Canadiens visit Blues while missing captain Suzuki on road trip

The Montreal Canadiens visit the St. Louis Blues on Oct. 27 in their first meeting of the season, with Montreal at 6-3-2 and St. Louis at 5-5-1. Montreal has won its first two games of the road trip while allowing just two goals, but will be without captain Nick Suzuki and several other players; Jacob Fowler is expected to start in goal. The Blues’ strong penalty kill, which has also scored shorthanded, poses a challenge for a Canadiens power play that has struggled to convert. St. Louis is also missing several players and was recently shut out by Carolina. One preview expects a close, low-scoring game and highlights Blues center Robert Thomas as a potential source of assists.