Montreal Canadiens goaltender Carey Price, who's battling the flu, will miss Tuesday's game in New Jersey, the team announced.

Charlie Lindgren will start against the Devils and will be backed up by Cayden Primeau, who was called up this week from Montreal's American Hockey League affiliate. Lindgren is 0-3 this season with a 3.40 goals-against average and an .892 save percentage.

Price is not alone. With many Canadiens feeling flu-like symptoms, Montreal coach Claude Julien canceled Monday's practice before the team traveled to Newark.

Montreal, with 55 points and coming off a 4-3 loss to the Columbus Blue Jackets on Sunday, is fighting to stay alive in a congested Eastern Conference playoff race. The Canadiens enter Tuesday's game nine points away from the No. 2 wild-card slot.

Price has played in 44 of the team's 54 games this season, posting a 22-18-4 mark with a 2.75 GAA and a .911 save percentage.

Los Angeles Kings defenseman Drew Doughty will return from a lower-body injury Tuesday against the Capitals in Washington, the team announced.

Doughty, who missed three games, was on the ice for morning skate and was paired with Alec Martinez. He was among the first Kings out of the tunnel for pregame warm-ups, as well.

When Doughty was scratched last Wednesday against Tampa Bay at Staples Center, it ended the longest consecutive-games-played streak in franchise history. Doughty had played in 460 consecutive regular-season games since the start of the 2014-15 season, which was the fifth-longest active streak in the NHL.

Doughty, 30, has six goals and 27 points in 50 games this season. He has played his entire career with the Kings, dating to 2008, and was a key cog in both of the franchise's Stanley Cup titles in 2012 and 2014.

PEBBLE BEACH, Calif. – Graeme McDowell’s sympathy for the game’s great golf courses has him leaning toward the USGA and R&A’s conclusion that unrelenting distance gains are detrimental to the game.

He didn’t have a chance to review specifics of the Distance Insights Project on Tuesday, as he prepared to play the AT&T Pebble Beach Pro-Am, but he generally agrees something needs to be done to curb the distance trend. 

“When it starts to affect the integrity of some of the greatest courses in the game, where you don’t have a lot of real estate left to make changes, there’s a problem,” McDowell told GolfChannel.com. “To me, when they moved the 17th tee at the Old Course, I was like, 'Is that necessary?' It’s one of the most iconic tee shots in the world.”

McDowell, coming off a victory Sunday at the Saudi International, feels the same way about the changes Augusta National has made to protect the shot values at the iconic 13th hole.

“If this continues, continues, continues, and we fast forward into the future, it could become silly,” he said. “I guess I generally agree with [the project’s conclusion]. I don’t think we want to continue the way we are going. It really needs to stop somewhere.”

Paul Casey, looking to better his runner-up finish at last year’s AT&T Pebble Beach Pro-Am, also didn’t have a chance to read the details of the distance project. He said, generally, as a professional, he’ll deal with whatever is required to do his job; but as a lover of the game, he doesn’t like seeing what’s happening to some great courses.

“If the effect is it starts to make golf courses obsolete, that’s an issue,” he said.

Patrick Cantlay, No. 8 in the Official World Golf Ranking, finds sympathy for the recreational player. He doesn’t see distance as an issue at the grassroots level of the game, where the sport’s health depends.

“All the equipment and stuff are great for the amateur golfers,” Cantlay said. “The ball can’t go too far for a 10-handicap.”

Even on the PGA Tour, Cantlay isn’t sure how big a problem distance really is.

“In general, I would say, 'No,’” he said. “On some golf courses on Tour, 'Yes.' But most courses on Tour, 'No.’”

Chesson Hadley wants to see what the USGA and R&A end up supporting as the best way to curb distance, but . . .

“I think probably some curbing wouldn’t be a bad idea,” he said.

Hadley said he wasn’t a big fan of the 249-yard par 3 he played at Torrey Pines North two weeks ago.

