Riding a six-game losing streak, the Montreal Canadiens are shaking up their lineup for Monday’s game against Tampa Bay Lightning.
Defencemen Mark Barberio and Greg Pateryn and forward Sven Andrighetto are in. Out are defencemen Alexei Emelin and Jarred Tinordi and forward Devante Smith-Pelly.
Goaltender Ben Scrivens, who was acquired Monday from the Edmonton Oilers in exchange for forward Zack Kassian, will dress against Tampa Bay, but won’t start. Mike Condon, who has lost his last seven starts, gets the call in goal.
The Canadiens, who have allowed 22 goals against during their current six-game slide, are sitting Emelin for the first time this season. Emelin is a minus-8 over Montreal’s past six games. He was on the ice for all three goals against in Saturday’s loss to the Washington Capitals.
Tinordi, who was a healthy scratch for Montreal’s first 34 games, was held to just 11 shifts (6:19) against the Capitals. Smith-Pelly, who returned from an eight-game absence with a lower-body injury for last Tuesday’s 2-1 loss to the Minnesota Wild, played 8:37 against Washington.
As for Barberio, this will be his first game with the Canadiens since signing a one-year, two-way $600,000 contract last July. The six-foot-one defenceman had seven points (one goals, six assists) in 52 games with the Lightning last season, averaging 16:46 in ice time.
Watch Live: Canadiens vs. Lighthing, Monday at 7:30 p.m. ET on Sportsnet East.
In 26 games this season with Montreal’s AHL affiliate, the St. John’s IceCaps, Barberio ranks fourth in scoring with two goals and 18 assists.
Pateryn hasn’t played since the Canadiens suffered a 3-2 loss to the Detroit Red Wings on Dec. 10, a game in which his third-period turnover led to the game-winning goal by Darren Helm. This will be his ninth game of the season.
Andrighetto will play after sitting for four straight games. He has four goals in 12 games with Montreal this season.
This will be the first time the Canadiens have played the Lightning this season. It will mark the fifth game of the Canadiens eight-game road trip, which began Dec. 19 with a 6-2 loss to the Dallas Stars.
The Lightning won all five regular-season games against Montreal last season before knocking them out in the second round of the Stanley Cup playoffs in six games.
