Game Day Canes at Canadiens

Carolina Hurricanes at Montreal Canadiens
March 19, 2015 - 7:30 pm ET
Bell Centre - Montreal, QC
TV - Fox Sports Carolinas
Radio - 99.9 FM The Fan
SB Nation Rival Blog - Eyes on the Prize

Fancy Stats

	Hurricanes	Canadiens
Record	26-34-9	44-20-7
Points	61	95
Division Rank	8th Metro	1st Atlantic
Conference Rank	14th EC	2nd EC
Streak	OT 1	Won 1
Power Play %	19.4%	16.0%
Penalty Kill %	85.0%	84.4%
Goals/Game	2.29	2.55
Goals Against/Game	2.65	2.20
Shots/Game	30.4	28.4
Shots Against/Game	27.4	30.7
ES Goals For %	43.7%	54.4%
ES Corsi For %	51.8%	48.4%
ES PDO	97.3	101.6
PIM/Game	7.2	10.2
Goaltender	Ward	Price
Record	18-21-5	38-15-4
ES Save Percentage	.914	.942
GAA	2.44	1.93
Goaltender	Khudobin	Tokarski
Record	8-13-4	6-5-3
ES Save Percentage	.906	.919
GAA	2.63	2.66

Stats via NHL.com and War on Ice

Game Notes

• The Hurricanes and Canadiens wrap up their three-game season series tonight in Montreal. This year's series hasn't been kind to the Canes so far, with the Canadiens taking the first game 4-1 at the Bell Centre on December 16th and then repeating with a 3-1 win in Raleigh on December 29th. The Canes are 9-7-2 at Bell Centre going back to the 2005-06 season, but they haven't won there in over three years, last winning in Montreal on February 13, 2012.
• A great deal of credit for those wins goes to goaltender Carey Price, who is expected to get the start in net tonight for the Habs. Price is 12-5-2 with a 2.20 GAA and two shutouts in 19 career appearances against the Canes, and his 38 wins, 1.93 GAA, and .935 save percentage behind a low scoring Montreal offense have him high on the list in many discussions for this season's Hart trophy.
• The Canes come into tonight's matchup on the heels of game that itself featured a rather spectacular goaltending duel between Anton Khudobin and Andrew Hammond, ending with mere seconds left in overtime in a 2-1 loss to the Ottawa Senators Tuesday night. Khudobin made 31 saves on 33 shots, and he'll get a third consecutive start in net tonight. Cam Ward is still recovering from illness but is reported to be feeling well enough to back up.
• Montreal native Danny Biega will have a night to remember as he is expected to make his NHL debut tonight in his home town. Biega, selected by the Hurricanes in the third round of the 2010 draft, was recalled yesterday from the Charlotte Checkers to replace John-Michael Liles, who suffered a lower body injury in Tuesday's game.
• The Habs are returning home after wrapping up a three-game road trip that ended with a 3-2 win against the Panthers on Tuesday night. They didn't hold a practice yesterday, but are expecting Nathan Beaulieu to return after missing two games with an illness, and perhaps Brian Flynn (upper body) as well.
• Other players to watch for the Habs include Max Pacioretty, who leads the team in points (60) and goals (34), Alex Galchenyuk, who scored his first career hat trick against the Canes on December 16th, and Brandon Prust, who set up two goals against Florida Tuesday night and has a goal, assist, and a fight in two prior games against the Canes this season.

Projected line-ups

Hurricanes (from Tuesday's game)

Injuries and Scratches: Jack Hillen (concussion), Rasmus Rissanen (MCL), John-Michael Liles (lower body), Riley Nash

Canadiens (from Tuesday's game):

Injuries and Scratches: Torrey Mitchell (upper body), Nathan Beaulieu (flu), Brian Flynn (upper body), Mike Weaver, Sergei Gonchar