STL@MTL: Looking to keep on rolling

BROSSARD - While the St. Louis Blues have rattled off just one win so far this season, Claude Julien's troops fully expect Wednesday night's tilt to be a tough one.

The Canadiens anticipate that their Western Conference opponent will play a physical brand of hockey and try their best to push them around.
That won't change the way the Habs go about their business, though. They'll be sticking to the same game plan that has led them to three victories in their first five games of the 2018-19 campaign.
"One thing we can't get caught up thinking is that we can't play against bigger teams. On the contrary," affirmed Julien, following Wednesday's optional skate on the South Shore. "St. Louis is a big team, but there are things we can do to make us successful. It's about skating well and managing the puck properly. They're a team that has a good transition game. They move the puck well, too. They're also good in the offensive zone when it comes time to cycling the puck, but there are things we can do to give ourselves a chance to win."

One of those things is moving the puck quickly and using their team speed to their advantage.
That, of course, has been their trademark early on this year.
Defensemen Jeff Petry explained that the Canadiens' rearguards can certainly help out in that department.
"It's about making the pass to the forwards right away, so they have a little bit of extra space to make that next play. They have big D, so we have to make them pivot and make them move. I think that's where our speed will come in, where we can get pucks behind them and win those foot races," mentioned Petry. "I think our focus has got to be on our speed and getting pucks behind them and getting to pucks first."
Up front, gaining any positional advantage whatsoever will be of primordial importance.
The Canadiens learned that lesson the hard way against the Los Angeles Kings in the home opener, when they failed to make goaltender Jack Campbell's life difficult and the result was a shutout.
"We have to get more inside on the rushes and get more in the crease," insisted Tomas Tatar, who boasts three goals and six points in his last two games. "We also have to work on our breakouts. I think we've talked about it. We have to be better with just a little better movement out of our zone."

Making the power play click
The Canadiens have struggled with the man advantage so far this season, lighting the lamp on just three of 22 opportunities.
That's an efficiency rate of 13.6% and has them ranked 22nd in the NHL.
How can it be fixed? Petry shared his thoughts on some possible remedies.
"I think our entries are key. We have to have the same mindset as we do 5-on-5, winning puck battles and moving the puck around," explained the nine-year NHL veteran. "Ultimately, when you're not producing goals like you should be, you need to think shot-first and get pucks to the net. Then, things are going to open up. It's something where we're looking for seam plays and looking for that extra play, but if we get guys to the net, the results will come."

Julien insists that it's just a matter of time before the Habs find their power play mojo.
In his mind, it comes down to chemistry.
"I think the biggest thing is that the guys need to get used to playing together," insisted Julien. "The puck has to move a little bit quicker. We talk about that with the players and we work on it. We want the guys to have a good idea of the play they want to make before they get the puck. We're not bad on the power play, but we have to be better than we are right now."
Waiting on switches
Julien wasn't prepared to confirm any lineup changes with respect to his forwards and defensemen on Wednesday morning.
He did confirm, however, that Carey Price would get the start in goal against the Blues as the Canadiens look to win their straight game.
Please note that puck drop is scheduled for 7:00 p.m. To purchase tickets,
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