• Preview
• Recap
• Bleachers

Red Wings-Canadiens Preview

Nov 21, 2009 - 5:40 AM By MATT BECKER STATS Senior Writer

Detroit (10-6-3) at Montreal (10-11-0), 7:00 p.m. EDT

After having no trouble scoring goals last week, Detroit coach Mike Babcock admits the Red Wings haven't had much puck luck since.

The Red Wings try to break out of their scoring funk and avoid a third straight loss Saturday night when they visit a Montreal Canadiens team trying to move over .500 for the first time in four weeks.

Detroit (10-6-4) totaled 19 goals in victories over Columbus, Vancouver and Anaheim last week, but was unable to sustain that momentum. The Red Wings fell 2-1 in overtime to Florida on Friday after losing 3-1 to Dallas on Wednesday.

Against the Panthers, Detroit - which last lost three in a row Oct. 17-24 - fired 40 shots on goaltender Scott Clemmensen but only one by Pavel Datsyuk found the back of the net.

"We had more than enough chances," Babcock said. "We didn't have much puck luck."

Facing a stingy Montreal defense might not be the best way for Detroit to get its offense back on track.

The Canadiens (11-11-0) have limited opponents to two goals or fewer in five straight games, including Friday night's 3-2 win over Washington.

Carey Price made 32 saves against the Capitals and withstood a furious comeback over the game's final minutes.

With Washington adding an extra attacker to a power play, Price lost his stick and Montreal had trouble clearing the puck. Somehow Price and the Canadiens, who were outshot 27-8 over the last two periods, held on to record back-to-back victories for the first time since a season-best four-game winning streak Oct. 20-26.

"The last 3 1/2 minutes were kind of hectic," coach Jacques Martin said. "But up to that point I felt we were managing the game well."

Price has made four consecutive starts for Montreal, going 3-1-0 with a 1.96 goals-against average, but has yet to start games on successive nights. That may mean backup Jaroslav Halak will get a turn in goal for the Canadiens, who are trying to move over .500 for the first time since they were 6-5-0 on Oct. 26.

Halak, 5-2-0 with a 2.47 GAA in his last seven starts, has never faced the Red Wings. Price is 1-1-0 with a 2.50 GAA in two career starts against Detroit.

In the only meeting between these teams last season, Price made 32 saves in a 3-1 victory Nov. 26 at Joe Louis Arena.

Montreal left wing Michael Cammalleri, who scored his team-leading ninth goal Friday, had a goal and four assists in four games against the Red Wings last season while with Calgary.

Detroit's Chris Osgood made 18 saves Friday after missing the previous three games with the flu.

Osgood, who hasn't started against the Canadiens since Jan. 13, 2004, when he stopped 23 shots in a 5-2 loss, has yet to play on consecutive nights this season, so backup Jimmy Howard could be in net for this contest.

After playing in nine games and winning only once over the previous three seasons with Detroit, Howard is looking comfortable between the pipes in 2009-10. He has played in nine games and went 3-1-0 with a 2.26 GAA while Osgood was out sick.

This will be Detroit's first game in Montreal since a 4-1 win Dec. 4, 2007, when Datsyuk had two goals and an assist.