Game thread: Habs Open Mini Road Trip

Wake up Habs fans, your five-day game withdrawal ends tonight as the Montreal Canadiens visit the Ottawa Senators.

Can the Canadiens keep the momentum of a three game winning streak intact against the Sens? We’ll know in a few hours.

This is the first of six meetings between the two rivals. If you’ve never attended a game in Kanata, have no fear of being outnumbered by Sens fans.

The Senators will be without captain Daniel Alfredsson, who is on the IR after a concussion against the New York Rangers. Alfredsson has 101points in 80 career game against the Habs.

Alex Auld returns to the lineup for Ottawa and will back up Craig Anderson. Brian Lee will take rookie David Rundblad’s spot on the blueline, based on the morning skate. La Presse’s Francois Gagnon tweeted that the Sens have told Rundblad, fellow rookies Jared Cowen and Stephane Da Costa to find apartments in the Ottawa area.

The Senators lay claim to the top power play in the league (28.9), but their penalty kill unit is 27th.

No moves for the good guys, as Jacques Martin will play the same winning combinations. Carey Price starts in goal, and is 4-0-0 with a 1.57 GAA and two shutouts over his last five appearances in Ottawa.

Pre-Game reading:

Pat Hickey on how the Habs hope to stifle Ottawa’s power play.

This guy doesn’t want Scott Gomez back.

Well tonight it’s Chris Neil and tomorrow it’s Sean Avery, who gets his season debut.

PROJECTED MONTREAL CANADIENS LINEUP

Forwards

Max Pacioretty – Tomas Plekanec – Brian Gionta

Erik Cole – David Desharnais – Mike Cammalleri

Travis Moen – Lars Eller – Andrei Kostitsyn

Mike Blunden – Petteri Nokelainen – Mathieu Darche

Defense Pairings

Josh Gorges – P.K. Subban

Hal Gill – Raphael Diaz

Jaroslav Spacek – Yannick Weber

Goalies

Carey Price – Peter Budaj

Canadiens vs Senators coverage

SENS game talk at Silver Seven