Byron took part in the morning skate Thursday after not practicing Wednesday. He left the Canadiens' 3-1 loss against the St. Louis Blues on Tuesday with 2:34 remaining in the third period after falling headfirst into the boards. Goaltender Cam Ward will start for the Hurricanes, who are looking for their third straight victory. They began the streak with a 6-5 win against the Canadiens at Bell Centre on Jan. 25.
Players to watch
Canadiens forward Max Pacioretty has 11 points (eight goals, three assists) in his past 11 games. Hurricanes forward Sebastian Aho scored a goal in a 2-1 win against the Ottawa Senators on Tuesday. It was his first game back after sustaining a concussion and lower-body injury against the Calgary Flames on Jan. 14.
They said it
"I don't think we were happy with the defensive part of our game (in the loss against the Hurricanes). There's no doubt we have to be better. That much we know." -- Canadiens coach Claude Julien "We have the matchups here tonight. We're healthy. They're a little dinged up; let's be honest, they've got some injuries that have probably held them back a little bit. So the things we can control, let's make sure we come out right off the hop and do that." -- Hurricanes coach Bill Peters
Carr and Benn, healthy scratches against the Blues, will replace Logan Shaw and Schlemko. Canadiens coach Claude Julien said that he wants to create competition within the team. … The Hurricanes held an optional morning skate.
Stat pack
Pacioretty has 13 goals in 25 games against the Hurricanes, his third-most against any team (19 against Toronto Maple Leafs, 16 against Boston Bruins). … Williams has five points (two goals, three assists) in his past five games.
