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Habs road trip makes stop in Tampa to face Lightning

Dec 30, 2010 - 3:55 PM (Sports Network) - The Montreal Canadiens will try to pick up just their second win on the club's longest road trip of the season when they visit the Tampa Bay Lightning tonight at St. Pete Times Forum.

The Canadiens are 1-4-0 so far on a seven-game swing that is set to end tomorrow against the Florida Panthers.

The poor trip has dropped Montreal's road record to 8-10-0 this year and the Habs also enter tonight two points behind Boston for first place in the Northeast Division. The Bruins will also be playing tonight in Atlanta.

Montreal has scored a total of one goal over its last two games, losing a 4-1 decision to the New York Islanders on Sunday before getting blanked Tuesday in Washington.

Semyon Varlamov made 25 saves to record his fourth career shutout in the Capitals' 3-0 victory over the Habs. It was the first meeting between the teams since Montreal eliminated Washington in the nation's capital last season in game seven of the Eastern Conference quarterfinals.

Carey Price stopped 27 shots in defeat for the Canadiens, who will return home for a three-game residency following Friday's game against the Panthers.

The Canadiens pulled off a trade prior to Tuesday's game, acquiring defenseman James Wisniewski from the Islanders for a compensatory second-round pick in 2011, as well as a conditional fifth-rounder in 2012.

Wisniewski, 26, tallied three goals and 18 assists in 32 games with New York this season and is expected to make his Canadiens debut tonight.

The Lightning have six wins over their last eight games, but Tampa was denied a third straight victory in its last trip to the ice, a regulation loss Tuesday against Boston. It was the first regulation loss for the Lightning since a setback in Calgary on Dec. 7.

Mark Recchi scored a power-play goal with 19.7 seconds left in the game to lift the Boston Bruins to a dramatic 4-3 win over the Bolts at St. Pete Times Forum.

Tampa's Big Three of Steven Stamkos, Vincent Lecavalier and Martin St. Louis notched all three goals for their club, while Dan Ellis made 25 saves in defeat.

The Lightning, who are playing the middle test of a three-game homestand tonight, had won four straight at the Forum prior to Tuesday's loss. Tampa is 10-3-2 overall as the host this season.

The Bolts recorded a 4-3 overtime win in Montreal when the clubs met back on Oct. 13. Tampa has taken two of three and six out of 10 overall in this series and the Habs have dropped two of three and three of their last five at the Forum.