northernlou
Idi Admin
Preview: Montreal at Winnipeg
7:00 PM ET, Saturday, March 5, 2016
MTS Centre, Winnipeg, Manitoba
The season has not unfolded the way Carey Price and the Montreal Canadiens envisioned, but last season’s Hart Trophy winner provided some glimmer of hope as they prepare to play Saturday at the Winnipeg Jets. Sidelined since Nov. 25 with a lower-body injury, Price told reporters Thursday his rehabilitation is progressing and he hopes to return to the ice before season’s end.
“Coming back this season has been my goal this entire process,” Price said in a meeting with reporters to discuss his selection to Team Canada’s World Cup team. The Canadiens are 13-25-4 since Price was injured and sit eight points out of the final Eastern Conference playoff spot after Thursday’s 3-2 loss to Los Angeles, and the Jets are similarly buried in the Western Conference. Winnipeg is one point ahead of last place in the conference following Thursday’s 4-3 overtime loss to the New York Islanders, allowing the tying goal with 29 seconds remaining in regulation. “It sucks,” Winnipeg center Mark Scheifele told reporters after scoring twice in the defeat, the Jets’ seventh in their past eight games. “Tomorrow’s another work day and we know that we’ve got another game coming up.”
TV: 7 p.m. ET, SportsNet, TVA Sports (Montreal)
ABOUT THE CANADIENS (30-29-6): Montreal is 0-2-1 with one contest remaining on its four-game road trip and are struggling on the power play, going scoreless in its past 12 opportunities. Defenseman P.K. Subban finished with a goal and an assist Thursday, reaching the 50-point mark for the third season in a row, but goaltender Ben Scrivens allowed two goals in the first 3:33 to put Montreal in an early hole. The Canadiens have scored two goals or fewer seven times in their past nine games.
ABOUT THE JETS (26-32-5): Winnipeg looked like it would snap its recent home struggles when Scheifele gave the Jets a 3-2 advantage with 2:03 remaining in regulation last time out. Forward Blake Wheeler recorded his 40th assist of the season and leads the Jets in goals (18) and assists. Goaltender Michael Hutchinson lost for the third time in his past four starts, making 23 saves against the Islanders.
OVERTIME
1. Canadiens C David Desharnais recorded a goal and two assists to help beat the Jets 5-1 on Nov. 1 in Montreal.
2. Jets F Anthony Peluso left Thursday’s game after colliding with the net, suffering an upper-body injury.
3. Winnipeg has lost six in a row at home and are 2-10-1 on home ice since the start of January.
Trends
Home team is 8-3 in the last 11 meetings.
Canadiens are 36-17-3 in the last 56 meetings.
Canadiens are 0-9 in their last 9 vs. Central.
http://www.covers.com/pageLoader/pageLoader.aspx?page=/data/nhl/matchups/g2_preview_12.html
7:00 PM ET, Saturday, March 5, 2016
MTS Centre, Winnipeg, Manitoba
The season has not unfolded the way Carey Price and the Montreal Canadiens envisioned, but last season’s Hart Trophy winner provided some glimmer of hope as they prepare to play Saturday at the Winnipeg Jets. Sidelined since Nov. 25 with a lower-body injury, Price told reporters Thursday his rehabilitation is progressing and he hopes to return to the ice before season’s end.
“Coming back this season has been my goal this entire process,” Price said in a meeting with reporters to discuss his selection to Team Canada’s World Cup team. The Canadiens are 13-25-4 since Price was injured and sit eight points out of the final Eastern Conference playoff spot after Thursday’s 3-2 loss to Los Angeles, and the Jets are similarly buried in the Western Conference. Winnipeg is one point ahead of last place in the conference following Thursday’s 4-3 overtime loss to the New York Islanders, allowing the tying goal with 29 seconds remaining in regulation. “It sucks,” Winnipeg center Mark Scheifele told reporters after scoring twice in the defeat, the Jets’ seventh in their past eight games. “Tomorrow’s another work day and we know that we’ve got another game coming up.”
TV: 7 p.m. ET, SportsNet, TVA Sports (Montreal)
ABOUT THE CANADIENS (30-29-6): Montreal is 0-2-1 with one contest remaining on its four-game road trip and are struggling on the power play, going scoreless in its past 12 opportunities. Defenseman P.K. Subban finished with a goal and an assist Thursday, reaching the 50-point mark for the third season in a row, but goaltender Ben Scrivens allowed two goals in the first 3:33 to put Montreal in an early hole. The Canadiens have scored two goals or fewer seven times in their past nine games.
ABOUT THE JETS (26-32-5): Winnipeg looked like it would snap its recent home struggles when Scheifele gave the Jets a 3-2 advantage with 2:03 remaining in regulation last time out. Forward Blake Wheeler recorded his 40th assist of the season and leads the Jets in goals (18) and assists. Goaltender Michael Hutchinson lost for the third time in his past four starts, making 23 saves against the Islanders.
OVERTIME
1. Canadiens C David Desharnais recorded a goal and two assists to help beat the Jets 5-1 on Nov. 1 in Montreal.
2. Jets F Anthony Peluso left Thursday’s game after colliding with the net, suffering an upper-body injury.
3. Winnipeg has lost six in a row at home and are 2-10-1 on home ice since the start of January.
Trends
Home team is 8-3 in the last 11 meetings.
Canadiens are 36-17-3 in the last 56 meetings.
Canadiens are 0-9 in their last 9 vs. Central.
http://www.covers.com/pageLoader/pageLoader.aspx?page=/data/nhl/matchups/g2_preview_12.html
