Preview: Canadiens at Lightning

CANADIENS (21-9-4) at LIGHTNING (17-15-3)
7:30 p.m. ET; SN360, SNE, SUN, RDS, NHL.TV

Canadiens team scope

Montreal Canadiens defenseman Alexei Emelin is in the lineup after missing two games on paternity leave. "I'm excited to be back with the team and play [Wednesday]," Emelin said. "I'm thankful to the organization for giving me this time with my family." Coach Michel Therrien said defenseman Andrei Markov did not travel with the Canadiens and would not be available for the three-game road trip. Forward Brendan Gallagher hasn't scored in six games and Therrien hopes moving him to the top line will help. "He's getting some chances but you can tell he's squeezing his stick," Therrien said. "I think it's a matter of time, I believe, and we're going to try a different combination." The Canadiens play the first of a back-to-back that ends at the Florida Panthers on Thursday.

Lightning team scope

Tampa Bay Lightning forwards Nikita Kucherov and Ondrej Palat are expected to be in the lineup. Kucherov missed seven games with a lower-body injury and Palat (undisclosed) five. Defensemen Victor Hedman and Braydon Coburn, who left a 4-0 loss to the Washington Capitals on Dec. 23, are also expected to play. "It's nice to have a lot of these guys back and it comes at the right time," center Tyler Johnson said. "We need to take advantage of these games at home and get some points." The Lightning begins a five-game homestand and plays three games in the next four nights to end 2016. They have lost four straight to the Canadiens, including a 3-1 defeat at Bell Centre on Oct. 27. "It seems like we go through stretches where we can't beat them and other stretches where we can't lose to them," coach Jon Cooper said.

Canadiens projected lineup

Max Pacioretty -- Phillip Danault -- Brendan Gallagher
Paul Byron -- Torrey Mitchell -- Alexander Radulov
Artturi Lehkonen -- Tomas Plekanec -- Brian Flynn
Daniel Carr -- Michael McCarron -- Sven Andrighetto
Alexei Emelin -- Shea Weber
Nathan Beaulieu -- Jeff Petry
Mark Barberio -- Zach Redmond
Carey Price
Al Montoya
Scratched:Chris Terry, Michael McCarron, Joel Hanley, Ryan Johnston
Injured:Andrei Markov (lower body), Greg Pateryn (ankle), Alex Galchenyuk (lower body), David Desharnais (knee), Andrew Shaw (concussion)

Lightning projected lineup

Ondrej Palat -- Tyler Johnson -- Nikita Kucherov
Brian Boyle -- Valtteri Filppula -- Jonathan Drouin
Alex Killorn -- Brayden Point -- Vladislav Namestnikov
Michael Bournival -- Matthew Peca -- JT Brown
Victor Hedman -- Anton Stralman
Jason Garrison -- Andrej Sustr
Slater Koekkoek -- Braydon Coburn
Andrei Vasilevskiy
Kristers Gudlevskis
Scratched: Nikita Nesterov
Injured: Ryan Callahan (lower body), Cedric Paquette (lower body), Steven Stamkos (knee), Ben Bishop (lower body)

Status report

The Lightning called up Peca from Syracuse of the American Hockey League on Tuesday and he is expected to make his NHL debut. …Galchenyuk and Desharnais skated with the Canadiens during practice Tuesday. …Cooper said it's possible Vasilevskiy would start both games of the back-to-back but he would re-evaluate after Wednesday. …Therrien said Price will start Wednesday and Montoya on Thursday against the Panthers. …The Canadiens recalled Johnston from St. John's of the AHL on Tuesday.

Who's hot

Pacioretty has seven goals in his past five games. …Hedman has seven points in his past five games.