Montreal Canadiens' Andrei Markov Returns To Action.

After being injured during the very first game of the season, Andrei Markov should be in uniform this evening as the Montreal Canadiens will begin a very important seven game stretch on the road.

The outcome of this seven game road trip for the Canadiens will greatly impact their position in the standings. The club is currently 12th in the Eastern conference and is on a five-game losing streak.

Why is this road trip so important?

When we look at the teams that the Montreal Canadiens will face in those seven games, we can honestly think that those games are within their reach.

The New York Islanders, the Carolina Hurricanes, the Tampa Bay Lightning, the Toronto Maple Leafs, the Atlanta Trashers and the Florida Panthers are not exactly powerhouses in the NHL. The Canadiens needs to win at least five of those seven games to stay in the playoff hunt.

There is also another question worth my attention today: Is the return of Andrei Markov premature? Initially, a return during the month of January or even February was optimistic. Is Andrei Markov at 100%?

The Canadiens plays the New York Islanders tonight and some of our questions will be answered during that game. The Canadiens needs to end the losing streak against the Islanders.

Happy Holidays.

(Picture: Andrei Markov, Getty Images.)