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ST. LOUIS -- One of the things Ken Hitchcock values as the coach of the St. Louis Blues is the chance to play against the best teams in the NHL.Hitchcock views those games as a great way to evaluate his team, being able to see how it compares and trying to identify areas where the Blues can improve.Hitchcock will get another chance to do that Tuesday night when the Montreal Canadiens, with the best record in the league, make their only visit of the year to St. Louis.The Canadiens are 17-6-2, and they have one more point, 36-35, than the New York Rangers and Chicago Blackhawks.One thing Montreal does that they dont get enough credit for: They use their speed, but they use it to check, and thats why theyre so hard to play against, Hitchcock said. Theyve got speed; every teams got speed. Theyve got quickness; every teams got quickness. But Montreal uses it to put pressure on you to force your mistakes, and thats the difference. Thats why they have a winning record.Theyve got a great goalie; a lot of teams have great goalies. But they make you pay a price to move the puck, and they put a lot of pressure on you, and they use your speed as a checking mechanism. And thats why theyre always difficult and they always will be.As good as the Canadiens have been to start the season, most of their success has come at home, where they are 12-1-1. They are only 5-5-1 on the road but are coming off a big win on Sunday in Los Angeles, where they beat the Kings in a shootout.The Canadiens viewed that game as an evaluation tool of their own and could view the game against the Blues the same way.The team definitely hasnt had a lot of success out here, so to get a win here in LA against a big, strong team who every year competes, its important for us, left winger Max Pacioretty told NHL.com after the game. This is a measuring-stick team ... I think teams come in and try to see what they have when they play against a team like this. It shows a lot about our character.The game against the Blues will conclude a five-city, 12-day trip for the Canadiens. They have split the first four games.The Blues will be without defenseman Robert Bortuzzo, who suffered a lower-body injury on Saturday night and will be out at least two weeks. He will be replaced by Joel Edmundson. Center Jori Lehtera, who was a healthy scratch for Saturdays game, also is scheduled to be back in the St. Louis lineup. Jake Allen will get the start in goal.The Blues have been almost as good at home this season as the Canadiens, going 9-0-3 in their last 12 games. They have lost only once in regulation in 15 home games.Wholesale Nike Shoes . Once again Jordan Cieciwa (@FitCityJordan) and I (@LynchOnSports) go head to head in our picks. Last weekend at UFC Fight Night 32 my #TeamLynch got the best of #TeamJC by a score of 9-6. Let us know which side youre on for UFC 167 use the hashtag #TeamLynch or #TeamJC on Twitter. Wholesale Shoes Authentic . -- The Bishops Gaiters are showing they belong among the countrys top varsity football teams. https://www.wholesaleshoesusa.com/ .J. -- Marty Brodeur beat the Pittsburgh Penguins yet again. Cheap Shoes From China . The 25-year-old Japanese star has officially been posted by his club team, the Rakuten Golden Eagles. China Shoes 2020 . -- The proud fathers huddled near the Dallas Stars dressing room, smiling, laughing and telling stories while wearing replica green sweaters of their sons team.MIAMI -- The Miami Heat expect to be without injured point guard Goran Dragic for the game Saturday against the Utah Jazz.Dragic sprained his left ankle in the third quarter Thursday in a loss to Dwyane Wade and the Chicago Bulls. X-rays were negative, but Dragic remains in a walking boot and dealing with some swelling.Heat coach Erik Spoelstra says Dragic is listed as day-to-day.Dragic is averaging 16.3 points annd 5.dddddddddddd9 assists in the seasons first seven games for Miami, which has dropped three straight and is off to a 2-5 start.The Heat will have to change their starting lineup for the first time this season, with Tyler Johnson?a candidate to replace Dragic at starting point guard. ' ' '