The Montreal Canadiens and Winnipeg Jets face off Wednesday night as both clubs arrive at a key juncture in the NHL schedule.

The Canadiens extended their point streak to four games but fell 4-3 in overtime to the Minnesota Wild on Monday night.

Despite the loss, Montreal maintained its hold on a playoff position, still picking up a point, while sitting third in the Atlantic Division behind Tampa Bay and Detroit. Canadiens head coach Martin St. Louis said the team is still working toward putting together a complete 60-minute performance.

“I think we’re aware of when we’re off a little bit,” St. Louis said following the defeat in Minnesota. “You catch your breath a little bit, you didn’t get hurt too bad, you’re still in it and you saw some sections of our ‘A’ Game… but not enough of it.”

Wednesday’s game marks the final contest for both teams before a three-week break as NHL players depart for Italy to compete in the Milano Cortina Olympic Games, with play resuming the last week of February for the league’s final regular-season stretch.

The game carries importance for Montreal as it looks to solidify its playoff standing. The Canadiens are currently seven points ahead of the first team outside of the wild-card spots in the Eastern Conference.

“Going into this break (we need to) make sure we’re getting all the points we can to come out of this thing ahead and continue to be ahead,” said Montreal forward Kirby Dach. “You can’t sit around. You’ve got to kind of put your head down and go to work.”

Winnipeg’s playoff outlook, meanwhile, continues to fade. The Jets, who won the Presidents’ Trophy last season with the NHL’s best regular-season record, have struggled to find consistency in 2025-26. Winnipeg forced overtime Monday night by tying the game with less than two minutes left before falling 4-3 to the Dallas Stars.

“That was a game that was winnable,” Winnipeg coach Scott Arniel said. “We hung in there. That is how we have to play consistently. … You’re putting the opposition on their heels. I thought (in) the Tampa game, the Florida game, even at times with this one, we did a good job of that.”

The loss capped a four-game road trip in which the Jets posted a 2-1-1 record, with wins at New Jersey and Florida and a regulation loss in Tampa Bay in between. However, the Jets were only able to grab five of a possible eight points. Entering Tuesday, they sit nine points out of a postseason spot in the Western Conference.

“We’re desperate for points,” said defenseman Logan Stanley. “We need to win them all. It stings. Usually you’re happy with a point at the end of a road trip in a tough building like this, but it stings for sure.”

Winnipeg remains short-handed on defense, with Neal Pionk, Colin Miller and Haydn Fleury not expected to return until after the Winter Games.

Montreal continues to be without Patrik Laine, who remains on injured reserve with an abdominal injury, while forward Alexandre Texier missed Monday’s game with a lower-body issue.

–Field Level Media

Martin Damm, a 22-year-old qualifier from Florida, took down Polish seventh seed Hubert Hurkacz 7-6 (5), 6-4 on Tuesday in the first round of the Open Occitanie in Montpellier, France.

While Hurkacz fired 14 aces without a double fault, Damm kept up with 13 aces of his own but also varied his attack, winning 13 of 17 net points. Ranked a career-high No. 160 in the world this week, Damm will meet Spaniard Roberto Bautista Agut in the second round.

Frenchmen won four of the six matches contested Tuesday, including No. 6 seed Arthur Fils outlasting countryman Valentin Royer 7-6 (7), 6-7 (4), 6-2 in nearly two hours and 33 minutes. It was Fils’ first match since August due to a back injury sidelining him for the fall.

Fils won an impressive 55 of 66 first-service points (83.3%).

Also from France, No. 5 seed Ugo Humbert eased past Botic van de Zandschulp of the Netherlands, 6-3, 6-4; qualifier Titouan Droguet conquered Great Britain’s Jan Choinski 6-2, 7-6 (2); and Ugo Blanchet beat Italian qualifier Andrea Vavassori 6-4, 6-3. Spain’s Pablo Carreno Busta rallied past Serbian Miomir Kecmanovic 4-6, 6-3, 7-6 (4).

–Field Level Media

Something has to give when Providence returns to its home floor for a Wednesday night matchup with Butler in Big East action.

The Friars (9-13, 2-9 Big East) have dropped four straight and seven of their last eight games, including an 87-73 Friday loss at Villanova. The first two losses during their current streak were by one possession.

Butler (13-9, 4-7), which has lost back-to-back contests since a three-game win streak, threw the first punch in this head-to-head season series with a 113-110 win in double overtime in the Dec. 13 conference opener in Indianapolis.

“When you’re not disciplined, tough and connected throughout the game, you’re in those late-game situations where you have to execute at a really, really high level,” Providence coach Kim English said. “We’re down a lot of guys. I felt like (against Villanova) we were close to letting go of the rope, but our guys didn’t.”

Freshman Stefan Vaaks has pulled the rope all season long, leading the Friars in minutes (31.3 per game) and a 33.1% 3-point shooter. He had a game-high 25 points and went 5-for-11 from distance against Villanova.

Providence has played its last six games without leading scorer Jason Edwards (17.2 points per game) due to a foot injury.

Butler is coming off a 77-64 Saturday loss to Georgetown in which it shot just 5-for-33 in the second half and missed its last 14 shots from the field.

“I don’t know, I really don’t (know what happened),” coach Thad Matta said. “You can’t shoot 15 percent in the second half of a Big East game and have a chance to win. … I thought we got the ball to the rim, and how many of them just rolled off?”

It was not the Bulldogs’ day, but Jamie Kaiser Jr. had a career-high 19 points to lead the Bulldogs. It was his third straight double-figure scoring game.

In the December meeting, Finley Bizjack (17.1 points per game) scored 12 of his 26 points in the two overtime periods and Michael Ajayi had 28 points and 15 rebounds.

The Bulldogs canned 10 3-pointers, but allowed 14 to Providence. Edwards netted 32 points and Jaylin Sellers 26 for the Friars.

Matta’s next win will be the 500th of his career.

–Field Level Media