NHL: 9 Can't Miss Canadiens vs. Canucks Headlines

VANCOUVER--Les Canadiens de Montréal visitent le Canucks de Vancouver à mardi.

The Montréal Canadiens visit the Vancouver Canucks on Tuesday.

This is a meeting that Canucks fans and francophone Vancouver hockey fans have long awaited.

In their first game since participating in the NHL Heritage Classic, the Canadiens come to Rogers Arena for a battle with the Alex Burrows-led Canucks squad.

1. Burrows Meets His Hometown Team

Richard Wolowicz/Getty Images

MONTREAL- NOVEMBER 9: Roman Hamrlik #44 of the Montreal Canadiens body cehcks Alex Burrows #14 of the Vancouver Canucks during the NHL game at the Bell Centre on November 9, 2010 in Montreal, Quebec, Canada. The Canadiens defeated the Canucks 2-0. (Pho

On the Canucks, there are a few players that have something to play for.

Alex Burrows makes Montréal, Québec his off-season home, and he is married to longtime girlfriend, Nancy Roy.

Burrows has four career points in seven games against the Canadiens, posting a +3 rating in that span.

2. Yann Sauve Of Montréal Meets His Hometown Team Early

He is known as the guy taken after Cody Hodgson.

Yann Sauve—a call-up—is also a player from Québec.

In juniors, Yann played for the Saint John Sea Dogs, and now he is playing the best hockey of his career.

This will be Sauve's first career game playing against the Canadiens and his fourth career contest in the National Hockey League.

3. Luongo Wants To Improve His Record Against The Canadiens

Richard Wolowicz/Getty Images

MONTREAL - NOVEMBER 9: Roberto Luongo #1 of the Vancouver Canucks stops the puck on a shot by Tom Pyatt #94 of the Montreal Canadiens during the NHL game at the Bell Centre on November 9, 2010 in Montreal, Quebec, Canada. (Photo by Richard Wolowicz/Gett

Roberto Luongo has played the Canadiens 25 times in his career, and it has been a tough battle for Lu.

He currently holds a below .500 record against his hometown team, posting a 9-10-7 record in his career.

Luongo lost the last contest to Carey Price of Williams Lake, BC by a score of 2-1.

4. Dan Hamhuis Saves The Day

Dan Hamhuis destroys Douglas Murray entering his territory.

Dan Hamhuis is "for sure" back for the Canucks on Tuesday, according to head coach Alain Vigneault. He has been practicing on his own, and practiced with the team the last couple of days.

He is ready to go.

As a result, Moose defenseman, Evan Oberg, is sent down to the farm.

5. Keith Ballard Questionable on Tuesday

Rich Lam/Getty Images

VANCOUVER, CANADA - JANUARY 20: Logan Couture #39 of the San Jose Sharks tries to get past Keith Ballard #4 of the Vancouver Canucks during the third period in NHL action on January 20, 2011 at Rogers Arena in Vancouver, BC, Canada. (Photo by Rich Lam/Ge

Keith Ballard practiced with the team for the first time since suffering an injury caused by Milan Michalek of the Ottawa Senators.

AV does not know if Ballard will return on Tuesday, but he is listed as day-to-day and should be back Thursday at the latest.

6. Cody Hodgson Gets Another Call

Hodgson scores his first career goal, and it's a beauty!

Cody Hodgson was called up from the Manitoba Moose on Monday.

The natural centre—who was drafted 10th overall in the 2008 Entry Draft—was called up for the second time this season, and he will play for the 4th line again. 

Hodgson has 12 goals and six assists in 34 games with the Moose this season. He scored his first career NHL goal against the Phoenix Coyotes' Ilya Bryzgalov on a sweet dangle.

7. Canadiens, Cammalleri Ready To Roll

Michael Cammalleri hurts shoulder on Volchenkov hit

The Canadiens got scoring forward Michael Cammalleri back in the lineup on Sunday, just in time for the Heritage Classic after sitting out with a shoulder separation in January. 

Cammalleri will be tough to handle because he has speed, grit and very good hands.

8. Leading Scorer Tomas Plekanec Will Find His Scoring Touch

Tomas Plekanec wins a game in Overtime for the Canadiens in 2010 Playoffs.

Tomas Plekanec, the leading scorer on the Montréal Canadiens, had eight shots on goal Sunday, despite his team being outplayed by the Calgary Flames.

On Sunday, the Montréal Canadiens couldn't weather the storm when the Flames came hard at them, posting a grinding effort in a cold winter day. You would think that the Canadiens would have an edge in these chilly conditions, but they were badly outplayed.

Look for them to come back at the Canucks with a much better effort to stop the losing streak at two.

9. Kostitsyn Brothers and More

Dave Sandford/Getty Images

TORONTO - OCTOBER 11: Andrei Markov #79, Andrei Kostitsyn #46 and Sergei Kostitsyn #74 of the Montreal Canadiens looks on before the game against the Toronto Maple Leafs at the Air Canada Centre October 11, 2008 in Toronto, Ontario. (Photo By Dave Sandfor

Sergei Kostitsyn is no longer a player on this team, but Sergei Kostitsyn is having a fine season this year.

He is a streaky forward who the Canadiens love and hate. Kostitsyn has been useless in nine games, but he can explode in a heartbeat. If the Canucks play him rough and give him a couple solid hits, he will think twice when entering the Canucks zone

Puck drop is at 7:00pm local time Vancouver, and 10:00pm for viewers watching on RDS.

Thanks for following your Vancouver Canucks.

This is Joseph Trenton.

Follow Joseph Trenton on Twitter @TrentonNHL