Canes to end road trip with grueling back-to-back

On Saturday afternoon, the Hurricanes will enter the friendly confines of the Bell Centre to take on the Canadiens. This game will end at about 9:30 eastern time. The Canes will then immediately fly to Detroit after going through Customs and play a Sunday afternoon game at 5:00 eastern. The Red Wings will be resting at home after having played there Friday night.

This seems extreme, but there are no rules against this kind of quick turnaround.

Carolina hasn't lost a game in Montréal since before the lockout, and there are two Hurricaes players who would just as soon call the Bell Centre home:

• In nine regular season games in Montréal, Erik Cole has registered 12 (8/4) points including two hat tricks. Last game there, Cole recorded one assist.
  In addition, Cole scored three goals in three playoff games at Molson in 2002.
  
• Cam Ward has never lost a game in Montréal. He has a career GAA of 1.48 and a save % of .948 in that building.

For the Hurricanes, Nic Wallin is "probable" for Saturday after sitting out a few games with lingering shoulder issues. Mike Commodore will continue to be out with a broken finger.

As for Les Habitants, they will be without the services of left wing Steve Bégin (shoulder) and centerman Brian Smolinski (knee). The slumping Michael Ryder was a healthy scratch in Montréal's last game as a "message" from coach Guy Carbonneau. Goaltender Cristobal Huet is out with a groin injury, leaving Carey Price at the wheel.

Puck drop will be at 7:00.

The Canes have been doing the Jekkyl/Hyde thing, alternating wins and losses. Their last game was a 2-1 loss at Tampa.

The Habs are coming off a 4-2 win over Boston. They have also been (for the most part) alternating wins and losses.

This will close out the four game series between the two teams. The Habs have won two and lost one. They have outscored Carolina 11-9 in those three games.

Montréal's offensive leaders are Alex Kovalev with 23 (12/11) points, Tomas Plekanec with 21 (9/12) and Saku Koivu with 21 (5/16).

Carolina's offensive leaders are Cory Stillman with 34 (16/18) points, Rod Brind'Amour with 31 (13/18) and Ray Whitney (12/15) Matt Cullen (6/21) and Justin Williams (9/18) with 27 points apiece.

Around the Habs blogosphere:

A Theory of Ice

Eyes on the Prize

Four Habs Fans

Sisu Hockey

A full writeup should follow the game.

Recchin' ball waived, fans get bobbleheads.

On Monday night, Penguins fans in attendance for their 3-1 win over Phoenix received a Mark Recchi bobblehead doll in commemoration of Recchi's 500th NHL goal (which was scored last season). The 39-year old two-time Cup winner was a healthy scratch, as he had been for seven of the last eight games.
Recchi has had a less than spectacular season, amassing just eight (2/6) points in 19 games. On Tuesday morning, the Pens placed Recchi on waivers. Nobody made a move.

Some sentimental fans around here wanted to see the return of the Rechhin' ball, but Jim Rutherford wasn't at all interested in picking up the balance of a $1.75M salary for a guy who wouldn't have a place on the Canes roster.

There was some bitter irony to the fact that Recchi's career has most likely come to an end one night after his team gave away bobbleheads in his likeness. Or maybe it's fitting. You tell me.

Oddly, this wasn't the first time the Penguins have been involved in a bobblehead SNAFU.

March 6, 2003 was Alexei Kovalev bobblehead doll night. Carolina was the unruly visitor that night and Jeff O'Neill was the game's first star in a 4-0 shutout win over the slumping Penguins. It may have been Alexei Kovalev bobblehead night, but the problem was that he had been traded to the Rangers on February 10. Rather than cancel the promotion and "disappoint fans who bought tickets in anticipation of getting the souvenirs", they went ahead with it and distributed the obsolete gifts.

Of course the Penguins have had dozens of promotional souvenir nights that went off without a hitch, but these two are kinda funny.