The last time the Chicago Blackhawks came to Montreal, veteran forward Scott Gomez tsk-tsked an exuberant P.K. Subban for excessive celebrating after the rookie netted the winner in a 2-1 overtime victory on April 5, 2011.
Gomez is long gone but Subban and the current Montreal Canadiens (25-15-5) will have their hands full when the puck drops Saturday at 7 p.m, as the All-Star studded Blackhawks (29-8-9) bring their league-leading 14-5-3 road record with them.
Both teams will be anxious to avenge road losses on Wednesday as the Habs lost 3-1 in Philadelphia while the Hawks lost 3-2 to the Rangers.
The defending Stanley Cup champion Hawks have only won five of their last 10 games, going 5-1-4 in that span, as the team has had surprisingly bad results on the shootout, losing their last four.
The Hawks remain tied with the surging St. Louis Blues for second-best overall in the NHL, as both teams sit four points behind the red-hot Anaheim Ducks.
The Hawks are sending 10 players to the Sochi Olympics, two more than the Canadiens and are led by right winger Patrick Kane, who is tied for second in points alongside John Tavares, as the duo trails only Sidney Crosby,
Patrick Sharp is also a member of the exclusive 11-player NHL point per game club, with 47 points in 46 games, while Jonathan Toews is no slouch either, with 45 points in 46 games.
Duncan Keith leads all NHL defencemen with 45 points in 46 games, 10 points ahead of fourth-place P.K. Subban.
Subban was the focus of attention at practice Thursday after being briefly benched in the third period of the team’s loss in Philadelphia after taking a penalty during a post-whistle scrum.
Subban preferred to talk about the Hawks rather than the benching drama Thursday.
“We have the best team in the world coming into the building on Saturday, so that’s where my focus is,” he said.
The Habs have been solid on defence, with the fourth best goals against in the league, that has seen Carey Price and Peter Budaj cede 106 goals in 45 games.
The Canadiens' attack, however, hasn't kept up, as they are tied with Detroit for 21st in goals scored with just 115.
Chateauguay’s Corey Crawford has allowed over one half of a goal more per game in the Chicago nets this season than last. His GAA of 2.49 lags behind his 1.94 of last season while his 910 save percentage is less impressive than the..926 he registered in 30 games last year.
Carey Price, meanwhile, has gone the other direction, as his GAA over 35 games is .37 better than last season and his save percentage is a sparkling .928, better than the .905 he put up last year in 39 games.
Price was also focused on Chicago’s big guns when interviewed Thursday.
“They’re a high octane offensive team and we need to do our best not to play on our heels. That would be the best way to go about things,” he said. “We need to do what we do best, forecheck and play in the offensive zone.”
Price said that he relished the challenge of taking on the Stanley Cup winners.
“It’s why you play the game, to play against the best and they’re definitely the best," he said.
The Blackhawks last played Montreal in Chicago on Dec. 21, 2011, a game won by the Hawks 5-1
The original six match-up sees a Hawks team that has played 274 games in Montreal – going 54-174-48-3 in that time.
