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Kings close out road trip versus Canadiens

Nov 24, 2010 - 4:20 PM (Sports Network) - The Los Angeles Kings will try to end a four-game road trip on a positive note when they visit the Montreal Canadiens for tonight's battle at the Bell Centre.

The Kings have lost four of their last five games overall and are 1-2-0 so far on their current swing. Los Angeles is just 5-6-0 on the road this season compared to 8-1-0 mark at home.

However, Montreal has dominated the series against the Kings in recent memory. The Kings dropped a 4-2 home decision in the only meeting with the Habs last year and Montreal has won five straight and seven of eight overall in the series. LA has also lost four straight in Quebec since last winning in Montreal on Dec. 11, 1999.

The Kings' last win of any kind against Montreal came in LA on March 8, 2003.

Los Angeles' most recent game ended in a 3-2 victory for the Ottawa Senators on Monday. Jason Spezza scored the only goal of the third period to lift his Senators to the close win at Scotiabank Place.

Anze Kopitar and Ryan Smyth netted the goals for the Kings, who had won six in a row before losing four out of their last five games. Jonathan Quick suffered the defeat after yielding three goals on only 19 shots.

The decisive goal took place when Spezza took a pass from Alex Kovalev in flight down the left side, made a pass to himself to move around Matt Greene and then snapped the puck past Quick with 8:41 to go in the game.

"[Spezza] made a nice move, but I have to stop that," Quick said. "If I want to play the minutes, then I have to be better."

Montreal, meanwhile, has lost two of its last three games and is coming off Monday's setback in Philadelphia. The Canadiens scored the game's first two goals, but the Flyers rallied for a 3-2 regulation victory. James van Riemsdyk scored the game-winner in the third period for Philly.

Maxim Lapierre scored twice in the first period for the Canadiens, who came into Monday's game having won five of their previous six. Carey Price, who had three shutouts and a 1.00 goals-against average over Montreal's 5-1-0 run, was tagged for all three goals on 45 shots.

"I thought we dominated the first period and it was the reverse in the second," said Montreal head coach Jacques Martin. "They dominated the second and took some momentum away and the third period continued by just getting pucks in deep and outworking us in our zone."

The Canadiens are 7-4-1 as the host this year and have won four of their last five games on home ice.