Struggling Canadiens host Senators

[Madferret]

Struggling Canadiens host Senators
TSN.ca Staff with files from CP, Sports Network

MONTREAL - A pair of rivals will battle for positioning in the competitive Northeast Division tonight in Montreal, where the Canadiens host the surging Ottawa Senators in a key showdown from the Bell Centre.

It will be Montreal's first game since All-Star defenceman Sheldon Souray blasted the Canadiens following a 4-1 loss to Toronto on Saturday.

"We just didn't have enough emotion in the room, even before we started the game," Souray said. "All the things we wanted to do, we didn't do any of them. Really, I think it's just a lack of commitment and desire."

Souray's critcism came a week after head coach Guy Carbonneau roasted the team in the media.

Tomas Plekanec had the only marker for the Canadiens in the loss to Toronto. Montreal had won their final two games heading into the All-Star hiatus, but are just 4-7-0 since January 4. All-Star Cristobal Huet wasn't sharp in net, yielding four goals on 29 shots.

Montreal, which will play six of its next eight at the Bell Centre, is 15-7-3 on home ice thus far.

Ottawa has overtaken the Habs for second place in the Northeast by winning seven of its last eight games. The Senators have 60 points on the season, one more than Montreal.

The Senators have also been one of the NHL's hottest teams over the past month. The club is 12-2-1 since December 23 and comes in having won five straight on the road, where Ottawa is an impressive 15-9-1 on the season.

Ottawa will be attempting to win six consecutive away games for the first time since March 18-April 5, 2003.

The Senators kept up their winning ways in their first contest following the All-Star break, scoring three times in the third period to pull out a 3-1 decision Saturday against Boston.

Chris Neil netted the eventual game-winner 7:48 into the final frame, while Patrick Eaves recorded the day's first goal early in the third period. Antoine Vermette helped seal the triumph with an empty-netter in the final minute.

Saturday's game marked the return to the Ottawa lineup for center Jason Spezza, who finished with one assist in his first action since injuring his knee on December 21.

Tom Preissing added a helper for the Senators and has now registered an assist in five straight contests.

These divisional foes have split four meetings so far this season, but the Canadiens have claimed four of the last five matchups held in Montreal.

[Madferret]

Canadiens down Senators on Dryden's night
Canadian Press

MONTREAL (CP) - It took the Montreal Canadiens just three minutes to make up for their tepid performance on the weekend.

Sheldon Souray's team-leading 17th goal of the season was the first of three in a span of 2:24 in the second period that propelled the Canadiens to a 3-1 win Monday over the Ottawa Senators.

''That's why guys were so frustrated Saturday, because we can play the way we did (Monday),'' said Souray, who was front and centre in criticizing his teammates after a lacklustre 4-1 road loss to Toronto on Saturday. ''When we play like this, and then we have a night that's so off it's really noticeable.

''That's what's frustrating, when we put the effort in we get results like we did (Monday). Winning's a whole lot more fun than losing, but it takes hard work.''

Mark Streit and Tomas Plekanec also scored for the Canadiens (28-18-5).

''Everybody worked hard, and they got the result,'' said head coach Guy Carbonneau. ''That's what we have to remember, that was fun.

''It was hard, but it was fun because we won.''

Chris Phillips scored for the Senators (29-21-2), who lost for only the second time in nine games.

''In the second period we were doing things we've been trying not to do,'' Senators head coach Bryan Murray said. ''They took advantage of what we gave them.''

The game was played after a 48-minute ceremony to retire the No. 29 of Hall of Fame goalie Ken Dryden. After a slow start, the Canadiens gave their former goaltender something to cheer about.

''Both teams were ready to play and excited to play on a night like tonight,'' Murray said.

David Aebischer made 26 saves for the Canadiens, none bigger than a flashy glove grab on Jason Spezza 11:02 into the third to maintain Montreal's two-goal lead.

''I usually don't play this way,'' Aebischer said of the stop. ''I think I looked a little bit too much (like) Ken Dryden there, but I made the save and that's what was important.''

Ray Emery made 25 saves in his eighth straight start for the Senators.

The win moved Montreal past Ottawa into fourth in the Eastern Conference with 61 points, one ahead of the Senators and three ahead of the Carolina Hurricanes.

The Canadiens have a game in hand on both the Senators and the Hurricanes.

''It's definitely a race,'' Phillips said. ''It was an important game, but we've got a game (Tuesday) night, and we have to regroup pretty quickly.''

Trailing 1-0 midway through the second, the Canadiens exploded for three goals in less than three minutes for a 3-1 lead.

The Canadiens took advantage of a hooking penalty to Chris Neil when Souray scored his 14th power-play goal of the year at 10:55, just moments after Emery had stoned Montreal's Alex Kovalev from in tight.

Streit made it 2-1 at 12:01 when Andrei Markov sent him in alone with a brilliant breakaway pass from his own end. Streit deked Emery between the legs for his fourth of the season.

''I'm a defenceman, so I try to make passes like that sometimes and I knew he would try it,'' said Streit, who has been playing admirably on the fourth line as a winger much of the season. ''I looked him in the eye, he looked me in the eye and he made a magnificent play.''<

Souray took a high-sticking penalty behind the play in his own end just 31 seconds after the Streit goal, but it was the Canadiens who capitalized, scoring their league-leading 13th short-handed goal.

Wade Redden had trouble handling a Canadiens clearing attempt at the blue-line. Plekanec pounced on the bouncing puck, held off Tom Preissing to go in alone on Emery and put a backhand in the top corner for his 10th goal of the season at 13:19.

Phillips gave Ottawa a 1-0 lead, lofting a soft wrist shot from the blue-line that made it through a crowd and past Aebischer at 0:52 on the Senators' first shot of the game.

It was the third time this season the Senators scored within the first minute of a period.

Notes: Senators D Anton Volchenkov played in his 200th career NHL game . . . Canadiens winger Alexander Perezhogin was a healthy scratch for the second time in eight games. Perezhogin has one goal and one assist in his last 22 games played . . . Canadiens C Radek Bonk's wife gave birth Sunday to the couple's second child, a girl named Kennedy . . . The loss dropped the Senators record in Monday games to 0-2-2. It is the only day of the week where the Senators are winless this season.

48 minutes...a little excessive IMHO....