Game Preview: Canadiens (11-12-3) @ Red Wings (10-10-5)
Jonathan Drouin did not accompany his teammates to Detroit
by Staff Writer @CanadiensMTL / canadiens.com
After stringing together a perfect three-game homestand which featured Carey Price's return to action, the Canadiens are embarking on their first adventure at Little Caesars Arena to face the Detroit Red Wings on Thursday night.
Price shut out the Buffalo Sabres 3-0 on Saturday, and the Habs beat the Columbus Blue Jackets 3-1 two nights later before handing the Ottawa Senators their third straight loss on Wednesday. In his pregame press conference, head coach Claude Julien confirmed that Price would start his fourth straight game.
Phillip Danault and Jonathan Drouin were the goal scorers against Ottawa, with Drouin netting the Canadiens' first penalty shot tally since 2007. No. 92 leads the Habs in scoring with 17 points (5G, 12A).
Drouin did not accompany his teammates to Detroit after suffering a lower-body injury. He is listed as day-to-day.
Video: Price, Canadiens stave off Senators, 2-1
Following the game against Ottawa, the Habs recalled forward Daniel Carr from the AHL's Laval Rocket. He will join the team on Thursday in Detroit.
Thursday's contest is the first of two back-to-back games against the Red Wings, with the two teams set to meet again on Saturday night at the Bell Centre.
The Canadiens have played 292 games in Detroit - including 39 at Joe Louis Arena, which closed at the end of last season - compiling a 103-135-53-1 record in Motor City.
The Wings, for their part, currently have 25 points, just like the Canadiens, although they hold a game in hand. Detroit will be looking to snap a five-game losing streak on Thursday, with four of those losses coming in their new barn. Their last win was a 3-1 decision over the visiting Buffalo Sabres back on November 17.
In their last outing, on Tuesday, Mike Green scored the lone goal for Detroit in a 4-1 loss to the Los Angeles Kings at home.
Longueuil native Anthony Mantha is the team's leading goal-scorer with 11, while Dylan Larkin leads all Red Wings skaters with 21 points (4G, 17A) in 25 games.
Head coach Jeff Blashill hasn't named his starter, but Jimmy Howard is expected to be in goal to face the Canadiens. Howard made 24 saves in the loss against the Kings, and possesses an 11-4-6-2 lifetime record against the Habs, with a 3.02 goals-against average and .892 save percentage.
Puck drop is scheduled for 7:30 p.m. The game will be televised on TSN2 and RDS, and will be on the radio waves on TSN690 and 98,5 fm.