Ottawa Senators

Canadiens' Michael Cammalleri tries to chip the puck past Senators defenceman Erik Karlsson Saturday afternoon. Phillip MacCallum/Getty Images

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• AUDIO: Jacques Martin | Jaro Halak | Brian Gionta | Benoit Pouliot | Tomas Plekanec

• At a Glance: The Ottawa Senators are on a roll and the Canadiens were just another bump in their road on Saturday as they posted a 3-2 overtime win to extend their winning streak to nine games, two of which have come against the Canadiens. Alex Kovalev gave Ottawa a 1-0 lead in the first period when he was left all alone at the side of Jaroslav Halak's net for an easy tap in. Jason Spezza made it 2-0 in the second period with a nifty deflection on a shot from the point while Roman Hamrlik was in the penalty box. Benoit Pouliot scored the Montreal goal, also on the power play, when he redirected a Tomas Plekanec pass by Brian Elliott. Brian Gionta tied the game 2-2 with another power play goal near the end of the third period when he pushed a pass from Andrei Markov behind Elliott. Mike Fisher scored the winning goal with the teams playing 3-on-3 in overtime after being sent in alone on a pass from Erik Karlsson. Fisher held off a Montreal defender and deked Halak to score his 19th of the season.

• Key Moments: Forget the score, the key moment came with seven minutes to play in the third period when Michael Cammalleri went hard into the boards after a body check, his leg buckling under him. It did not look good at all, and he was unable to put any weight on his right leg. At first glance, it would appear to be either an ankle or knee injury and could be a lengthy absence.

• What It Means: The Canadiens have now lost three straight and saw saw their record drop to 25-25-6 for 56 points and a temporary hold on eighth place in the Eastern Conference pending results of the games on Saturday night.

• What's Next: Montreal is home to the Vancouver Canucks on Tuesday night and are then in Boston on Thursday and then play a pair of afternoon games in Montreal next weekend, with the Penguins in town on Saturday and the Bruins on Sunday.

Jaroslav Halak gets the start in goal today vs. the Ottawa Senators.

The 24-year-old is 3-4-0 lifetime vs. the Senators. He brings a season record of 14-8-1 with three shutouts and .927 save percentage into this afternoon's 2 pm matinée at Scotiabank Place.

Halak has faced the Senators twice this season: a 45-save, 4-1 victory on Dec. 8 and a 24-save, 4-2 loss on Dec. 28.

Carey Price's stick says Warrior on the paddle. But it's a friendly Warrior, as goalie coach Pierre Groulx investigates at Thursday practice.
Pierre Obendrauf, Gazette

Through all the ups and downs, the manufactured controversies, even the alleged experts weighing in with their suggestions to throw him under the wheels of the métro, Canadiens goaltender Carey Price hasn't lost his sense of humour.

Exhibit A: his bearhug of defenceman Andrei Markov, with whom he's said to be feuding.

Exhibit B: his goalie stick, as pictured here.

The Canadiens return to practice in Brossard this morning, then board a bus that will take them down Highway 417 to Ottawa, where in Kanata tomorrow at 2 pm they'll hope to end their two-game losing streak when they face the Ottawa Senators – need we remind you the Sens have won eight in a row, after last night's 4-1 victory over the Penguins in Pittsburgh?

Pat Hickey will be at practice. He'll file an update of news, and we'll post audio after practice.

Canadiens goalie Carey Price lets in a goal by Senators' Zack Smith during first period Saturday night. Christinne Musch, Reuters

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• AUDIO: Andrei Markov | Mike Cammalleri | Brian Gionta | Benoit Pouliot | Jacques Martin

• At a Glance: The Canadiens missed a chance to move up the standings on Saturday night as the Ottawa Senators scored two quick goals in the second period to take a 3-2 lead and held on for the 4-2 win. Carey Price, making his second straight start, did not look sharp on any of the three goals he allowed. Zack Smith scored his first NHL goal shorthanded 11:26 into the first period with a perfectly placed shot to Price's blocker side. Benoit Pouliot got that one back 12:49 into the period just after the power play ended. It was Pouliot's eighth goal of the season and his sixth with the Canadiens. Montreal took a 2-1 lead early in the second when Tomas Plekanec scored at the 2:05 mark, beating Mike Brodeur from an awkward angle. But the Senators got two quick goals from Daniel Alfredsson, in his first game back from an injury, and Chris Phillips. Mike Fisher scored into an empty net to seal the win. Brodeur, coming off a 2-0 shutout of the Rangers, stopped 30 of 32 Montreal shots, while Price made 24 saves on 27 shots.

