Goaltending match-up: Carey Price (32/33, .970 SV%) vs. Roberto Luongo (31/35, .886 SV%)
Combos: Max Pacioretty – Tomas Plekanec – Erik Cole/ Rene Bourque – Lars Eller – Ryan White/ Blake Geoffrion – Scott Gomez – Aaron Palushaj/ Louis Leblanc – Brad Staubitz/ Josh Gorges – P.K. Subban/ Alexei Emelin – Andrei Markov/ Yannick Weber – Chris Campoli/ Tomas Kaberle
Scratches: Nokelainen, Desharnais
Top PP times: Subban, Plekanec (3:04), Cole (2:57), Kaberle (2:29), Markov (2:17)
Trending: Andrei Markov (1A, 17:09 TOI, 2 SOG) made his much-anticipated return to action with his first start of ’11-12. How long until he gets hurt again? Max Pacioretty (2A, +2, 2:14 PP, 4 SOG) has points in all five March starts with 10 points in that time. Erik Cole (2G, +2, 6 SOG) had a multi-pointer the last time he faced this team, but this was his first once in just under a month. This was Blake Geoffrion’s (1G, +1, 0:43 PP, 4 SOG) sixth outing with the Habs and his first goal, so that’s a special moment given the heritage. Too bad it didn’t come in front of the Montreal fans. Or at least the Montreal fans in Montreal. They’re in every arena. P.K. Subban (1G, +1, 2 PIM, 2 SOG) has seven points in five tilts this month. Tomas Plekanec (1A, +2, 2 SOG) has a point in three in a row.
Combos: Daniel Sedin – Henrik Sedin – Alexandre Burrows/ Chris Higgins – Ryan Kesler – David Booth/ Mason Raymond – Samuel Pahlsson – Jannik Hansen/ Manny Malhotra – Maxim Lapierre – Zack Kassian/ Dan Hamhuis – Kevin Bieksa/ Alexander Edler – Sami Salo/ Marc-Andre Gragnani – Chris Tanev
Scratches: Rome, Weise, Alberts
Top PP times: Sedins (2:43), Kesler (2:10), Burrows (2:01), Salo (2:00)
Trending: Zack Kassian (15 PIM, 8:06 TOI, no PP, no SOG) showed his feisty side tonight, dropping the gloves and racking up the PIM. Ryan Kesler (1G, -1, 3 SOG) has points in three of four, while Chris Higgins (1A, -1, 2 PIM, 1:04 PP, 2 SOG) has seven points in seven games now. David Booth’s (1A, -1, 1:19 PP< 5 SOG) two-goal effort against the Sabres had stood as his only points in six tries before this evening.
