Game #20

Canadiens vs. Toronto

Air Canada Centre – Feb. 27, 2013 – 7:35pm

Notes –

….Raphael Diaz has been diagnosed with a concussion and will not play in the game.   His spot in the lineup will be taken by Tomas Kaberle.  Kaberle has been a healthy scratch the last twelve games.

…Newcomer Michael Ryder is expected to start on a lie with Lars Eller and Alex Galchenyuk.  Prust will remain with Plekanec and Gionta.  Desharnais will centre Pacioretty and Gallagher.  The fourth line remains White/Moen/Armstrong.

…The Canadiens have lost four games in regulation this season.  Two of the losses at home against Toronto.

….The Canadiens have not lost in regulation in the eight games since the 6-0 loss to Toronto February 9^th.  (6-0-2).

….In the eight games since allowing six against the Leafs the Canadiens have allowed a total of ten goals.

….The Canadiens have  a three game winning streak going at the Air Canada Centre. In their last game at the ACC the Canadiens won 5-0 (Feb. 11, 2012)

….The 61 minutes in penalties racked up by the Canadiens in the February 9^th loss to the Leafs was their most in a single game in two years.  There were a total of 116 minutes in penalties in the game.

…The Canadiens have had to play shorthanded a league leading 90 times this season.  The penalty killing units have given up 14 goals ranking them 14th overall.

….The Leafs have been very good on the road this season but at home they are 4-4-0. Recently however they have outscored their opponents 11-3 in their last three home games..

….The Canadiens  have lost one game on the  road in regulation time this season.  (4-1-2)

….Carey Price has lost his last three against the Leafs  with a 3.07 GAA.  Overall he has allowed six goals in his last five games.

….Ben  Scrivens replaced the injured James Reimer in a 5-2 home ice win over Philadelphia Feb.  11^th.  He has since started seven straight games.   Scrivens was in goal for the 2-1 win over the Canadiens in the season  opener.

….In his two games against the Canadiens, Phil Kessel has a goal and four assists.   In his  three games vs.  Montreal at home he has one assist.

…..Since the Canadiens traded him to Toronto for defenceman  Greg  Pateryn, Mikhail Grabovski has 18 points in 26 games against them, more than he’s scored against any other NHL team.

….Mike Komisarek  has been a healthy scratch in the 12 games since the February 2nd  1-0 loss to the Boston Bruins.   He has played in only four games all season.

….Coincidentally,   Tomas Kaberle has also been a healthy scratch since  February 2nd when the Habs beat Buffalo 6-1 (also 12 games).

….Michael  Ryder will make his debut with the Habs  wearing the #73 he had wore in Montreal, Boston and Dallas.   Brendan Gallagher gave up 73  and will now have #11 which was his number with  the Vancouver Giants. On agreeing  to the change Gallagher  said,   “I’ve heard that guys are in the habit of giving watches for a number … I understand that the Rolex is very nice. “

….Ryder comes to the Canadiens on a six game point scoring streak –including  2 goals and seven assists.

….Ryder will be looking for his 100^th goal as a member of the Canadiens. He scored 99  his  first time around with them.

….Ryder is  the third former Canadien brought back to the team by Marc Bergevin.   Earlier he he returned defenceman Francis Bouillon  and head coach Michel Therrien to the team, so far with excellent results.

The Statistics

Season Record  Canadiens (12-4-3) First in Northeast  Division   Toronto (12-8-0) 4^th in Northeast Division.

Last Ten Games: Montreal 6-1-3, Toronto 7-3-0

Home/Away – Canadiens on the Road (4-1-2)      Toronto at Home –(4-4-0)

Season Series - This is the third of five meetings. The remaining three games in Toronto.  @Bell Centre Jan. 19  Toronto-2  Canadiens-1  Kadri and Bozak scored on power play to give Toronto a 2-0 lead.   Brian Gionta in the third period also on a power play.  Toronto outshot the Canadiens 26-22.  Scrivens against Price.     @Bell Centre Feb. 9  Toronto-6 Canadiens-0.  Canadiens third straight loss.   Kessel-1goal two assists. James Reimer 37saves for his first shutout of the season. Price gave up 6 goals in 27 shots.    Dion Phaneuf –  goal and assist. Leo Komarov with first NHL goal.  Grabovksi accursed of biting Max Pacioretty.  Speculation that the one punch fight between Rene Bourque and Colton Orr may have brought on the Bourque conussion.

Goaltending – Canadiens -  Carey Price 15GP (10-3-2) 1.90GAA  .925save%      Toronto-Ben Scrivens 12GP (6-5-0) 2.18GAA   .928save%

Special Teams –Power Play –  Canadiens ranked 11th   17/90   18.9%    Toronto ranked 19th.  14/84   16.7%  Penalty Killing - Canadiens ranked 14th  14/81   82.7%     Toronto  ranked 15th    12/69   82.6%.

Who’s Hot-  Canadiens- Max Pacioretty four goals, four assists last six games; Lars Eller- last five games 1 goal and three assists.   Toronto – Phil Kessel – last five games  two goals and three assists in five games, Mikhail Grabovski -three goals in four games ; Nikolai Kulemin- one goal and two assists in his last two.

Injuries -Canadiens- LW-Rene Bourque (concussion); D-Raphael Diaz (concussion); C-Petteri Nokelainen (IR-back)   Toronto- G-James Reimer (ACL sprain); RW-Matt Frattin (knee); LW-Joffrey Lupul (IR-broken arm)

Probable Toronto Lineup

Forwards

Van Riemsdyk – Bozak – Kessel

Kulemin – Grabovski – Komarov

MacArthur – Kadri – Orr

McLaren – McClement – Brown

Defence 

Phaneuf – Holzer

Gunnarsson – Kostka

Fraser – Franson

Goal

Scrivens

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