http://www.nhl.com/gamecenter/en/preview?id=2013021006
Senators look to improve D vs. struggling Canadiens
By Arpon Basu
SENATORS (28-25-12) at CANADIENS (35-25-7)
TV: CBC, RDS
Last 10: Ottawa 4-4-2; Montreal 5-4-1
Season series: This is the fourth of five games between the Montreal Canadiens and Ottawa Senators, the second and final in Montreal. The Senators won two the first three. The Canadiens won the most-recent game between the teams 5-4 in overtime, snapping a streak of five straight Senators wins dating to Game 2 of the first-round series between the teams in the 2013 Stanley Cup Playoffs.
Big story: The Canadiens and Senators have been struggling of late, but things are getting desperate for Ottawa if it hopes to make the playoffs. The Senators are behind a pack of four teams battling to grab the last wild-card spot in the Eastern Conference, with the Philadelphia Flyers, Detroit Red Wings, New Jersey Devils and Washington Capitals all ahead of Ottawa in the standings.
In order to make the playoffs, the Senators will need to start winning more often than once every four games, like they have in their past four (1-2-1).
That surge will need to start at Bell Centre on Saturday, Ottawa's 66th game of the season, leaving 16 after that to make a push to the playoffs.
Team Scope:
Senators: The Senators built a reputation last season as a defensive-minded team that relied on its stellar goaltending to stay in games they would often find a way to win in the late stages.
That couldn't be further from the truth this season, and the poor defensive play has been particularly striking of late.
The Senators have gone 2-4-1 in their past seven games and have allowed 29 goals in that span, an average of 4.14 per game. Eight of those goals have been scored against Ottawa's penalty kill, which went a perfect 3-for-3 in a 4-3 overtime loss to the Nashville Predators on Monday that snapped a streak of six straight games in which the Senators allowed at least one power-play goal.
A new combination coach Paul MacLean has been trying up front on the penalty kill has been Bobby Ryan with Mika Zibanejad, two offensive-minded players.
"I think it's two smart players," Zibanejad told reporters Friday. "I don't know if I'd say we're traditional penalty-killers. In a way we're the opposite because we play the power play too, we're trying to anticipate what they're trying to do. It has only been a couple of games here, so we'll see in the long run.
Canadiens: Montreal, on the other hand, has been having trouble scoring. They've scored seven goals in a span of five games in which they came away with one victory (1-4-0), and coach Michel Therrien shuffled his line combinations at practice Friday in an effort to jump-start the offense.
NHL Trade Deadline acquisition Thomas Vanek was moved onto a line with David Desharnais and Max Pacioretty, Brendan Gallagher was moved to a line with Lars Eller and Alex Galchenyuk and Daniel Briere was on a line with Tomas Plekanec and Brian Gionta. The hope is that the offense will be spread around a bit because the unit of Pacioretty, Desharnais and Gallagher was the only one producing for some time, making the Canadiens an easy team to defend against.
The Canadiens are 29th in the NHL with 100 goals at 5-on-5, and their power play has been succeeding at a 13.7 percent rate since it was ranked 2nd in the NHL on Dec. 3.
Montreal went 0-for-3 on the power play in a 4-1 loss against the Boston Bruins on Wednesday, but defenseman P.K. Subban saw encouraging signs in the pressure the Canadiens were able to create.
"The puck didn't go in for us, but it's going to come," Subban said. "Obviously, with Vanek, he's getting used to our system and the way we move the puck around, but there's no shortage of talent and skill in his game. He's really good, and I think it's just a matter of time before the puck starts going in."
Who's hot: Senators center Jason Spezza has two goals and six assists in his past five games, and right wing Ales Hemsky has six assists in his past two games. … Desharnais scored Wednesday against Boston to give him four goals and seven assists in his past 11 games, and Pacioretty has seven goals and four assists in the same span.
Injury report: Senators goaltender Craig Anderson (shoulder) is out after a collision knocked him from the game Monday against the Predators. Defenseman Cody Ceci (ear) is questionable after taking a slap shot to the head in the same game. Forward Clarke MacArthur (hand) will return after a two-game absence. …Canadiens goaltender Carey Price (lower body) has missed eight games, but he fully participated in practice Friday, so it's possible he will play Saturday. Forward Michael Bournival (concussion) remains out, but he was cleared for contact Friday. Defenseman Josh Gorges (broken left hand) is out.