“That’s stupid,” Hadley said. “I’m not saying it’s a bad hole, but when you’re taking a head cover off to play a par 3 ... I don’t think that’s great.

“Hopefully, whatever they end up proposing, it’s well thought out, and we will deal with it when it comes.”

Wayne Rooney is set for a reunion with Manchester United after his Derby County beat Northampton in the FA Cup.

- Watch and Stream FA Cup matches live and view replays on ESPN+

The former England captain scored for his new team in their 4-2 win over the League Two opposition in a replay.

Andre Wisdom and Duane Holmes gave Derby a 2-0 lead before the half, but Northampton hit back shortly after the restart to halve the deficit.

However the hosts scored twice after the Northampton goal before the visitors scored a consolation from the penalty spot to reach the final scoreline.

The result means second-tier Derby advanced to a home game against Man United (streaming live on March 3 on ESPN+), where Rooney spent 13 years and became the club's all-time top scorer while winning five Premier League titles, the Champions League in 2008 and the FA Cup in 2016.

A Shrewsbury Town own goal helped Liverpool advance to the FA Cup fifth round with a 1-0 win at Anfield on Tuesday night.

Ro-Shaun Williams inexplicably headed a Liverpool long ball over the head of his keeper in the 75th minute to give the hosts a lead they'd hold onto for an improbable, but deserved result.

Jurgen Klopp came good on his decision to rest his first-team players for the replay during the Premier League winter break after the first meeting finished 2-2, with Liverpool fielding a team of youth players -- the youngest side to ever take the field for the club in a senior match -- and Under-23 boss Neil Critchley manning the dugout.

The Liverpool youngsters acquitted themselves well in opening 30 minutes against the more experienced League One opposition, with Neco Williams flashing a low shot just wide of the far post shortly after the half-hour mark.

Neither team could find the back of the net in the opening 45 minutes and the Anfield faithful and travelling Shrewsbury supporters gave their teams a rousing ovation as they headed to the dressing room deadlocked at 0-0.

A nice team move almost saw Liverpool take the lead, but Max O'Leary did well to keep Williams' near post shot out after Harvey Elliot's clever pass gave him an open look at the goal.

The visitors then looked to have found a way through shortly after, but a VAR intervention overruled Shaun Whalley's headed goal because of offside in the buildup.

With Liverpool looking increasingly likely to score, Williams gifted the home side the team when he rose up and headed past O'Leary to send Anfield into rapturous applause.

The result sees Liverpool move on to face Chelsea at Stamford Bridge (streaming live on March 3 at 2:45 p.m. ET on ESPN+) in the round of 16 when the cup competition resumes play in the beginning of March.

Klopp, whose side are 22 points clear in the Premier League and heading for a first English title for 30 years, was not even in attendance for the match, but there can be little doubt that the result left him smiling, particularly after the heat he received from some quarters for not using first-team players in the replay.

"It was just unbelievable," Neco Williams said. "It was a night that we will remember for a long time, especially the debutants. The whole team dug in and we kept going to the final whistle.

"The lads were excellent and hopefully we will do the same against Chelsea in the next round. Every team Liverpool put out will put everything out there on the pitch."

Liverpool, unbeaten in 40 games at Anfield in all competitions, are next in action away at Norwich City on Feb. 15 when Klopp's seniors return to continue their title procession.

Liverpool's youngsters defied the odds to help push the Premier League leaders into the fifth round of the FA Cup with a 1-0 win over Shrewsbury Town at Anfield on Tuesday.

Shaun Whalley thought he'd given the League One strugglers the lead with a header from close range, only for VAR to rule it out for offside. The winning goal came courtesy of a bizarre Ro-Shaun Williams own goal as the Reds booked their place in the final 16, where they'll meet Chelsea at Stamford Bridge.

Positives

When you consider the average age of this team, this was a pretty exceptional showing against a formidable League One outfit. They kept the ball on the deck, grew into the game and were able to keep possession better than anyone could've imagined. They were shown a great deal of respect on the ball from the visitors, which just showcases the impression they made in the initial tie.

