Red Wings bring familiar blend of defence, discipline to Bell Centre
RED WINGS AT CAN ADIE NS
Bell Centre, Saturday, 7 p. m., HNIC, TVA Sports, TSN- 690 Radio
The matchup: Look for a tightchecking, defensive game between these Original Six and Atlantic Division rivals. The Canadiens ( 5- 0) are off to the fastest start in team history and they have allowed only six goals. Former Red Wings head coach Mike Babcock took the money and ran to Toronto, but the Red Wings were off to a 3- 0 start going into Friday night’s home game against Carolina. New head coach Jeff Blashill was promoted from within the organization and brings the same commitment to discipline and defence that marked Babcock’s reign in Detroit.
Balance is the key: Habs head coach Michel Therrien values the ability to roll four lines and he has the horses to do it this season. In Thursday’s 3- 0 win over the Rangers, the third line of Dale Weise, David Desharnais and Tomas Fleischmann provided the margin of victory. The top line has Max Pacioretty and Brendan Gallagher flanking Tomas Plekanec, who was smiling Friday after agreeing to a two- year extension worth $ 12 million.
Price on a roll: Carey Price is getting better with each start. The best goaltender in the NHL last season has a 4- 0 record, a 1.25 goals- against average and a .957 save percentage after shutting
out the Rangers Thursday night. Price has a 7- 3- 1 record against the Wings. The under- appreciated Jimmy Howard is 2- 0 this season and has allowed only one goal for the Red Wings. He’s 3- 4- 2 against Montreal.
An example to follow: The Red Wings haven’t missed the playoffs since 1986 and have won four Stanley Cups in the intervening years. Therrien said the Red Wings have set an example for the Canadiens as they move forward with a veteran core supplemented by the development of younger players. “They have skill and they are capable of scoring goals but, at their heart, they are solid defensively,” said Therrien.
Injury update: While the Canadiens’ only casualty is Michael Bournival ( concussion), the Red Wings are succeeding despite the absence of several key players. The latest casualties are centre Luke Glendening, who is day- today with lower- body injury, and Johan Franzen, who is suffering from concussion symptoms. Pavel Datsyuk is out with an ankle injury, Darren Helm has a concussion and Danny DeKeyser has a foot injury.
Looking ahead: The Canadiens wrap up a three- game homestand on Tuesday when they face the St. Louis Blues. They travel to Buffalo on Friday and return home next Saturday for a game against the Toronto Maple Leafs.