GAME THREAD: NHL: CAROLINA (3-2) at MONTREAL (2-1)

NHL: CAROLINA (3-2) at MONTREAL (2-1)

<h3>Canadiens hope to duplicate road success in home debut</h3>

<div class="pre">Carolina (3-1-1) at Montreal (2-0-1) 7:00 pm EDT</div>

MONTREAL (Ticker) -- Not that they want to avoid the Bell Centre,but given their season-opening success on the road, forgive theMontreal Canadiens if they wanted to put off their home openerfor a bit.


The Canadiens will get underway at home on Saturday when theyhost the Carolina Hurricanes.


Montreal earned at least one point in each of its first threegames, including a 3-2 overtime win over the Hurricanes in theirseason opener on October 3. It suffered a 4-3 overtime loss atToronto before wrapping its road trip with a 3-2 win inPittsburgh on Wednesday.


Rookie netminder Carey Price, who was spelling regulargoaltender Cristobal Huet for a day, excelled in his NHL debutagainst the Penguins, stopping 26 of 28 shots to get the win.Huet, who has 56 saves on 62 shots in his two starts, isexpected to be back in net on Saturday.


Meanwhile, the Hurricanes have exploded since absorbing ashutout loss at Washington last Saturday. They have tallied 12goals in the last two games, picking up wins over the TorontoMaple Leafs and the Ottawa Senators.


Among the biggest contributors during the scoring binge havebeen center Matt Cullen, left wing Cory Stillman and right wingJustin Williams - each of which has accounted for four points.

The Hurricanes have scored 16 goals in their three wins and justtwo in their two defeats.

 

NHL: CAROLINA at MONTREAL

<div class="pre">NHL AT MONTREAL
STARTING GOALIES: CAR - CAM WARD
MON - CRISTOBAL HUET

OFFICIALS: REF - KELLY SUTHERLAND, ROB MARTELL
LIN - PIERRE CHAMPOUX, STEVE MILLER</div>

 

NHL: CAROLINA at MONTREAL

<div class="pre">CAROLINA VS MONTREAL - SCRATCHES

CAROLINA MONTREAL

M COMMODORE UPPER BODY G MURRAY HEALTHY
D SEIDENBERG HEALTHY J GORGES HEALTHY
A LADD ANKLE INJURY M GRABOVSKI HEALTHY</div>

 

NHL: CAROLINA at MONTREAL

<div class="pre">NHL CAROLINA 0
MONTREAL 0 19:55 LEFT, 1ST PRD</div>

 

NHL: CAROLINA at MONTREAL

<div class="pre">NHL CAROLINA 0
MONTREAL 1
1ST PRD: MON - CHRIS HIGGINS 1 (SAKU KOIVU) 1:12</div>

 

NHL: CAROLINA at MONTREAL

<div class="pre">NHL CAROLINA 0
MONTREAL 1 15:52 LEFT, 1ST PRD</div>

 

NHL: CAROLINA at MONTREAL

<div class="pre">NHL CAROLINA 0
MONTREAL 1 11:30 LEFT, 1ST PRD</div>

 

NHL: CAROLINA at MONTREAL

<div class="pre">NHL CAROLINA 0
MONTREAL 1 7:26 LEFT, 1ST PRD</div>

 

NHL: CAROLINA at MONTREAL

<div class="pre">NHL CAROLINA 1
MONTREAL 1
1ST PRD: CAR - (PP) CORY STILLMAN 2 (ROD BRIND'AMOUR, ERIC STAAL)
15:52</div>

 

NHL: CAROLINA at MONTREAL

<div class="pre">NHL CAROLINA 1
MONTREAL 1 2:15 LEFT, 1ST PRD</div>

 

NHL: CAROLINA at MONTREAL

<div class="pre">NHL END OF THE 1ST 1ST 2ND 3RD TOTAL
--- --- --- -----
CAROLINA 1 1
MONTREAL 1 1 END OF THE 1ST

GOAL SCORING:

1ST PRD: MON - CHRIS HIGGINS 1 (SAKU KOIVU) 1:12
CAR - (PP) CORY STILLMAN 2 (ROD BRIND'AMOUR, ERIC STAAL)
15:52

SHOTS ON GOAL: 1ST 2ND 3RD TOTAL
--- --- --- -----
CAR 13 13
MON 4 4

GOALIES: CAR - CAM WARD
MON - CRISTOBAL HUET</div>

 

NHL: CAROLINA at MONTREAL

<div class="pre">------------------------
Carolina 1 --1
Montreal 1 --1
------------------------

FIRST PERIOD -- Scoring: 1, Montreal, Chris Higgins 1 (Saku Koivu),
1:12. 2, Carolina, Cory Stillman 2 (power play) (Rod Brind'Amour, Eric
Staal), 15:52. Penalties: F Kaberle, Car (cross checking), 6:05; M
Dandenault, Mon (cross checking), 13:54; B Smolinski, Mon (hooking),
15:06; S Koivu, Mon (hooking), 17:45.

