A bitter loss to division rivals Boston put a damper on the Montreal Canadiens' Christmas, but they'll try to get over the setback Wednesday when they take on Washington.
The Habs go into the game against the Capitals with a 21-9-5 record.
Goaltender Cristobal Huet, shown earlier in December, has earned two shutouts in 24 games this season.
(Paul Chiasson/Canadian Press)
They saw their five-game winning streak snapped on Saturday when Canadiens goaltender Cristobal Huet gave up goals to the Bruins' Milan Jurcina and Stanislav Chistov in the third period en route to a 4-2 loss.
The loss to the Bruins was especially disappointing: Jurcina's goal was his first of the season, while Chistov potted his third.
Prior to Saturday's contest, Montreal had posted victories in six of its last eight trips to Boston, including three straight.
"Those are the games that sometimes happen," Canadiens coach Guy Carbonneau said after the game. "We've had a few of those on our side."
Exceptional season for Huet
Despite the third-period breakdown, Huet has been outstanding for Montreal during the 2006-07 campaign.
The Frenchman boasts an impressive 14-4-3 record in 24 games this season with two shutouts and a 2.36 goals-against average.
His stellar play between the pipes is a big reason why the Canadiens have given up 97 goals, behind only the New Jersey (89) in the Eastern Conference.
Offensively, right-winger Michael Ryder has led the charge for Montreal as of late.
The 26-year-old forward heads into Wednesday's game in Washington riding a season-high four-game point streak. He has two goals and four assists during this run.
Habs must watch out for Ovechkin
One Washington player the Habs will need to keep close tabs on is sophomore Alexander Ovechkin.
The 21-year-old Russian sniper leads the NHL in goals with 25 and has points (nine goals and 12 assists) in 10 of 11 games in December.
Ovechkin, who had two goals and two assists in four games against the Canadiens last season, is tied for fourth in the NHL scoring race with 48 points.
The Canadiens take on the Florida Panthers Friday before wrapping up their four-game road trip the next day against the Tampa Bay Lightning.
