also his 46th shutout in a Habs uniform, tying him with Hall of Famer Ken Dryden for third spot in franchise history. Only Jacques Plante (58) and George Hainsworth (75) sit ahead of Price in that department.

2. Charlie Lindgren will get the start in goal against the Blackhawks. It will mark his third start of the season with the Canadiens. His last outing came on January 7 in Detroit when he turned aside 26 shots in a 4-3 loss to the Red Wings. Up front, Joel Armia will be unavailable versus Chicago. He is still out with an upper-body injury, but was on the ice for the optional skate at the Bell Sports Complex. Armia's return date is still to be determined.

3. Newcomer Ilya Kovalchuk has been a solid addition to the Canadiens' fold since coming on board earlier this month. He's certainly making his presence felt on the ice, but he's been equally good away from the rink as well. His daily carpooling with defenseman Victor Mete is a good example of that. Mete is learning a lot from the Russian sniper while getting to know him. And regardless of their significant age difference, the pair already has a lot in common...

4.The Blackhawks picked up their second consecutive win on Tuesday night, downing the Senators 3-2 in overtime in Ottawa. Jeremy Colliton's squad rallied from a 2-0 deficit after 20 minutes of play. Dominik Kubalik scored once in the second period and once in the third, before captain Jonathan Toews secured the victory in the extra frame with his 12th goal of the season. Toews ranks second on the Blackhawks in scoring with 38 points (12g, 26a) in 47 games. Patrick Kane leads Chicago in that department with 59 points (24g, 35a) on the year.
5. Puck drop is scheduled for 7:30 p.m. You can watch the game on Rogers Sportsnet and RDS, and listen to all the action on TSN Radio 690 and 98,5 fm. To purchase tickets,
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. Following the contest, the Canadiens will travel to Philadelphia where they'll battle the Flyers on Thursday night at the Wells Fargo Center.