Not the montage again, please: Game Preview 12-23-09

It is December 23rd.

The Canadiens are on the road.

I honestly don't intend to make my game previews start out on such depressing overtones, but this is a dreaded point of contention in my being able to celebrate CHristmas. Our beloved Tricolore hasn't won a game on this date on the road since 1945, a fact that has been brought up continually and practically glorified by sets of frightful videoclips and features on Habs I/O that don't do much in the way of inspiring us fans, because Scott Gomez is hardly Elmer Lach.

Then again, the Carolina Hurricanes are also not the Cup finalist Bruins of 1945-6. And the Habs are on a two-game winstreak.

They can still score goals, however, which is what seems to be confusing to this Panther.

Oh, the weather outside is frightful...

• Matt Cullen has 23 points in 29 games against Montreal in his career.


• Ex-Hab roster search finds us a Tom Kostopoulos. Anyone got a clue who that is? Actually he's got respectable numbers for a third-liner on a team who is 9-21-6.


• Unfortunately, he's not the only ex-Hab. Everyone's favourite CHristmas elf, Sergei Samsonov, is there as well. He's scored in the last two games for the Hurricanes.


• Cam Ward isn't quite having the best season, but he's picked up wins for his team at a better pace as of late, and launched his career as the Habs' worst enemy. And need I remind you what date it is?