Preview: Struggling Blues Visit Canadiens at Bell Centre MONTREAL (Interstat) — The St. Louis Blues, mired near the bottom of the NHL standings, face a stiff test Sunday when they visit the Montreal Canadiens at Bell Centre. The Blues (9-19-0) arrive after a 5-2 road loss to the Boston Bruins on Thursday, their eighth defeat in the last ten games. Center Pius Suter, a player to watch for St. Louis, scored a goal on five shots in that contest and has points in two of his last three games. The team has struggled to find consistent offense, scoring two or fewer goals in seven of those ten games. Montreal (14-12-0) enters with a more stable record and is coming off a 3-2 shootout victory over the Winnipeg Jets on Wednesday. Center Oliver Kapanen, a key forward for the Canadiens, scored a goal in that win and has recorded three points (two goals, one assist) in his last five appearances. The historical rivalry adds intrigue to the matchup, but the teams are on divergent paths this season. The Canadiens have been strong at home, while the Blues have found wins hard to come home or away. St. Louis will need top performers like Suter, Pavel Buchnevich and Jordan Kyrou — who combined for two goals and an assist against Boston — to break through against a Montreal squad looking to build momentum. According to National Statistical’s game simulator, the projected final score is Montreal 2, St. Louis 1. For the Blues, the game begins a challenging stretch of four road contests in their next six games. Montreal will embark on a three-game road trip following this contest. Puck drop is set for 7 p.m. EST at Bell Centre.