Shots on goal:
-----------------------------
Carolina 13 --13
Montreal 4 --4
-----------------------------

Goalies : Carolina, Cam Ward (4 shots, 3 saves). Montreal, Cristobal
Huet (13 shots, 12 saves). Referees: Kelly Sutherland, Rob Martell.
Linesmen: Pierre Champoux, Steve Miller.</div>

 

NHL: CAROLINA at MONTREAL

<div class="pre">NHL CAROLINA 1
MONTREAL 1 19:55 LEFT, 2ND PRD</div>

 

NHL: CAROLINA at MONTREAL

<div class="pre">NHL CAROLINA 1
MONTREAL 1 15:37 LEFT, 2ND PRD</div>

 

NHL: CAROLINA at MONTREAL

<div class="pre">NHL CAROLINA 1
MONTREAL 1 11:32 LEFT, 2ND PRD</div>

 

NHL: CAROLINA at MONTREAL

<div class="pre">NHL CAROLINA 1
MONTREAL 1 7:32 LEFT, 2ND PRD</div>

 

NHL: CAROLINA at MONTREAL

<div class="pre">NHL CAROLINA 1
MONTREAL 1 3:06 LEFT, 2ND PRD</div>

 

NHL: CAROLINA at MONTREAL

<div class="pre">NHL CAROLINA 2
MONTREAL 1
2ND PRD: CAR - (PP) MATT CULLEN 3 (ERIK COLE, JUSTIN WILLIAMS) 19:26</div>

 

NHL: CAROLINA at MONTREAL

<div class="pre">NHL END OF THE 2ND 1ST 2ND 3RD TOTAL
--- --- --- -----
CAROLINA 1 1 2
MONTREAL 1 0 1 END OF THE 2ND

GOAL SCORING:

1ST PRD: MON - CHRIS HIGGINS 1 (SAKU KOIVU) 1:12
CAR - (PP) CORY STILLMAN 2 (ROD BRIND'AMOUR, ERIC STAAL)
15:52
2ND PRD: CAR - (PP) MATT CULLEN 3 (ERIK COLE, JUSTIN WILLIAMS) 19:26

SHOTS ON GOAL: 1ST 2ND 3RD TOTAL
--- --- --- -----
CAR 13 17 30
MON 4 4 8

GOALIES: CAR - CAM WARD
MON - CRISTOBAL HUET</div>

 

NHL: CAROLINA at MONTREAL

<div class="pre">------------------------------
Carolina 1 1 --2
Montreal 1 0 --1
------------------------------

FIRST PERIOD -- Scoring: 1, Montreal, Chris Higgins 1 (Saku Koivu),
1:12. 2, Carolina, Cory Stillman 2 (power play) (Rod Brind'Amour, Eric
Staal), 15:52. Penalties: F Kaberle, Car (cross checking), 6:05; M
Dandenault, Mon (cross checking), 13:54; B Smolinski, Mon (hooking),
15:06; S Koivu, Mon (hooking), 17:45.

SECOND PERIOD -- Scoring: 3, Carolina, Matt Cullen 3 (power play) (Erik
Cole, Justin Williams), 19:26. Penalties: N Wallin, Car
(interference), 1:37; M Cullen, Car (cross checking), 5:40; C Higgins,
Mon (slashing), 5:56; M Dandenault, Mon (boarding), 14:19; T
Kostopoulos, Mon (double minor high sticking, roughing), 17:31; S
Walker, Car (roughing), 17:31.

Shots on goal:
----------------------------------
Carolina 13 17 --30
Montreal 4 4 --8
----------------------------------

Goalies : Carolina, Cam Ward (8 shots, 7 saves). Montreal, Cristobal
Huet (30 shots, 28 saves). Referees: Kelly Sutherland, Rob Martell.
Linesmen: Pierre Champoux, Steve Miller.</div>