• Key Moments: Montreal was 0-for-6 on the power play against the Senators, although their two goals did come seconds after the end of Ottawa penalties. The Senators couldn't score on their two chances with the man advanatge.

• What It Means: The Canadiens remain in eighth place in the Eastern Conference despite the loss with a 23-22-4 record and 50 points.

• What's Next: Montreal gets right back at it on Sunday night in the Big Apple against the Rangers. The Canadiens then play the Blues at home on Wednesday before travelling to New Jersey to play the Devils on Jan.22, then back home to the Rangers on Jan. 23.

Canadiens' Tomas Plekanec looks on dejectedly as the Senators celebrate their second goal of the game Monday night. Phillip MacCallum/Getty Images

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AUDIO: Brian Gionta | Mike Cammalleri | Benoit Pouliot | Jaro Halak

• At a Glance: The Canadiens were served some of their own medicine on Monday night as Senators goaltender Pascal Leclaire was the difference in a 4-2 Ottawa win. Things looked good early on for the Canadiens as they grabbed a 2-0 lead less than 10 minutes into the game. Michael Cammalleri scored his 19th of the season - and 20,000th in Canadiens history - on a nice tic-tac-toe play started by Andrei Markov, who passed to Andrei Kostitsyn before he fed Cammalleri. Benoit Pouliot scored his goal with the Canadiens 9:50 into the period when he gathered a rebound and flipped a shot passed Leclaire while falling. But Leclaire shut the door from that point on, and his teammates did the rest. Peter Regin made it 2-1 at the 12:48 mark of the period. Ryan Shannon scored on the power play in the second period to tie it 2-2 and Chris Neil batted a puck out of mid air for the third Ottawa goal 6:15 into the third period. Chris Campoli scored in an empty net to seal the game. The Canadiens were handed five penalties, while the Senators received a pass from the referees all night. Montreal outshot Ottawa 31-28.

• Key Moments: Near the end of the second period, Ottawa had a goal disallowed when referee Kerry Fraser judged that Chris Neil had interfered with Jaroslav Halak, but the replays clearly showed there was no contact and the goal should have counted.

• What It Means: The loss is Montreal's first on their road trip and snaps a four-game winning streak. The Canadiens record now sits at 19-19-3. The Canadiens missed a chance to pass the Senators in the Eastern Conference standings and grab sixth place.

• What's Next: The Canadiens head south to Florida to wrap up 2009 with games in Tampa Bay on Wednesday and the Panthers on New Year's Eve. Montreal is then back home after the seven-game road trip on Jan. 3 against the Sabres.

Canadiens' Jaroslav Halak  makes a save down low with Senators' Mike Fisher in front of him at the top of the crease at Scotiabank Place Tuesday night. Phillip MacCallum/Getty Images

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• At a Glance: One night after the Canadiens and Philadephia Flyers combined for 28 shots, the Canadiens allowed 46 shots against the Ottawa Senators on Tuesday, but still came away with the 4-1 win. Jaroslav Halak, making only his third start in a month, was outstanding in this one for Montreal, making 45 saves. His only mistake was a rebound he allowed to Mike Fisher, who scored his 13th of the season in the second period. But his teammates made sure to give him all the offensive support he would need on this night. Michael Cammalleri scored his 17th of the year after a nice pass from Tomas Plekanec, beating Brian Elliott, who faced 26 shots. Marc-André Bergeron scored the game winner in the second period during a power play. Andrei Kostitsyn scored for the second straight game, also on the power play, in the third period, and Scott Gomez added an empty-netter for his fourth goal of the season. Montreal was 2-for-3 with the man advantage.

• Key Moments: The Canadiens were perfect again playing shorthanded, killing off all seven Ottawa power plays.

• What It Means: With a third straight win, Montreal moved above .500 with a 15-14-2 record for 32 points, the same number as the Senators, and sit in eighth spot in the Eastern Conference. It's the first time this year the Canadiens have won three straight games in regulation this season.

• What's Next: The Canadiens welcome the Pittsburgh Penguins on Thursday night before travelling to Atlanta to play the Thrashers on Saturday.

