Music: {allcanada} Jets-Canadiens Preview 1/29/13

Monday, January 28, 2013

{allcanada} Jets-Canadiens Preview 1/29/13

Neither the Montreal Canadiens nor Winnipeg Jets got off to an ideal start, but both seemed to have put that behind them.

Montreal hosts Winnipeg as both teams seek a fourth straight victory Tuesday night.

Since dropping their opener 2-1 to Toronto, the Canadiens (3-1-0) have scored four goals in each of their three straight victories, including a 4-3 overtime win over New Jersey on Sunday.

Andrei Markov scored the winner on a power play for Montreal, which also has earned 4-1 victories over Florida and Washington during its streak.

"It was a good measuring stick for us,'' coach Michel Therrien said. "We showed a lot of resilience.''

Brandon Prust, who signed a four-year, $10 million free-agent contract in the offseason, netted his first goal as a Canadien playing on a line with two rookies.

Brendan Gallagher scored his first NHL goal, and 18-year-old Alex Galchenyuk assisted on each of his linemates' goals. The trio has combined for three goals and four assists this season.

"They're fast guys, really speedy, so we're always moving pucks quickly and supporting each other," Prust told the team's official website. "We're talking out there and communicating a lot and I think that's been the key to our success. They're smart and they've been great so far.

''We've got to keep doing the same thing - keeping it simple out there, moving pucks and hunting down pucks."

Montreal, which played its first game without Max Pacioretty after he had an appendectomy procedure that will keep him out at least three weeks, has won five of the last six meetings against Winnipeg, with Carey Price posting a 1.67 goals-against average in that stretch.

It's unclear if Price, who has a 1.73 GAA while starting each game this season, will be in net Tuesday, though.

Lately, no goaltender has slowed down the Jets, who came from behind to beat the New York Islanders 5-4 in overtime Sunday. Evander Kane scored the winner for Winnipeg (3-1-1), which won for the third straight time after beginning the season with a pair of defeats.

The Jets have scored 13 goals during their streak after netting one in each of their first two contests.

They trailed 4-2 with less than eight minutes remaining in the third period, but Dustin Byfuglien scored his third goal and Alex Burmistrov scored the equalizer just over a minute later.

''It wasn't a Picasso, that's for sure,'' coach Claude Noel said. "You're going to have those nights and I think what you have to do is you kind of have to try to get a grip on things."

Blake Wheeler added an assist to give him three to go along with two goals during the streak after going without a point in the losses. He had three goals and two assists in four meetings with Montreal last season, including a pair of goals in a 4-0 win Dec. 22, 2011.

Ondrej Pavelec made 27 saves in that contest, but he's 1-4-0 with a 3.38 GAA in his last five starts versus the Canadiens. Pavelec, who is 0-3-0 with a 4.01 GAA in Montreal during that stretch, had a 2.21 GAA while starting Winnipeg's first four games.

He could be back in net Tuesday after Al Montoya made 21 saves Sunday.

Montreal could have defenseman P.K. Subban on the ice after he signed a two-year contract Monday. Subban, who led the team in ice time per game last season at 24 minutes, 18 seconds, did not attend training camp and missed the first four games while negotiating with the Canadiens.