Mon Oct 13 11:09:52 2008

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Habs shoot for payback in Philly

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(Sports Network) - It was Philadelphia that ended Montreal's bid for a Stanley Cup championship a year ago. The Canadiens get a crack at some revenge tonight, as they travel to the City of Brotherly Love to battle the Flyers at the Wachovia Center.

Montreal finished last season with 104 points and as the top seed in the Eastern Conference. After eliminating Boston in seven games in the first round of the postseason, the Canadiens were promptly dispatched by Philadelphia in five games the following round, losing four straight after taking Game 1.

Montreal, though, has won their last six regular season contests against the Flyers, taking all four matchups last year. The Canadiens, who have also won 10 of their last 12 against the Flyers, have posted a victory in their last four trips to Philadelphia, having not lost there since March 6, 2006.

The Canadiens will close a season-opening three-game road trip against the Flyers, and after losing in a shootout to Buffalo on Friday, the club picked up its first win of the season on Saturday with a 6-1 thumping of Toronto.

Sergei Kostitsyn scored two of Montreal's four second-period goals in the game, with Alex Tanguay and Guillaume Latendresse also scoring in the frame. Tanguay added three assists in the win, while Latendresse had a pair of helpers.

Carey Price was in net for Friday's shootout loss, with Jaroslav Halak spelling him the following night. Halak made 24 saves in the win.

Price, though, should earn the starting gig tonight. He is 3-0-0 with a 1.34 goals against average in three regular-season matchups with the Flyers, but allowed 15 goals in four playoff starts against them last season.

Montreal will make his home debut on Wednesday versus Boston, the first of five straight as the host. The Habs were 22-13-6 at home a year ago.

The Flyers, meanwhile, turned a 39-point improvement into an Eastern Conference finals appearance last year. They were eliminated by Pittsburgh following their series win over Montreal.

That raised expectations for this year, but the club came out flat in its season-opening 4-3 loss to the Rangers on Saturday. New York netted four goals in the first period before the Flyers finally got going.

Scott Hartnell, Simon Gagne and Mike Richards all tallied for the Flyers, who failed to complete the comeback despite having a lengthy 5-on-3 man advantage in the third frame. Daniel Briere picked up two helpers in the loss.

Martin Biron had a rough start, allowing four goals on 14 shots through 16- plus minutes before his departure. Antero Niittymaki stopped all 13 shots he faced for the remainder of the contest.

Biron is 12-7-0 with a 2.19 GAA in 21 career tests versus the Canadiens, 20 of those starts, and posted a 2.79 GAA in five playoff starts against them last year.