Senators Mike Fisher celebrates a second period goal by teammate Daniel Alfredsson against Canadiens goaltender Carey Price Saturday night. Dave Sidaway, The Gazette

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AUDIO: Jacques Martin | Mike Cammalleri | Brian Gionta | Tomas Plekanec | Alex Kovalev

• At a Glance: The boo-birds were out at the Bell Centre on Saturday night as the Canadiens' struggles continued, losing 3-1 to the Ottawa Senators on Alex Kovalev's return to Montreal. And l'Artiste received a mixed response from the crowd when the game started, but the fans gave him a loud ovation after he scored Ottawa's third goal on a blistering wrist shot from the high slot, where he was left totally alone on a defensive breakdown in the Canadiens end. Kovalev also assisted on a second period goal for his first multi-point game of the season. Montreal came out like gangbusters in the first period, outshooting the Sens 13-3, but could only get one of those shots past Pascal Leclaire on Michael Cammalleri's first goal in a Canadiens uniform.

• Key Moments: The Canadiens gave the Senators a pair of 5-on-3 power plays in the second period. Unlike the Canadiens, who couldn't score on their own two-man advantage in the first period, the Senators took advantage of their chance when Daniel Alfredsson scored on a pass from Kovalev.

• What It Means: The Canadiens have now lost five straight games and the only reason they are not in last place in their division is because they mercifully share it with the Toronto Maple Leafs, who have yet to win a game this season.

• What's Next: The surprising Atlanta Thrashers, who defeated the Buffalo Sabres 4-2 Saturday night to improve to 4-1 on the season, are the next Bell Centre visitors on Tuesday night.

Of course, that's Andrei Kostitsyn and Alex Kovalev.

And please be civil when the image of Prime Minister Stephen Harper hits the high-definition scoreboard. Guessing the PM didn't have to dig deep with the scalpers as every other last-minute game-goer for tonight's tilt.

Max Pacioretty's therapy day proved to be, well, therapeutic, and he will be in the lineup against the Ottawa Senators tonight. He'll start the game on the second line with Tomas Plekanec and Andrei Kostitsyn. Matt D'Agostini will will be on the third line with Guillaume Latendresse and Max Lapierre while Travis Moen drops from the top line to the fourth line where he will join Georges Laraque and Kyle Chipchura. The front-loaded top line has Scott Gomez between Mike Cammalleri and Brian Gionta.

As expected, Carey Price will be in goal.

• AUDIO:  Jacques Martin | Mike Cammalleri | Tomas Plekanec

It appears that Jacques Martin will load up his top line for tomorrow night's game against the Ottawa Senators. Mike Cammalleri, Scott Gomez and Brian Gionta were together for practice today at the Bell Sports Complex.

Tomas Plekanec and  Andrei Kostitsyn were the most productive forwards in Thursday's 3-2 loss to Colorado and they practised with Matt D'Agostini.

Max Pacioretty skipped practice with what was described as a "therapy day" while Glen Metropolit is still out with bruised ribs.

Canadiens hopeful Eric Neilson protests his third-period ejection, claiming to the referee unseen that a guy has to actually have his gloves off to fight.
John Mahoney, Gazette

Yes, there are purists who say that fighting has no place in hockey, that it only tarnishes the beauty of the game.

But without Eric Neilson last night, the ushers would still be finding sleeping bodies at the Bell Centre.

• Hickey's game story
• Postgame in the dressing room

This game, richly populated by farmhands, will never be confused with classic hockey, the Canadiens beating the Ottawa Senators 2-1 on goals by Brian Gionta and Ben Maxwell. But it was Neilson, a career-minor leaguer who this summer signed an AHL contract with the Hamilton Bulldogs, who fans are talking about this morning.

The 25-year-old fought 2 1/2 times – thumping Jeremy Yablonski, drawing with Chris Neil and finally being bulldogged to the ice by Cody Bass, never getting his gloves off the final time.

Postgame, Neilson thanked every reporter who stopped to talk. Fans in Hamilton are going to LOVE this guy, and here's hoping the gritty, likable role player will be back in Montreal early and often this season.

Here's a chat with Neilson after a game he'll not soon forget.

Senators' Chris Campoli beats Jaro Halak with Ottawa's first goal of the game.
Christinne Muschi, Reuters

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• POSTGAME AUDIO: Bob Gainey  Mike Komisarek   Josh Gorges  Tom Kostopoulos

• At a Glance: The Canadiens got some bad news before Monday night’s game when they learned Mathieu Schneider will miss the rest of the season and Andrei Markov will be out for three weeks, but the news didn’t get much better once they hit the ice against the Ottawa Senators. The Sens, already eliminated from postseason contention, put a wrench in the Canadiens postseason push with a 3-2 win at the Bell Centre.

