Habs look to continue winning ways in Atlanta

The Canadiens roll into the 1st of back-to-back matchups tonight as they are in Atlanta to take on the surging Thrashers, before heading off to Dallas for tomorrow night's contest.

The Habs are coming off a win in Washington where they opened up their season-high 6 game road trip. They have won 3 of their last 4, and if their road record is any indication, the Habs should come out on top tonight. The Habs boast a stellar 11-5-1 mark away from home, and have won 3 straight on the road. They go into Atlanta to face a Thrashers team that is 8-8-0 on home ice. Cristobal Huet proved himself fit to play with his 35-save performance Thursday night in Washington. He will have to do just a well tonight, as he faces the league's leading goalscorer Ilya Kovalchuk.

Atlanta are on a roll lately. After dropping 4 straight, Atlanta have gotten back on the winning track, posting victories over division rivals Tampa Bay and, most impressively, a regulation win over the Ottawa Senators. Kovalchuk continues to light the lamp on a consistent basis, leading the league with 28 goals, 3 ahead of Red Wings' Henrik Zetterberg. Kovalchuk has 16 points in 21 career games versus the Habs, with just 6 goals. Now that he is on the hottest streak of his career, he will look to boost those stats as best he can and try to earn his team a win tonight to push them over the .500 mark on home ice.