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Kovalev likely to play as Canadiens look to snap skid

Feb 21, 2009 - 2:05 PM Ottawa (22-26-9) at Montreal (30-22-7), 3:00 p.m. EST

MONTREAL (Ticker) -- The Montreal Canadiens hope Alexei Kovalev can come to their rescue.

Likely to play after being dismissed from the team earlier in the week, Kovalev looks to help the Canadiens snap a three-game skid when they host the Ottawa Senators on Saturday.

The Globe and Mail reported Friday that Kovalev will return to the team after a two-game absence.

On Tuesday, Montreal general manager Bob Gainey informed the All-Star Game MVP that the team did not need the veteran right wing's services, considering the way he was playing.

Gainey's brash command toward Kovalev did not prove much, as the Canadiens went winless at Washington and Pittsburgh to punctuate a 1-5-0 six-game road trip.

Kovalev's ineffectiveness has not been the only problem for Montreal lately. Goaltender Carey Price has surrendered four or more tallies in six of his 11 starts since returning from an ankle injury on January 21.

The Senators, meanwhile, have dropped two straight after posting a season-high five-game winning streak.

Ottawa, which has lost captain Daniel Alfredsson for at least the next week with a broken jaw, has scored only two goals in each of its last three contests.