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Senators aim to extend winning ways against Habs

Jan 14, 2012 - 5:07 PM (Sports Network) - The sizzling Ottawa Senators will take aim at a fourth straight victory when they visit the last-place Montreal Canadiens in tonight's Northeast Division battle at Bell Centre.

The Senators have gone eight straight without a regulation loss, posting a stellar 7-0-1 record during that span. Ottawa is also 10-1-2 over its last 13 outings and the club enters tonight as the fifth seed in the Eastern Conference.

Ottawa is coming off an impressive win over the top-seeded team in the East, as Craig Anderson and the Senators shut out the Rangers this past Thursday in New York City. Anderson turned aside 34 shots for his first shutout of the season and helped lift Ottawa to the 3-0 decision at Madison Square Garden.

Jason Spezza scored twice while Milan Michalek also had a goal for the Senators. Michalek has four goals over his last four games and is leading Ottawa with 23 goals this season. Spezza has five goals and eight points in six January games and is pacing Ottawa with 46 points this season.

"It was a good game we had tonight," said Spezza. "They're one of the best teams in the league, and to shut them down like we did tonight is huge for us."

Sens defenseman Erik Karlsson was back in action Thursday after missing the previous game due to an upper-body injury. Karlsson is second on Ottawa with 43 points this year and will join Spezza, Michalek and Daniel Alfredsson at this year's All-Star Game, which will take place in Ottawa on Jan. 29.

Ottawa is completing a three-game road trip tonight, and after hosting Winnipeg on Monday, the Sens will head out on another six-game swing. The Sens are 10-7-5 as the guest this season, but are 3-0-1 in their last four road tilts.

Meanwhile, the Canadiens have lost two straight, four of six and nine of their last 12 contests and are sitting last in the Northeast with 39 points. Montreal decided to shake things up a bit on Thursday, as the club dealt winger Mike Cammalleri to Calgary during a 2-1 loss in Boston.

Cammalleri played for Montreal on Thursday, but was pulled from the game after the second period and told he had been dealt. The Habs sent Cammalleri, goalie Karri Ramo and a fifth round selection in the 2012 NHL Entry Draft to the Flames in exchange for forwards Rene Bourque, Patrick Holland and a second round pick in the 2013 draft.

Cammalleri has nine goals and 22 points this season, but is a minus-6 in 37 games played. Bourque, who adds some much-needed size to Montreal's forward corps, had 13 goals and 16 points in 38 games with the Flames this season.

Yannick Weber scored the only goal for the Canadiens in Thursday's loss, while Carey Price -- Montreal's lone All-Star -- gave up both goals on 30 shots in defeat.

The Canadiens are 7-8-6 as the host this year and are kicking off a three-game homestand tonight.

Montreal is 2-0 against the Sens this year and both wins came in Ottawa. The Habs have taken four of five and six of the last eight meetings in this series. Montreal has also won two of the last three encounters in Quebec, but the Senators have five victories in their last seven trips to the Bell Centre.