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Blackhawks look to end slide against Canadiens

Jan 8, 2008 - 2:37 PM Chicago (19-19-3) at Montreal (20-13-8) 7:30 pm EST

MONTREAL (Ticker) - The new year has not been kind to the Chicago Blackhawks.

The injury-plagued Blackhawks will hope to reverse their 2008 fortunes and snap a five-game losing streak when they visit the Montreal Canadiens on Tuesday night.

Chicago has not had a reason to celebrate since changing its calendar, especially after 19-year-old rookie Jonathan Toews injured his left knee in a humiliating 9-2 loss to the Los Angeles Kings on January 1.

Toews joins a list of six other regular players for the Blackhawks on the injured reserve. Before suffering his injury, Toews was among the team leaders with 15 goals and 32 points on the season.

The Canadiens suffered a 5-4 overtime loss to the Washington Capitals on Saturday, but they continue to pick up points. The club is 3-0-2 over their previous five contests and have climbed to second place in the Northeast Division standings.

Alexei Kovalev's excellent campaign has been a major factor in Montreal's success this season. The Russian right wing leads the club with 18 goals and 38 points.

Kovalev has 10 goals and 12 assists when on the man advantage, helping the Canadiens convert an NHL-best 24.2 percent of their power plays.