Negatives

There were definitely some issues with the decision making and at times they just couldn't find any space in the final third. Once they were able to get a foothold in the game a few sloppy mistakes started to appear that could've easily cost them against a more high-profile team. From an aerial point of view, they should've utilised their taller options -- especially on set pieces, which is an area they struggled from.

Manager rating out of 10

8 -- In the absence of Jurgen Klopp, Neil Critchley stepped in to guide what was the equivalent of Liverpool's under-23s. You could clearly see the connection between the boss and his players, as evidenced by the trust he showed in the starting XI. They didn't go for broke and exert too much energy early on, and as such, they came across as a professional and composed side.

Player ratings (1-10; 10 = best, players introduced after 70 minutes get no rating)

GK Caoimhin Kelleher, 7 -- The 21-year-old controlled his box well enough and showed quick reaction times as and when he was called upon.

DF Neco Williams, 8 -- While the erratic nature of his game may have led to a yellow card, Williams was actually one of Liverpool's biggest attacking threats with his cross directly leading to the game's lone goal.

DF Ki-Jana Hoever, 6 -- A bit too relaxed at times with some of his wayward passes, causing the Reds problems. He was also beaten fairly easily for Shrewsbury's disallowed goal.

DF Sepp van den Berg, 7 -- While he was slow to the ball on occasion, the 18-year-old Dutchman put in an efficient-enough performance.

DF Adam Lewis, 7 -- It was a nice showing for Lewis, who combined his tendency to get forward with a real composure when put under pressure.

MF Leighton Clarkson, 7 -- The ambitious teenager showed no fear in drifting into Shrewsbury's half and seemed to possess great vision when opportunities fell to him.

MF Pedro Chirivella, 8 -- Announced himself in a big way with a professional performance that saw him track back regularly and bust a gut to try and win the ball.

MF Jake Cain, 6 -- The odd moment of inspiration was hampered by his lack of strength on the ball in comparison to Shrewsbury's midfield offering.

FW Harvey Elliott, 6 -- One of the biggest names in this Liverpool XI went absent in the first half but burst into life with some strong runs down the wing in the second.

FW Liam Millar, 6 -- It was a spirited display from Millar but he was lost among the Shrewsbury defenders and was often smothered.

FW Curtis Jones, 7 -- The captain showed the confidence of a veteran with everything from defensive tackles to rabona crosses into the box.

Substitutions

DF Morgan Boyes, N/R -- Did a good job of killing the clock in the final few minutes.

MF Elijah Dixon-Bonner, N/R -- Was used to help the minutes tick by after replacing Elliott in injury time.

FW Joe Hardy, N/R -- He looked active but wasn't really given enough time to carve out any chances with the Reds trying to sit on their lead.

Shots fired. Actually, more than that: Imagine a chopper-mounted howitzer metaphorically blowing out the windows of the executive floors of Barcelona HQ on a moonless night.

Make no mistake: Lionel Messi's decision to take to Instagram and respond to Eric Abidal's interview is a direct challenge to the club's hierarchy. It's also the kind of move that ends one of three ways: Abidal walks his comments back and issues a grovelling apology to Messi and his teammates, Barcelona get themselves a new sporting director (and possibly a new president at the next election), or Messi leaves the club. While that final one is about as likely as Liverpool not winning the 2019-20 Premier League, it is still, theoretically, a possibility.

In fact, were this any other player at any other club, the notion of Messi packing it in wouldn't be so absurd. After all, this is a guy airing the club's dirty laundry in public -- and not just anybody's underpants but those of his boss. (Or, at least, as much as anyone can be the boss of a GOAT candidate with 711 career appearances and 622 career goals under his belt, as well as six Ballons d'Or).

If Messi were upset with Abidal's interview and thought he was passing the buck on the decision to dump former coach Ernesto Valverde last month by implicitly blaming Messi and other senior players -- and there really is no other possible reading of that post -- then the logical action would be to pick up the phone or stride into Abidal's office to confront him. Leaving aside the obvious corporate protocol, the pair have known each for 13 years and were teammates for six seasons. It wouldn't just have been HR-compliant; it also would have been the civil thing to do.

