Music: {allcanada} Toronto (29-28-7) at Montreal (25-30-10)

Friday, March 2, 2012

{allcanada} Toronto (29-28-7) at Montreal (25-30-10)

Toronto (29-28-7) at Montreal (25-30-10)

TV: CBC, RDS

Puck Drop: 7:00 pm EST Sat Mar 3, 2012

The Toronto Maple Leafs and Montreal Canadiens are struggling mightily on defense, and not surprisingly, wins have been hard to come by for these rivals.

Goals could be in abundance Saturday night at the Bell Centre, as the fading Maple Leafs look to avoid extending their season-high losing streak to seven games when they meet a Canadiens team coming off its first win in two weeks.

In the mix for one of the final playoff spots in the Eastern Conference, Toronto (29-28-7) seemed to be in the market for an upgrade at goaltender heading into Monday's trade deadline. The Maple Leafs, however, decided to stick with Jonas Gustavsson and James Reimer, and neither has shown much promise in the two games since the deadline.

After Reimer made 18 saves in Tuesday's 5-3 loss to Florida, Gustavsson stopped 30 of 34 shots in Wednesday's 5-4 defeat to Chicago. The latest loss was especially disheartening, considering the Leafs had a 3-1 lead in the first period after goals from Tyler Bozak, Joffrey Lupul and Clarke MacArthur.

"We got the start we wanted, and then let them back into it," defenseman Luke Schenn said. "A couple goals there that we shouldn't give up, not blaming the goalie, just everyone in general."

The Leafs have surrendered 26 goals in losing six straight and they dropped 10 of their final 11 games in February.

The Canadiens (25-30-10) handed Toronto one of its worst defeats of that stretch, a 5-0 drubbing Feb. 11. Reimer stopped 11 of 15 shots through two periods before being replaced by Gustavsson, who yielded a goal on three shots.

Reimer, who has a 4.37 goals-against average in losing his last four games, is 2-2-0 with a 3.25 GAA lifetime against Montreal. Gustavsson is 0-3-2 with a 3.76 GAA in his last five starts overall, and his .841 save percentage in three games versus the Canadiens this season is his worst against any opponent.

Carey Price stopped 64 of 65 shots to help Montreal win the last two matchups with its Northeast Division rival after losing two October meetings.

However, since making 32 saves in Toronto three weeks ago, Price has surrendered at least three goals in seven of eight starts.

The conference-worst Canadiens allowed four goals for the third time in four games Thursday against Minnesota, with Price giving up three in the final 3:53 of regulation as their 4-1 lead disappeared.

David Desharnais saved them from what would have been a painful defeat, scoring the only shootout goal in a 5-4 victory to snap a five-game losing streak. Desharnais, who also had a regulation goal, has three goals and three assists in his last three games and leads the team with 50 points.

"It wasn't textbook but those things happen," coach Randy Cunneyworth said. "I'm just glad for the W."

Cunneyworth also was glad to see his power play finally show signs of life.

P.K. Subban, Lars Eller and Max Pacioretty all scored power-play goals, giving the Canadiens three in a game for the first time this season. They were 3 for 25 with the extra skater in their previous seven games.

Pacioretty's goal was his team-leading 26th, but only one of those have come in the four games against the Maple Leafs.

Phil Kessel, who leads Toronto with 32 goals and 68 points, has three goals and three assists in his last two visits to Montreal.