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Canadiens set for key showdown with Penguins

Feb 21, 2008 - 1:54 PM Pittsburgh (34-21-5) at Montreal (33-19-9) 7:30 pm EST

MONTREAL (Ticker) - Everything seems to be going right for the Montreal Canadiens lately.

The team tries to extend a four-game win streak on Thursday when it hosts the Pittsburgh Penguins in a key Eastern Conference clash.

Montreal moved into a tie for the Eastern Conference lead at 75 points with the Ottawa Senators (35-20-5) when they rallied for the largest comeback victory in franchise history over the New York Rangers on Tuesday.

Trailing 5-0 midway through the second period, the Canadiens scored five unanswered goals. Alexei Kovalev tied it with a power-play tally with 4:22 left in the game, and captain Saku Koivu knocked in the lone goal in the shootout to clinch the victory.

Kovalev and right wing Michael Ryder each scored twice against the Rangers, and each has three goals in the past two games.

The New Jersey Devils (35-21-5) have since joined Ottawa and Montreal with 75 points.

The fifth-place Penguins, one spot behind Montreal, are making their own push towards the top, and are just two points back of the conference leaders.

Pittsburgh has won its last two games and continues to get inspired play from second-year superstar Evgeni Malkin.

The Russian center has 27 points in 14 games since captain Sidney Crosby went down with a high-ankle sprain, moving him into the NHL lead with 79 points this season.

Malkin had two assists in Tuesday's comeback win over the Florida Panthers, and Ryan Malone tallied the game winner with just 23 seconds remaining in regulation.

Crosby has been practicing with the team and could return as soon as this weekend. The Penguins have managed an 8-4-2 record without Crosby in the lineup.

Montreal holds a 2-1-0 edge in the season series, but Pittsburgh won the most recent meeting, 2-0, on January 19.