That Messi instead chose to go public straightaway can speak to only one of two things. Either the relationship with Abidal is a lot worse than we thought (and has been for a while), or he is so angry and hurt at being depicted as two-faced (particularly since, in public at least, he always backed Valverde) that he reached for his phone without thinking and tapped away in a blind rage. That, frankly, is distinctly unlike Messi, which is why everyone is taking it so seriously.

Messi is a guy who rarely loses his cool on the pitch, let alone off it. He doesn't speak much, and when he does, it's usually in monosyllables or platitudes. As far as outbursts go, the only thing he has done that comes close to one was when he announced his retirement from international football after the 2016 Copa Centenario, throwing the entire Argentina football association under the bus. That came from a place of fury, hurt and rage. So did this.

Is it the sort of rage that might make him up sticks and go elsewhere? Probably not, but it's worth noting that if Messi wanted to move, he's ideally placed to make it happen. His contract expires in June 2021, which gives him plenty of leverage to seek a move this summer, when he'll turn 33. That's without counting the clause that, as my ESPN colleagues Sam Marsden and Moises Llorens report, could allow him to move as a free agent this summer. While it's pretty much guaranteed that Barca will try to extend his deal, Messi holds all the cards anyway.

Naturally, this puts the club in a very difficult position -- not just where Abidal is concerned but club president Josep Maria Bartomeu, too. After all, you don't become Barcelona president by acquiring a majority stake in the club. You have to be elected by a majority of club members, and all it would take for him to lose the next election -- scheduled for the summer of 2021, but at this rate, don't exclude the possibility of it being moved to July 2020 -- is for Messi to publicly back another candidate. Heck, such is Messi's popularity and standing in the eyes of club members that just about any Messi-backed candidate short of a cardboard cutout or J-Hope from BTS is likely to wipe the floor with him, particularly since Bartomeu himself isn't exactly crushing those approval polls.

That's why in the short term you can expect one of the other two outcomes.

Most likely, Abidal will come up with a face-saving public climb-down and issue a private apology, something along the lines of being misquoted or misspeaking, feeling terrible that Messi was hurt and promising to take better care next time. And if he doesn't? If he takes it on the chin and stands by what he said? At that point, either Bartomeu relieves him of duty and makes Abidal fall on his sword, or they're both out on their backsides when elections roll around. This is not a battle they can win.

-- Hunter: Is Messi fed up at Barcelona?
-- Lowe: How Barca failed to find a striker in January

If this isn't handled properly, it risks becoming another annus horribilis for Barcelona that, when you think about it, would be rather grotesque, given that they've won the past two Liga titles, are just three points off the pace this season (despite a rash of injuries, a managerial change and some horrendous performances) and remain among the bookmakers' favorites to win the Champions League, which resumes in two weeks' time. That's more a general indictment of the Bartomeu regime and the cloud of chaos that has enveloped it than anything else.

There's an upshot here, though, one that mustn't be overlooked and that speaks volumes about Messi. It's true: If he threw Abidal to the wolves without speaking to him privately first, it was the wrong thing to do. In fact, it's pretty unprofessional. But on the flip side, let's not lose sight of what motivated this. Messi is angry because his boss implied that he was a prime driver in getting Valverde fired. Because he defended Valverde until the bitter end, it's his word and his integrity that are under attack here.

Messi could easily have let this slide. He could wake up tomorrow morning and still be uber-popular and uber-rich, still playing for the only club he has ever played for professionally, the one he calls home, still in the running to win a Treble, still the GOAT in the eyes of many. But he chose not to. He chose to make it a matter of pride. He chose not to be used. He chose to defend his word, his integrity and his honour.

Money and trophies, goals and accolades: They come and go. The guy staring back at you in the mirror each morning will be with you as long as you're alive, and Messi doesn't want people to think that man is a devious liar who defends his boss in public while stabbing him in the back privately.