• Key Moment: Dany Heatley scored goals 38 seconds apart in the third period to erase a 2-1 Montreal lead. 

• What It Means: The Canadiens wasted a chance to move up in the Eastern Conference standings as they played the game in hand they had over the Pittsburgh Penguins and New York Rangers. They remain in seventh spot with 92 points, three ahead of the New York Rangers.

• Who's Next: The Canadiens leave Montreal immediately and head to New York where they will take on the Rangers Tuesday night. On Thursday, the Canadiens are in Boston to take on the Bruins.

The Canadiens have just recalled defenceman Doug Janik from the Hamilton Bulldogs, which suggests that either Andrei Markov or Mathieu Schneider or both might not be available for tonight's home game vs. Ottawa. Both Markov and Schneider left Saturday's game against Toronto before the end of the contest.

Goalie Marc Denis has been sent back to Hamilton, indicating that Carey Price, sidelined the past two games with the flu, is ready to return to action, either in a starting or backup capacity.

More details to come.

Sens' Nick Foligno celebrates his goal while Canadiens'  Christopher Higgins can't look Thursday night in Ottawa. Jean Levac, Canwest News Service

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AUDIO:  Bob Gainey   Jaroslav Halak  Guillaume Latendresse  Maxim Lapierre

The Canadiens scored first on Thursday night, but they didn't score often enough as they lost another game, 5-4 to the Ottawa Senators. The Canadiens have now lost four straight games, but remain in seventh spot in the Eastern Conference.

After Guillaume Latendresse opened the scoring two minutes into the game, the Senators responded with three goals, including two on the power play, as Carey Price could do little to stop the Senators attack.

With Matt D'Agostini in the penalty box, Nick Foligno scored on a rebound to tie the game 1-1. Later in the period, with Mike Komisarek in the box on a questionable call, Jason Spezza scored a nifty goal that Price should have stopped.

Before the end of the frame, Spezza scored his second of the period when he redirected a shot from the point. The play was reviewed for a high stick, but the goal was accepted.

With the Canadiens trailing 3-1, Alex Tanguay scored early in the second period to narrow the lead to 3-2. But less than two minutes later, Jarkko Ruutu gave Ottawa a two-goal lead again when he put a backhand shot top shelf over Price's shoulder.

That was it for Price, who was replaced by Jaroslav Halak.

Alex Kovalev scored once and assisted on two more in a rousing comeback performance today.
John Kenney, Gazette

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AUDIO:  Guy Carbonneau  Alex Kovalev  Mathieu Schneider  Mike Komisarek  Jaroslav Halak  Saku Koivu

Alex Kovalev has a flair for the dramatic.

Kovalev returned from an enforced two-game sabbatical and his strong two-way performance led the Canadiens to a 5-3 win over the Ottawa Senators on Saturday.

“I feel like I’ve just been traded to a new team,” said Kovalev, who had a goal and two assists for his first multiple-point game since he had a goal and an assist against Toronto on Dec. 20.

The Canadiens had a quick start and Kovalev, who received a loud ovation prior to the game, elicited chants of “Kovy, Kovy, Kovy” as he played a key role on the first two Montreal goals.

• Pat Hickey's game story here    • Dave Stubbs's column on Kovalev here

• Habs leave Gillett twisting in a foul wind: Stubbs column

• Fans circle the wagons: Boone column

• Drug link a cautionary tale for Gainey: Phillips/Cherry

• Recharged Kovalev ready for Senators: Phillips

• Photo gallery: Photographer Marie-France Coallier

Alex Kovalev returned to his team today, taking part in a spirited practice in Brossard.
Christinne Muschi, Reuters

From The Gazette's Randy Phillips, in Brossard:

Forward Alex Kovalev will be back on the ice when the Canadiens face the Ottawa Senators Saturday afternoon at the Bell Centre.

Kovalev rejoined his teammates in practice today after a two-day forced hiatus by Canadiens general manager Bob Gainey.

“I feel great. Two days off never hurt,” said Kovalev, who was the last to leave the ice at the team’s practice facility after a brisk 90-minute workout in Brossard.

“It was a pretty tough two days, but in the end it ended up being good days."

