Superstar goaltender Carey Price will start his second game of the season when he faces the Minnesota Wild at the Bell Centre on Tuesday night.
Canadiens coach Martin St. Louis confirmed Price's start when speaking to reporters on Tuesday morning.
Price underwent extensive knee surgery in July. In October, the team announced he was taking a leave of absence from the club and voluntarily entering the NHL/NHLPA Player Assistance Program.
He took part in his first full-equipment team activities in December, and since then has been working closely with team staff to get back to full health.
In his first game back, Price turned away 17 of 19 shots Friday against the New York Islanders. Montreal lost 3-0.
Friday's game was his between the pipes since Game 5 of the Stanley Cup Final, when the Canadiens’ remarkable playoff run ended with the Tampa Bay Lighting hoisting the Stanley Cup for the second straight year.
Price will be going head-to-head with three-time Stanley Cup champion and Sorel, Quebec's Marc-Andre Fleury, who was obtained by the Wild from the Blackhawks before the trade deadline.
The Canadiens will also be without Joel Armia, who is on leave of absence to attend to a family matter in Finland.
The Canadiens (20-45-11, 51 points) are looking to halt a five-game losing streak in which they've been outscored 23-9, including an 8-4 loss to the Washington Capitals in their most recent outing on Saturday.
--With files from Emily Sadler, The Canadian Press
