• Preview
• Recap
• Bleachers

Canadiens-Islanders Preview

Apr 5, 2010 - 9:00 PM By ANTHONY GIORNALISTA STATS Senior Writer

Montreal (39-32-8) at New York (33-35-10), 7:00 p.m. EDT

Jaroslav Halak and Carey Price have been in a battle for the Montreal Canadiens' No. 1 goaltender spot all season. At a crucial time, the winner finally seems to have emerged.

Halak may get the chance to earn a third straight shutout - a streak that the Canadiens haven't posted in 61 years - in a matchup with the New York Islanders on Tuesday night.

Halak and Price have shared time all season, but Montreal (39-32-8) may be inclined to give Halak most of the work once the postseason begins. Halak recorded shutouts in the last two games and has gone 9-2-1 with a 1.68 goals-against average in his last 12.

He stopped 29 shots in a 3-0 win over Buffalo on Saturday night after making 35 saves in a 1-0 victory over Philadelphia the previous evening. A shutout against the Islanders (33-35-10) would give the Canadiens three in a row for the first time since a four-game run in 1949.

"Having your goalie play the way Jaro is right now is big for all of us," defenseman Ryan O'Byrne said. "Knowing how strong he's been back there allows us to just make plays and not worry about him making saves. His confidence has seeped into all of our games."

Halak, named the league's first star of the week, is the first Canadien to have two consecutive shutouts since Cristobal Huet in March 2006.

"You're only as good as your last game," Halak said. "Tomorrow's another day. I'm definitely going to enjoy the moment, but there's always some luck involved, too."

With Halak starting all three games against New York this season, Montreal has earned points in 12 straight contests in the series (10-0-2). Halak made 40 saves in a 3-0 win over the Islanders on Dec. 19 and is 5-1-0 with a 1.16 goals-against average in six games against them.

The Canadiens have won five in a row at Nassau Coliseum. New York has been held to two goals or fewer in four straight matchups with Montreal.

The Islanders will likely miss the playoffs for the third straight season but are playing well down the stretch. They have won four of five, scoring 17 goals over the past four.

"Right now it seems we're clicking the way we want," said Martin Biron, who has won three straight starts. "We're frustrating teams, killing penalties and doing a lot of good things."

Biron made 28 saves in a 4-1 win over Ottawa on Saturday.

Islanders rookie center John Tavares, who has a team-best 49 points, snapped a 16-game stretch without a goal at home. He has a four-game point streak, but has been held off the scoresheet in the three games versus the Canadiens.

Blake Comeau has also been shut out against Montreal this season. The left wing, though, has four goals and two assists over his last three games.