(Sports Network) - The New Jersey Devils will try to remain unbeaten on the
young season when they visit the Montreal Canadiens for Sunday's game at the
Bell Centre.
The Devils have won three straight to begin the season, giving them their best
start since also going 3-0 to begin the 2002-03 campaign.
New Jersey's last 4-0 start to a season came in 1995-96.
The Devils won three of four meetings against the Canadiens last year and
Jersey has claimed six of the last nine encounters overall. Montreal has also
lost eight in a row to the Devils on home ice.
Jersey is coming off Friday's win against the visiting Washington Capitals.
Although the Devils held a 2-0 lead heading into the third period the team
needed Ilya Kovalchuk's goal with 21 seconds left in overtime to post the 3-2
victory at Prudential Center.
Kovalchuk received a pass from Marek Zidlicky on the end line and beat
Capitals goaltender Michael Neuvirth with a wrister for the win.
Zidlicky had two assists and Patrik Elias and Stephen Gionta each added a goal
for the Devils. Martin Brodeur stopped 26 of the 28 shots he faced in the
victory.
"We've been finding ways to win. We've been playing decent hockey," Brodeur
said. "We got into penalty trouble today that could have set us back a little
bit, but we came through in overtime."
Sunday's test marks the start of a two-game road trip for New Jersey, which
will also visit Boston on Tuesday. The Devils were 24-15-2 as the away team in
2011-12.
The Canadiens began the season with a loss in Toronto but Montreal has won two
games since, including Thursday's decisive victory in Washington. Carey Price
made 30 saves to help the Habs record the 4-1 win and Montreal scored all four
of its goals in the second period.
Andrei Markov had a goal and an assist while Tomas Plekanec, Brian Gionta and
Josh Gorges all lit the lamp for the Canadiens, who went 2-for-6 on the power
play.
"We took advantage of our power play, especially in the second period, and the
power play gave us a chance to win this hockey game," said Montreal head coach
Michel Therrien.
Markov has three goals on the season and all of those scores have come on the
power play over the last two games. The oft-injured defenseman played in a
total of 65 games in the three seasons prior to this one, but he is a force on
the power play when healthy.
Speaking of talented Montreal defenseman, the Habs are still without the
services of unsigned restricted free agent P.K. Subban and the two sides seem
far apart. The 23-year-old Subban wants a long-term deal, but reports say
Montreal is sticking to the two-year, $5.1 million offer they tabled back in
May.
There's some speculation that the contract dispute could lead to Montreal
trading Subban, who has recorded 76 points (21 goals, 55 assists) in 160 games
at the NHL level. He was selected by Montreal with the 43rd overall pick of
the 2007 draft.
The Canadiens are playing the first of two straight at home on Sunday and
they'll also host Winnipeg on Tuesday.
The Sports Network