Habs Open Up Stay In Florida vs. Lightning

Huet and the Canadiens look to rebound from one of their worst games of the season as they continue a three-game road trip against the Tampa Bay Lightning on Tuesday night.

With a chance to pull within one point of Ottawa for the top spot in the Eastern Conference, the Canadiens fell behind 3-0 less than five minutes into the game and lost 6-1 on Saturday.

Huet stopped only one of four shots before he was pulled 4:45 into the opening period. Rookie Carey Price then surrendered three goals on the final 25 shots. Huet was 10-3-1 with a 2.53 goals-against average and one shutout in his previous 14 starts.

It was the second straight loss and third in four games for Montreal (29-18-9), which dropped five points behind the Senators.

The Habs will go with Cristobal Huet tonight, who has won both of his starts this season vs. the Tampa Bay Lightning. Carey Price was in goal for the shootout loss at the Bell Centre way back on December 11th.

Alex Kovalev has goals in four straight games against Tampa Bay.

Although the Lightning own the worst record in the conference, they are only seven points behind Southeast Division-leading Washington. If the Lightning are going to make a run at a playoff spot, they have to play better at home, where they have won only three of their last 14 games (3-10-1).

Johan Holmqvist has heated up lately, going 6-1-1- with a 2.40 g.a.a. in his last nine starts; however, the TEAM 990 is reporting that Karri Ramo will get the call in goal.

Vincent Lecavalier sits in fourth place in the Art Ross point-scoring race with 72 points, four behind leader Alexander Ovechkin. He was recently bumped into fourth courtesy of the surging Evgeni Malkin, who is certainly making the most of his time as the team's #1 centerman.

Ryan O'Byrne will play tonight, but Tom Kostopoulos will be a healthy scratch along with Mathieu Dandenault. Along with Mark Streit, Dandenault is a team worst -10.

The woman who filed the charges against Ryan O'Byrne has now dropped them, reports CJAD.

Puck drop slated for 7:08.

Report with files taken from AP.