Gainey ordered to Kovalev to stay home while the team completed its longest road trip of the season because on an obvious drop in offensive production. He has 13 goals and 39 points this season, the final one of a four-year contract that pays him $4.5 million this season. He had 84 points last season.

The Gazette's Randy Phillips checks in from the zoo that is Brossard this afternoon, the Canadiens on the ice to practice for tomorrow's matinée against the Ottawa Senators.

Word is the Canadiens will not address published reports about the Brothers Kostitsyn and Roman Hamrlik, and we have no idea yet which players will be available in the dressing room after practice.

Lines on the ice now:

D'Agostini-Koivu-Higgins
Kovalev-Plekanec-Kostitsyn (the one not in Hamilton)
Pacioretty-Chipchura-Laraque
Bégin-Lapierre-Kostopoulos-Stewart

Canadiens' Maxim Lapierre celebrates his game-winning shootout goal with teammates Matt D'Agostini and Guillaume Latendresse.
Blair Gable, Reuters

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Audio (from Pat Hickey in Ottawa):  Maxim Lapierre  Mike Komisarek  Tom Kostopoulos  Gregory Stewart  Matt D'Agostini

There's no such thing as a mismatch in the NHL, and tonight's thrilling 5-4 shootout win by the Canadiens over the Ottawa Senators was clear proof of that.

The high-flying Canadiens, the NHL's sixth-ranked club, and the bottom-feeding Senators, ranked No. 28, finally went to a shootout, the Habs winning on goals by Maxim Lapierre and Alex Kovalev after Montreal had squandered a 3-1 advantage heading into the final period.

Ottawa finally rallied from a 4-2 deficit, scoring two unanswered goals in the game's final nine minutes.

Habs goalie Jaroslav Halak saw Jason Spezza fire high and wide in Ottawa's first shootout attempt before Kovalev used a pretty deke to beat Senators goalie Brian Elliott, who was appearing in his first NHL shootout. Halak followed with a pad save on Ottawa captain Daniel Alfredsson, which set the stage for Lapierre's game-winner, also on a deke.

Alex Tanguay's game-winning shootout backhander eludes Ottawa goalie Alex Auld.
Blair Gable, Reuters

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AUDIO -->  • Markov  • Price  • Tanguay  • Carbo

Alex Tanguay scored the freakiest-looking backhand goal you’re likely to see in the fourth round of the shootout tonight, giving the Canadiens a come-from-behind 3-2 victory over the lowly Ottawa Senators in Kanata.

Tanguay took the puck almost the whole way in from centre ice on his backhand on Ottawa goalie Alex Auld, then shovelled it through the five-hole to give the Canadiens the win.

Defenceman Andrei Markov also beat Auld in the shootout, on a backhand, while only Jason Spezza's bullet shot could solve Habs netminder Carey Price, who denied Daniel Alfredsson, Jarko Ruutu and Antoine Vermette. Alex Kovalev and Saku Koivu also missed their chances for the Canadiens in the shootout.

The bleeding of the Canadiens, now 11-5-2, seemed likely to continue unabated, the Habs falling behind Ottawa (6-9-4) by scores of 1-0 and 2-1 before clawing back with goals by Koivu and Markov, the latter tying the game with 4:24 remaining in regulation time.

The Habs now head home for Saturday’s game against Claude Julien’s Northeast Division-leading Boston Bruins on the night the team will retire the No. 33 of Hall of Fame goalie Patrick Roy.

Christopher Higgins, he with the brightest grin, celebrates the second of his three goals, the first hat trick of his career, with Sergei Kostitsyn (left) and Ryan O'Byrne.
Shaun Best, Reuters

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Christopher Higgins figures there couldn’t have been a better time for his first National Hockey League hat trick.

“We probably played our worst game the other night and tonight we played our most complete game,” Higgins said Tuesday night after his three-goal performance led the Canadiens to a 4-0 victory over the Ottawa Senators.

Kyle Chipchura:

About the goal:

"I felt better tonight. ... The biggest thing is just getting the timing on, getting the puck without feeling the pressure.  I think  keeping it simple, getting the lucky bounce early, helped me settle into the game."

About playing when the Habs are one or two players down:

"That’s my job. If I’m going to make a living in the NHL, that’s where I have to do it.  Feels nice to get into it. ... I think that’s the tough part of the game, when you’ve had some time off: feeling the pressure, your timing, your positioning, playing the angles. "

About the team's performance as a whole:

"Lots of kids on the team: I thought we played well with them. Th guys were starting to step up.  (The Senators) got a couple more lucky bounces than we did. We played them hard, I thought.  We didn’t maybe have the experience they have. We battled hard.  ...  When you play against established players like that, you just have to try keep it close, play them competitively."

