NYR@MTL: Five things you need to know

MONTREAL - Here are five things you need to know ahead of Saturday night's game against the New York Rangers at the Bell Centre.

1. Captain Shea Weber was the Canadiens' most-utilized player in their previous outing on Tuesday night when they dropped a 2-1 decision to the Carolina Hurricanes in Montreal, which was also their fifth consecutive defeat. Weber logged 25:19 of ice time in his first taste of NHL action since December 2017. The veteran rearguard has been paired with Brett Kulak at practice over the last couple of days. Speaking of the back end, both Karl Alzner and Victor Mete were recently reassigned to the AHL's Laval Rocket.

2.Up front, assistant captain Paul Byron is back after being featured on a line with Artturi Lehkonen and Jesperi Kotkaniemi in practice this week. He had been sidelined due to injury after going down against the Dallas Stars on October 30, missing the last 14 games. The Ottawa native has four goals and seven points in 11 outings so far this season. Carey Price will get the start in goal.
3.Jonathan Drouin claimed the Molson Cup for November. He collected six goals and 12 points in 14 games over the last month. The 23-year-old forward, who will be presented with the award before Saturday night's contest, ranks second on the squad in scoring with 20 points (9g - 11a) in 25 games. He sits six points back of leader Max Domi.

4. For their part, the Rangers are struggling away from the friendly confines of Madison Square Garden. David Quinn's contingent dropped their third consecutive road game on Thursday, falling 3-0 to the Senators in Ottawa. Chris Kreider (13g - 8a) and Mika Zibanejad (8g - 13a) lead the Blueshirts with 21 points each. New York boasts a 13-11-2 record on the year, and bested the Habs by a score of 5-3 in their previous meeting back on November 6 in Manhattan.

5.If you're coming to the Bell Centre on Saturday, be sure to pick up your team photo on the way in! Twenty-two thousand of them will be distributed upon entry. From 5:15 p.m. to 6:15 p.m., Canadiens alum Mathieu Dandenault will be at the photo booth located at section 117 to take pictures with fans. And, following the game, those seated in the Family Section can take a selfie on the ice. Bracelets will be available at the welcome table located at section 326. To purchase tickets for the game,
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. Puck drop is scheduled for 7:00 p.m. You can watch all the action on Rogers Sportsnet and TVA Sports, and listen to the game on TSN Radio 690 and 98,5 fm.