Toss New Zealand opt to bowl v India

Stand-in captain Tom Latham won the toss in the series opener in Hamilton, and asked India to bat first. New Zealand's first ODI since the heart-breaking World Cup final was a rematch of their semi-final against India, but the teams hardly bore the same look.

The whole pace attack of New Zealand was out with injury as was regular captain Kane Williamson. India themselves didn't have the services of at least three first-choice players: Rohit Sharma, KL Rahul and Hardik Pandya, all out with injuries. Also missing were Bhuvneshwar Kumar (injured) and Rishabh Pant (dropped).

Having accidentally chanced upon KL Rahul as a middle-order batsman and wicketkeeper when Pant was injured and the top order being packed, India now made a deliberate choice to keep him down the middle even when no opener was available. That meant ODI debuts for the Test openers Mayank Agarwal and Prithvi Shaw. Kedar Jadhav came back for the cover he provides as a spin bowler and Shardul Thakur was preferred to Navdeep Saini. Kuldeep Yadav came in for Yuzvendra Chahal in what has become a pattern: Chahal plays T20Is, Yadav ODIs.

For New Zealand, debutant Tom Blundell replaced Williamson. The three missing quick bowlers were replaced by Tim Southee, Hamish Bennett and Ish Sodhi, making theirs an attack of two fast bowlers, two spinners and two allrounders.

India 1 Mayank Agarwal, 2 Prithvi Shaw, 3 Virat Kohli (capt.), 4 Shreyas Iyer, 5 KL Rahul (wk), 6 Kedhar Jadhav, 7 Ravindra Jadeja, 8 Shardul Thakur, 9 Kuldeep Yadav, 10 Mohammed Shami, 11 Jasprit Bumrah

New Zealand 1 Martin Guptill, 2 Henry Nicholls, 3 Tom Blundell, 4 Ross Taylor, 5 Tom Latham (capt. and wk), 6 James Neesham, 7 Colin de Grandhomme, 8 Mitchell Santner, 9 Ish Sodhi, 10 Tim Southee, 11 Hamish Bennett

Lionel Messi has engaged in a war of words with Eric Abidal after the Barcelona sporting director suggested Ernesto Valverde was fired because the players were not happy with him.

Messi believes Abidal, who plays a huge role in appointing and sacking coaches at Barca, is passing the buck on January's decision to dismiss Valverde and replace him with Quique Setien.

The Argentina forward says Abidal should take responsibility for his own actions and complained that he had spoken about players in general without naming anyone in specific.

Sources have told ESPN that Messi feels he's been incorrectly blamed for Valverde's sacking and that the sporting director's comments will encourage more people to draw false conclusions.

"I honestly don't like doing these things but everyone has to be responsible for their job and take responsibility for their decisions," Messi wrote on Instagram alongside a screenshot of Abidal's interview with Diario SPORT.

"When things don't go well on the pitch, the players are the first ones to recognise as much. Those in the sporting department at the club should also take responsibility for their actions and decisions.

"Finally, I think that when you speak about players, you should have to give names. If you don't, you're dirtying everyone's name and encouraging things which are said which are not true."

Abidal had said: "Many players were not satisfied or working a lot [under Valverde] and there was also an issue with internal communication.

"The relationship between the coach and the dressing room was good, but there are things that an ex-player can smell. I told the club what I thought and we reached a decision."

Messi was one of a number of players who had always stood behind Valverde. Sources explained to ESPN in the wake of his dismissal that the support from the dressing room was one of the main reasons president Josep Maria Bartomeu hadn't pulled the trigger after last year's Champions League defeat to Liverpool.

Messi's frustrations off the pitch have been heightened by his struggles on it. ESPN revealed earlier on Monday that he's been suffering from a thigh problem for a few weeks, although his form has not been hit massively and the club are optimistic about managing the discomfort.

