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Maple Leafs-Canadiens Preview

Dec 1, 2009 - 4:43 AM By BRETT HUSTON STATS Writer

Toronto (6-11-7) at Montreal (12-12-2), 7:30 p.m. EDT

Leading goal scorer Michael Cammalleri wasn't happy with the Montreal Canadiens' inability to protect a third-period lead their last time out, fuming after a seemingly sure win turned into a shootout loss.

He'll be especially upset if they can't get two points against the lowly Toronto Maple Leafs.

The Canadiens try to bounce back Tuesday night at Bell Centre and notch a fourth straight victory over the Maple Leafs, who will be looking for offense after being shut out for the first time.

Montreal (12-12-2) had won three of four before a 3-1 loss in Pittsburgh on Wednesday, but seemed in good position to pick up two points Saturday against visiting Washington.

Travis Moen's power-play goal early in the third period gave the Canadiens a 3-2 lead, one that held up until Eric Fehr tied it with 11.4 seconds left. The Capitals went on to win 4-3 in a shootout, dropping Montreal to 3-1-2 in its last six games.

"For us, it's not good enough," said Cammalleri, who has a team-high 12 goals. "A lot of guys in here are upset. I don't really care who doesn't expect us to get the points.

"In this room we expect to get the points and we think that the way we've been able to play as a unit has been an effective way to get two points in a game. ... Once again we put ourselves in position to do it tonight, so this group here is not happy with the one point."

Cammalleri, the Canadiens' biggest offseason signing, hasn't scored in five career games against the Maple Leafs, but he has contributed to both of his new team's wins over Toronto. One of his two assists Oct. 1 at Air Canada Centre came on Josh Gorges' goal that gave Montreal a 4-3 overtime win, and he had the deciding shootout tally in a 5-4 home victory Oct. 31.

Despite the disappointment Cammalleri felt following the loss to Washington, the Canadiens have hardly been at full strength lately. Andrei Kostitsyn (leg) has missed the past two games, Scott Gomez (lower body) has been out since Nov. 20 and Brian Gionta (broken foot) has been out since Nov. 12, joining Hal Gill (foot) and Matt D'Agostini (concussion) on the bench.

Gomez and D'Agostini are expected to play Tuesday, however, while Gill and Kostitsyn could return soon.

The Maple Leafs (6-12-7) scored 10 goals in road wins over Tampa Bay and Florida last week, with Niklas Hagman scoring twice in each victory to give him six in his past four games.

Hagman couldn't find the back of the net Monday against Buffalo, though, and neither could his teammates in the return of injured former Canadiens defenseman Mike Komisarek to the lineup. Toronto fired 38 shots at Ryan Miller but lost 3-0, suffering its first shutout since losing 5-0 on Feb. 4 - also to the Sabres.

"(Miller) made all the difference in the first two periods," Leafs coach Ron Wilson said. "We should have had the lead at some point, but you've got to give him credit, he made the saves."

Hagman's been Toronto's biggest scoring threat lately, but this will be Montreal's first look at Phil Kessel in a Maple Leafs uniform. Kessel has eight goals in 13 games since making his Toronto debut Nov. 3.

Kessel scored four times to help Boston sweep the Canadiens in the first round of last spring's Eastern Conference playoffs.

Montreal's Carey Price is 5-3-0 with a 3.07 goals-against average in eight career starts versus Toronto.