According to the Elias Sports Bureau, Richard is the only Canadiens player to have four straight multi-goal games. The Rocket was 22 years old when he accomplished the feat from Feb. 26 to March 5, 1944.
"That's the first time I've heard that," Galchenyuk said after the morning skate at the Canadiens suburban practice facility. "Obviously it would be a pretty big accomplishment, but I don't focus on that. I can't come in here thinking about it, it will throw you off your game. I think I have to come in and just try to do my best and see what happens."
Montreal will be without defenseman P.K. Subban, who is recovering from a neck injury he sustained Thursday in an awkward collision with Canadiens defenseman Alexei Emelin.
It will be the first NHL game Subban has missed because of injury or illness. Subban had played a Canadiens-leading 274 games since January 30, 2013.
"I'm definitely not P.K.," said defenseman Mark Barbiero, who will take Subban's place to the right of Andrei Markov. "He's a very highly-talented player and I've just got to be me out there. I'm not going to change the way I'm playing. I've got to make sure I'm moving pucks up, playing hard defensively, hard around the net, and try to get shots through, that's just my game."
Montreal also will be without center Lars Eller, who has the flu, and left wing Stefan Matteau, who sustained a lower-body injury Thursday.
Defenseman Darren Dietz, who will make his NHL debut, and left wing Charles Hudon will face Minnesota after they were recalled from St. John's of the AHL on Friday.
Goalie Devan Dubnyk will start for Minnesota after he was ill and unable to play in the Wild's 2-1 loss against the Edmonton Oilers on Thurday.
Wild forward Jason Pominville will miss his second straight game because of a lower-body injury.
Minnesota left wing Zach Parise said Galchenyuk will be on the Wild's radar.
"You need just to know where he is on the ice," Parise said. "He's got a really good shot and defensively, you make sure you're above him when he's out there when you don't have the puck. You stay between him and the net and just like everyone, you try to limit their space on the ice. But he's got a hot stick, it's finding him right now and I'm sure he's having a lot of fun with it."
Here are the projected lineups:
WILD
Zach Parise - Mikko Koivu - Charlie Coyle
Justin Fontaine - Mikael Granlund - Thomas Vanek
Nino Niederreiter - Erik Haula - Jordan Schroeder
Ryan Carter - Jarret Stoll - David Jones
Ryan Suter - Jared Spurgeon
Marco Scandella - Matt Dumba
Jonas Brodin - Nate Prosser
Devan Dubnyk
Darcy Kuemper
Injured: Jason Pominville (lower body)
Scratched: Mike Reilly, Jason Zucker, Chris Porter
CANADIENS
Max Pacioretty - Alex Galchenyuk - Sven Andrighetto
Charles Hudon - Tomas Plekanec - Paul Byron
Jacob de la Rose - Michael McCarron - Torrey Mitchell
Lucas Lessio - Phillip Danault - Mike Brown
Andrei Markov - Mark Barberio
Alexei Emelin - Greg Pateryn
Victor Bartley - Darren Dietz
Mike Condon
Ben Scrivens
Injured: P.K. Subban (neck), Lars Eller (flu), Stefan Matteau (lower body), Nathan Beaulieu (lower body), Carey Price (lower body), David Desharnais (broken left foot), Brendan Gallagher (lower body), Daniel Carr (knee), Jeff Petry (abdomen), Brian Flynn (lower body), Tom Gilbert (left knee).
Scratched: None.
Status report: Schroeder was recalled from Iowa of the AHL on Friday. "I think we could use his speed and he's going to get a great opportunity," Minnesota coach John Torchetti said. "And whoever sits out has to be ready for the next time that they get called in and go from there."
Who's hot: Suter has one goal and six assists in his past seven games. … Galchenyuk is tied with Johnny Gaudreau of the Calgary Flames for the League lead with seven multi-goal games. He has scored two goals in four of his past five games, and five of his past eight.
