Preview: Canadiens at Sharks

CANADIENS (16-5-2) at SHARKS (14-9-1)
10:30 p.m. ET; RDS, SNE, CSN-CA, NHL.TV

Canadiens team scope

Forward Brian Flynn will return after missing nine games with an upper-body injury when the Montreal Canadiens make their only visit of the season to SAP Center. Flynn will skate as the right wing on the fourth line with center Torrey Mitchell and forward Phillip Danault. Flynn rejoined the team in San Jose on Thursday and practiced. "He's 100 percent [healthy]," coach Michel Therrien said Friday after the morning skate. Flynn, who has no goals and two assists in 12 games, will play for the first time since Nov. 10 against the Los Angeles Kings. The Canadiens, who lead the Atlantic Division, are 12-1-1 at home but 4-4-1 on the road and 1-4-0 in their past five games away from Bell Centre. Montreal hasn't won in San Jose since Nov. 23, 1999, going 0-7-2 in their past nine visits. "It has been a long time, but you know what? I'm looking ahead," Therrien said. "When I drive my car, I'm not looking back, I'm looking ahead. So this is exactly what we want to try to do tonight." Captain Max Pacioretty has extra motivation to end the skid in San Jose. "It's really important for us to win tonight because both of my grandmas are coming. So that's all I'm thinking about," said Pacioretty, who'll have at least 15 family members on hand. "All my family is from here. My parents grew up here. We're going to have a lot of people in the crowd. I think it's time to get a win for them."

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Sharks team scope

The San Jose Sharks will play their 10th game in a grueling 18-day stretch before a four-day break in the schedule. "It's been a lot of hockey," center Joe Thornton said. "It will be nice to get a couple days after this to relax and recover a little bit. We've been playing good as a team, which definitely helps, and we've been getting some good goaltending. To be where we are with the amount of hockey we've played, we've got to be happy with it." Coach Peter DeBoer said he'll give Sharks off on Saturday and Sunday to "recharge mentally and physically." However, Thornton said the Sharks have some more hard work to do before they can rest. "We know we don't play for another five days, so to get this win would be huge," he said. The Sharks, who lead the Pacific Division, are 5-1-0 in their past six games. Defenseman Paul Martin will play his 800th NHL game. "I've been fortunate to play on a lot of good teams and for good organizations and with great players," the 35-year-old said. "I think that that helps. As you get older, I think you appreciate it that much more, the games that you get in."

Canadiens projected lineup

Paul Byron -- Alex Galchenyuk -- Alexander Radulov
Max Pacioretty -- Tomas Plekanec -- Brendan Gallagher
Artturi Lehkonen -- David Desharnais -- Andrew Shaw
Phillip Danault -- Torrey Mitchell -- Brian Flynn
Alexei Emelin -- Shea Weber
Andrei Markov -- Jeff Petry
Mark Barberio -- Greg Pateryn
Carey Price
Al Montoya
Scratched:Zach Redmond, Daniel Carr
Injured:Nathan Beaulieu (throat), Charles Hudon (sternum),

Sharks projected lineup

Patrick Marleau -- Joe Thornton -- Joe Pavelski
Kevin Labanc -- Logan Couture -- Joel Ward
Mikkel Boedker -- Chris Tierney -- Joonas Donskoi
Melker Karlsson -- Ryan Carpenter -- Micheal Haley
Paul Martin -- Brent Burns
Marc-Edouard Vlasic -- Justin Braun
Brenden Dillon -- David Schlemko
Martin Jones
Aaron Dell
Scratched:Dylan DeMelo, Matt Nieto
Injured:Tomas Hertl (lower body), Tommy Wingels (lower body)

Status update

Carr is expected to be a healthy scratch, opening a spot for Flynn. … Wingels has missed three straight games; however, he has been skating and DeBoer said he hadn't decided yet whether he'll return against Montreal. If Wingels plays, Haley would likely be scratched.

Who's hot

Price is 13-2-1 with an NHL-best .947 save percentage and a 1.68 goals-against average. Gallagher has a three-game point streak with a goal and two assists. Galchenyuk has six goals and six assists in his past 12 games. … Couture has three goals and two assists during a three-game point streak. He has six goals and two assists in his past eight games. Burns has three goals and four assists in his past six games.