From the Sens:

OTTAWA – The Ottawa Senators assigned today five players to
their American Hockey League affiliate, Binghamton Senators. The roster
is now comprised of 25 players: three goaltenders, eight defencemen and
14 forwards.

The players sent to Binghamton, N.Y., are Brendan Bell (D), Matt Carkner (RW), Brad Isbister (RW), Greg Mauldin (RW) and Peter Regin (C).

So this team out there tonight is about the team they'll have.

Gosh, it sure would be embarrassing if they lost to the roster the Habs sent up here, wouldn't it? ;-)

Sens are gone to Sweden tomorrow night; this is their last one on this side of the pond.

Here's something that would get old before the first month of the season, if you had to listen to it all the time:

"THE JUBILEEEEEE FINE JEWELLERS ROLEX TIME OF THE GOAL ........ 17:00."

And in both official languages, no less. It's a mouthful, both ways.

What do they think this is, Yankee Stadium, where there's even a sponsor for pregnant pauses?

The Ottawa Senators actually got booed when they were introduced before tonight's game.

By the number of red Habs jerseys mulling around outside, and here in Scotiabank Place, that's not surprising.

The Sens fans tried to drown them out, but you could still hear them loud and clear.

It's a reasonably full house. There are plenty of empty rows, but overall a good crowd – helped by the unwelcome guests from Montréal.

You could get a pair of tickets online late this afternoon for $76 - good seats, too, since they were offering them at half price. The $76 is actually the price of a $65 ticket, with all those hidden charges they ding you with.

Those were the cheapest left; the $17.50 standing room and $20 cheapies long gone.

**Update: They announced a sellout of 20, 282 - pretty good considering there were seats for sale just a couple hours before game time. Lots of no-shows.**

Lines:

Pacioretty - Lang - Beauregard

O. Latendresse - Chipchura - Dandenault

G. Latendresse - Lehoux - S. Kostitsyn

Russell - Glumac - White

D

Gorges - Anderson

Valentenko - Belle

Bouillon - Komisarek

Komisarek and Bouillon are wearing the "A"s.

As usual, Dany Dubé offered cogent post-game analysis on CKAC.

He said the Canadiens were, oddly, victims of the Bruins game.

They beat Boston 7-4. They had 52 shots. There was skating, fights.

It was everything a fan could want. But it wasn't Montreal Canadiens hockey.

They tried to run and gun with Ottawa, and the Canadiens got run over and gunned down. They're simply not good enough to play wide-open hockey aginst a team as skilled as the league-leading Senators.

And it wasn't that close.

The Canadiens tried to play run-and-gun with a team of sharpshooters.

It didn't work.

"Our defensive zone coverage was pretty bad," said Christopher Higgins, the Canadiens' go-to guy for trenchant – and, in this case, understated – analysis.

"They scored four goals from the slot," Higgins added. "They were skating through the slot easily – not being checked, not getting their sticks lifted, slipping checks easily.

"We can't play run-and-gun against a team like that. They're too skilled."

The Canadiens had 38 shots on Martin Gerber. But most were from long range. The team in red buzzed around the perimeter as though the opening ceremony had been the retirement of Sergei Samsonov's number.

Ottawa, as Higgins noted, glided unimpeded through the area in front of Cristobal Huet and scored four goals that travelled a total distance of maybe 40 feet.

"They backcheck, they play well in  their own end," Higgins said. "We can match them offensively, but we sacrificed defence."

And so it's on to Long Island, where a loss on  Wednesday nnight would lleave the Canadiens one point ahead of the Islanders, who have three games in hand.

Yikes! 

The Gazette's Pat Hickey writes from Ottawa that Canadiens captain Saku Koivu had a few near misses in Ottawa on Saturday, some luckier than others. The first near miss resulted in Andrei Markov's goal when the puck took a Habs bounce right to the defenceman at the blue line for a one-timer.

There was disappoitment in the third period when Koivu came in on Senators goalie Martin Gerber, but was unable to beat the netminder with a backhand that went off the post.

And then there was the near fight with Patrick Eaves. Despite dropping the gloves, neither player received a fighting major and that kept Koivu's record unblemished. Throughout his NHL career, the Finnish player has never received a fighting major.