The Canadiens will be in tough on Saturday night as they play host to the Tampa Bay Lightning at the Bell Centre.

Jon Cooper's squad sits atop the Eastern Conference with 85 points in 61 games, but fell in their previous visit to Montreal back on January 4 by a score of 2-1 in a shootout.

Claude Julien's troops are hoping to repeat the type of performance they strung together on Thursday when they bested the New York Rangers.

Video: Plekanec, Niemi lead Canadiens to 3-1 win

"We have a big game against Tampa, so we'll just have to keep on going and work hard like we did last game," said Charles Hudon, following Friday's practice at the Bell Sports Complex.

For his part, Hudon is looking to pick up right where he left off against New York after being named the first star of the game.

"My father always told me that it's only after Christmas that we separate the men from the boys, so I always want to be better than I was at the beginning of the season and be the best on the ice," said Hudon, after Thursday's night victory.

Early on Saturday afternoon, the Canadiens confirmed that both Tomas Plekanec and Logan Shaw would be healthy scratches against the Lightning, while Jacob de la Rose and Daniel Carr draw back into the lineup. There won't be any changes on defense, though, meaning that youngster Noah Juulsen will be in uniform again. Antti Niemi will get the start in goal.

Tweet from @CanadiensMTL: Roster changes for the Canadiens tonight vs. Tampa Bay: J. de la Rose and D. Carr will be back in the lineup. L. Shaw and T. Plekanec will not dress. No change on defense. A. Niemi will be the starting goaltender.#GoHabsGo

Likewise, Phillip Danault will be in uniform despite missing Friday's practice to benefit from a therapy day.

Andrew Shaw and Ales Hemsky will not play. The pair did, however, take part in contact drills at practice on Friday for the first time since suffering their respective injuries.

During his pre-game press conference, Julien addressed Plekanec's status with the Canadiens.

"A trade has not been made, but there has been a lot of interest, so it's a precautionary measure," said Julien, regarding the decision to have Plekanec sit out on Saturday night. "Tomas understands the situation, 100%. He's not a guy who talks a lot, but he's very respected in the locker room."

Regarding Tampa Bay, the Canadiens will have to keep a close eye on the likes of Nikita Kucherov, who boasts 32 goals and 80 points in 61 games. Likewise, Steven Stamkos is a constant threat with 24 goals and 69 points on the year.

Puck drop on Saturday night is scheduled for 7 p.m. The game will be broadcast on City TV and TVA Sports, as well as on TSN 690 and 98,5 fm.