Amid all this, there remains a clause in Messi's contract that would allow him to walk away for nothing at the end of the season, even though his deal runs until 2021.

"Negotiations have started with the president and [CEO] Oscar Grau and the idea is to sign a longer deal than one that gets renewed every year," Abidal added in his interview.

"I am [optimistic Messi will extend]. We have the best player in the world and we shouldn't lose him. We have to be optimistic. I think Messi is happy here, he's enjoying his job. He's showing his best level, breaking records.

"We, as a club, want to make him happier. And, for that, we have to give him the best teammates, improve the team each year and be in with a chance of winning titles. We'll try to do that well and I think we'll reach a deal with Leo. He knows that Barca need him."

The NBA announced its slate of participants in All-Star Saturday night festivities, with former slam dunk champion Dwight Howard as well as the reigning champions in the 3-point and skills contests -- Joe Harris and Jayson Tatum, respectively -- headlining the respective fields.

The events will take place on Feb. 15 at the United Center in Chicago.

Howard, who won the slam dunk contest in 2008 and last participated in 2009, leads a field that includes a pair of high-flying former runner-ups in the even -- Orlando Magic forward Aaron Gordon, who finished second in a legendary showdown with Zach LaVine at the 2016 All-Star Game in Toronto, and Miami Heat forward Derrick Jones Jr., who lost to Glenn Robinson III in 2017.

Howard's inclusion came as a surprise -- and after, at least according to him, he lobbied the NBA to allow him to take part in the competition for the first time in more than a decade.

"I reached out myself and told them I wanted to be in it, so it was like, 'Oh, really?' I was like, 'Yeah,'" Howard said last month. "So here it is. I think I'm the oldest dunker in the dunk contest ever."

The fourth dunker in the field will be Milwaukee Bucks guard Pat Connaughton, who is a strong athlete himself, having been drafted by the Baltimore Orioles as a pitcher out of Notre Dame, where he played both baseball and basketball.

Given it is the first time the dunk contest will be in Chicago since 1988, when Michael Jordan and Dominique Wilkins squared off in arguably the greatest battle in the history of the competition, there was a groundswell of support for Gordon to go up against LaVine, the leading scorer for the Chicago Bulls, again this year.

LaVine, however, insisted he would only take part in the dunk contest if he was named to the All-Star team itself. And, after he wasn't, he was listed as one of the participants in the 3-point contest Tuesday.

"I feel like I don't got a lot more to prove with [the slam dunk contest]," LaVine told reporters Tuesday. "The 3-point contest is something I've been wanting to do. I just think it will be fun. Obviously, I want to do something for Chicago during All-Star weekend. Get ready to shoot some more 3s."

"If I had made it, I would've wanted to put on a big-time show for the crowd. I would've tried to do all three of them, the All-Star game, dunk contest and 3-point contest," he added. "It didn't happen. I have to re-evaluate where my legs are, where the team is, where my mind is and do the 3-point contest."

LaVine will be going up against a star-studded field that includes Harris, who won the event by beating hometown star Stephen Curry last year in Charlotte; All-Star selections Damian Lillard and Trae Young; and sharpshooters Davis Bertans, Buddy Hield, Duncan Robinson and Devonte Graham -- all of whom are among the top nine in 3-pointers made in the league this season.

This year's contest will also mark a significant change in how it plays out for the first time, with the addition of two extra, deeper shots, as well as adding another 10 seconds to the time allowed to complete it, sending it from 60 to 70 seconds.

While LaVine is playing for the hometown team, two of the skills challenge participants -- Derrick Rose and Patrick Beverley -- are both from Chicago itself, and past champions in the event. Rose, who starred for the Bulls early in his career, including winning the NBA's MVP award in 2011, won the skills challenge as a rookie in 2009. Beverley, meanwhile, won it in 2015.

Spencer Dinwiddie won the event in 2018, while the other four participants -- Khris Middleton, Pascal Siakam, Domantas Sabonis and Bam Adebayo -- all were selected to play in this year's All-Star Game.