5 NHL Questions: Top Canadian goalies face off in Montreal

A daily NHL feature that asks five questions about the days games. Will they be answered? (And no, that does not count as one of the questions.)

by Adam Gretz

Feb 6, 2014, 5:51 PM UTC

Eric Bolte-USA TODAY Sports

Part Of

NHL schedule: Top Canadian goalies meeting in Montreal; Pavel Datsyuk returns for Red Wings

see all updates

1. Who will get the win in their start on Thursday: Carey Price or Roberto Luongo?

Canada’s top two goalies are expected to get the start on Thursday night when Vancouver visits Montreal, so who will put together the best showing: Carey Price or Roberto Luongo? One of these two men will be starting for team Canada in the Olympics.

2. How will Martin St. Louis play after being named to the Canadian Olympic team?

Speaking of team Canada, Martin St. Louis was named to the team on Thursday as a replacement for his Tampa Bay teammate, Steven Stamkos. St. Louis has been on a roll over the past month since he was initially left off the roster, so how will he do on Thursday against the Toronto Maple Leafs to celebrate his spot on the team?

3. Will Pavel Datsyuk do anything of note in his return?

The Detroit Red Wings are getting their best player back on Thursday night after spending more than a month without him. Coach Mike Babcock announced on Thursday morning that Datsyuk is expected to be back in the lineup when the Red Wings visit the Florida Panthers. Will he have some rust to shake off, or will he make an immediate impact for a Detroit team that's trying to hang on to a playoff spot?

4. Can the Capitals slow down Paul Maurice and the Winnipeg Jets?

The Washington-Winnipeg game on Thursday features two teams going in completely different directions. The Jets are 9-2-0 under new coach Paul Maurice, while the Capitals have won just three of their past 10 games and are coming off a 1-0 shutout loss, at home, to the New York Islanders. The Capitals need these two points. Can they shake off a poor performance on Tuesday and get them?

5. How will Ryan Callahan follow up his big performance from Tuesday?

When we last saw Ryan Callahan, the subject of trade rumors over the past couple of weeks, he was scoring two goals for the Rangers in a blowout win over the Colorado Avalanche. What can he do for an encore on Thursday against the Edmonton Oilers and their paper thin defense?