Senators aim to end skid vs. red-hot Price, Canadiens (Nov 29, 2017)
MONTREAL -- If the Ottawa Senators are going to end their six-game losing streak Wednesday at Bell Centre, they are going to have to do it against a Montreal Canadiens team that has won two games in a row, backed by the return of goaltender Carey Price.
Price has stopped 72 of 73 shots in wins against the Buffalo Sabres and the Columbus Blue Jackets after missing 10 games with a lower-body injury. The 3-0 win against the Sabres on Saturday ended a five-game losing streak (0-3-2) for the Canadiens.
Price was particularly sharp while making 37 saves in a 3-1 win against the Blue Jackets on Monday, ending Columbus' six-game winning streak. The victories have enabled the Canadiens (10-12-3) to leapfrog the Senators (8-8-6) into fifth place in the Atlantic Division though the Senators have three games in hand.
"(Price) battled for us, competed for us. He made some big saves," Canadiens forward Andrew Shaw said. "It's great to have him back. He's healthy. He's hungry. He's excited. He's been our best player for sure the last two games. He's making those big-time saves. I think we're still relying on him too much. We've got to be playing better in front of him, but we know he's got our back."
The game against the Senators starts a stretch of three games in four nights against division rivals for the Canadiens. They play the Detroit Red Wings in a home-and-home Thursday in Detroit and Saturday in Montreal.
"You don't think about where they are in the standings, but definitely division games, you take pride in playing those," Canadiens captain Max Pacioretty told the team's website.
The Canadiens defeated the Senators 8-3 at Canadian Tire Centre on Oct. 30.
Canadiens top defenseman Shea Weber will miss his fifth game with a lower body injury. In his absence, Jeff Petry has been playing his best hockey of the season. He played 29:05 against the Blue Jackets, the second time in three games he has topped the 29-minute mark.
Defenseman David Schlemko, who has not played this season after hand surgery, will be a game-time decision.
The Senators had a two-day break Sunday and Monday and, on their way to Montreal on Tuesday practiced in the Eastern Ontario town of Rockland in front of excited school children.
"People will probably be asking how you give a group two days off when you've lost six in a row, but there's a bigger picture in a sense that it's a long year, there's a lot of travel," Senators veteran defenseman Dion Phaneuf said. "When you do have the opportunity to take the rest and you're given the rest, it's a positive thing. We know we've got to respond here against a team that's playing better."
Offense is at the top of the list of things to improve to get the Senators out of their slump.
The Senators have scored eight goals in the six games of their losing streak and are 1-for-23 on the power play. Forward Matt Duchene scored on the power play, his first goal as a Senator in eight games since he was acquired in a trade with the Colorado Avalanche on Nov. 5, in a 2-1 loss to the New York Islanders on Saturday.
Senators forward Derick Brassard said a trip to Montreal to play a rival and a couple of days for some introspection are what the Senators need right now.
"There's nothing better than playing those guys," he said. "We had a great practice today. Two really good days off to relax and look ourselves in the mirror. We had a lot of energy today and we're planning on doing the same thing (Wednesday)."
Boucher said he had not decided on his lineup or starting goaltender against the Canadiens.
