(SportsNetwork.com) – The Montreal Canadiens seek to rebound from their first
home loss of the season on Tuesday night as they take on the Chicago
Blackhawks.
The Canadiens lost for the first time in five contests at the Bell Centre with
a 6-2 setback to the Calgary Flames on Sunday. Six different skaters for the
Flames had at least two points.
Max Pacioretty and Rene Bourque scored for the Canadiens, who have lost three
of their last four games (1-2-1). Carey Price gave up five goals on 35 shots.
Montreal committed eight penalties, leading to six Calgary power plays.
“We have to learn to take the lead and score first and often, especially at
home,” said Canadiens coach Michel Therrien. “Tonight there is no excuse. If
you’re not ready to compete you’ll never win in this league and tonight our
team wasn’t there.
“There were way too many penalties and it’s tough to accept a team that
doesn’t compete and (we) didn’t tonight.”
The Habs will visit Buffalo on Wednesday, then return home for four straight.
Price may get the start tonight, with backup Dustin Tokarski a possibility the
following night versus the Sabres.
Price is 3-1-0 with a 1.49 goals against average and .953 save percentage in
his career versus Chicago.
The Blackhawks are hoping to avoid a third straight loss after getting blanked
1-0 by Winnipeg on Sunday. The Jets scored on their first shift, with former
Chicago skater Michael Frolik getting the goal 20 seconds in, and Michael
Hutchinson turned aside all 33 shots he faced.
Corey Crawford was a hard-luck loser, making 26 saves for the Blackhawks, who
fell to 2-5-0 in their last seven games after opening the season on a five-
game point streak.
“Tough first shift,” Blackhawks coach Joel Quenneville said.
Crawford played for a second consecutive day after returning from a six-game
absence because of a lower body injury to make 24 saves in Saturday’s 3-2 loss
in Toronto.
The Blackhawks ripped off 47 shots against James Reimer and the Maple Leafs,
including 26 in a scoreless third period that Quenneville said might have been
one of their best periods of the season.
They had another good third period Sunday, firing 13 shots at the 24-year-old
Hutchinson.
Crawford could be in line to start again tonight and is 2-0-2 with a 1.73 GAA
and .944 save percentage lifetime versus the Canadiens.
The home team has won 10 straight meetings in this matchup, with the
Blackhawks losing six in a row and seven of their last eight in Montreal. They
have not won at the Bell Centre since Dec. 3, 2001.
