The first real action of the 2011-12 NHL season hits the Bell Centre tonight, as the Montreal Canadiens host the Calgary Flames.
Off to an 0-2 start, that has seen them surrender 10 goals, the Flames would like nothing more to get on the winning track by spoiling the Habs home opener.
The last team these two teams met was at the Heritage Classic outdoors at McMahon Stadium. There the temps boardered on -30 C, tonight the Bell Centre will be a lot hotter.
“I still get goosebumps when Michel Lacroix announces, ‘Accueillons nos Canadiens’,” said Habs forward, Mathieu Darche. “All our fans tonight are going to be excited for the first home game of the season. We obviously are too, but it’s up to us control that emotion and make sure we don’t get carried away by it.”
“You can never really get used to it. That’s the advantage of playing for the Montreal Canadiens; you play forty-something games at home and the atmosphere always gives you an edge.
“Other teams enjoy it too, but they know coming here that we’re probably going to be playing at our best, because that’s what this fan base brings to our game.” – P.K. Subban on playing at the Bell Centre 10/12/2011
Forwards Lars Eller and Andreas Engqvist make their season debuts tonight, and defenseman Hal Gill is back after a day off for family reasons.
Sitting on 99 career regular season wins, Carey Price will be setting his sights on the century mark and getting his team on a winning start at home.Price would be the 10th goalie to reach 100 wins before he is 25. The rest are:
1. Harry Lumley, Detroit Red Wings, 1947-48, 21
2. Tom Barrasso, Buffalo Sabres, 1986-87, 22
3. Terry Sawchuk, Detroit Red Wings, 1952-53, 22
4. Grant Fuhr, Edmonton Oilers, 1985-86, 23
5. Patrick Roy, Montreal Canadiens, 1988-89, 23
6. Jocelyn Thibault, Chicago Blackhawks, 1996-97, 24
7. Marc-Andre Fleury, Pittsburgh Penguins, 2008-09, 24
8. Don Edwards, Buffalo Sabres, 1979-80, 24
9. Martin Brodeur, New Jersey Devils, 1996-97 24
Price will hold off on the new pink pads, to acknowledge breast cancer awareness, until he has broken them in.
MONTREAL CANADIENS PROJECTED LINEUP
Forwards
Mathieu Darche – David Desharnais – Andrei KostitsynLars Eller – Andreas Engqvist – Aaron PalushajDefense Pairings
Hal Gill – P.K. SubbanGoaltendersCarey Price (starter) Peter BudajCALGARY FLAMES PROJECTED LINEUPForwards
Defense Pairings
GoaltendersMiikka Kiprusoff (starter) Henrik Karlsson
Flames coverage from Matchsticks and Gasoline
