Western Swing Will Test Montreal Canadiens Mettle

The Montreal Canadiens are flying high after a roller coaster week that saw their number one goalie, Cristobal Huet, traded to Washington; their rookie goalie, Carey Price, thrust in the void left by the trade; and their shot at superstar winger Marian Hossa disappear.

That kind of wild ride would make even those with the strongest of constitutions hurl their over-priced, Bell Center hot dogs all over the Molson Ex Zone.  

Surprisingly, not only has the team managed to keep its lunch down, it has thrown back a couple of beers, handfuls of peanuts, and a few pretzels for good measure, earning them a share of top spot in the East and a shot at home ice advantage come the playoffs.

The team's 3-0 record last week was impressive. It was also an impressive debut for Price, who has posted a 1.33 goals-against average since Huet was shipped of to the Capitals. Still, tough times lie ahead for the Habs with a four-game stint in the west that will prove if the Canadiens are Stanley Cup contenders or possible playoff-fodder.

The San Jose Sharks are first on the menu. No slouches themselves, the team is on a five-game winning streak, their latest win a shutout victory against the St. Louis Blues. Even more impressive, it was recently signed free-agent goalie Brian Boucher getting the win, meaning their number one, Evgeni Nobokov, along with Boucher are firing on all cylinders. Right now the Sharks are playing near-perfect hockey and Montreal is in tough.

It's off to Phoenix next, where the Coyotes are coming off a loss to Calgary, a game that had coach Wayne Gretzky concerned about work ethic after his team was badly outplayed by the Flames. Bottom line: For a bunch of Coyotes, the team doesn't seem  hungry enough to want to raid the hen house. Also benefiting Montreal, Phoenix is paired up with Dallas just prior to the Habs' visit. 

From the desert heat of Phoenix, it's off to the smog-shrouded city of Los Angeles, where the Habs have an afternoon matchup against the Kings on Saturday. Nestled all snug at the bottom of the Western Conference, the Kings best hope is to play spoiler with teams vying for a playoff spot or struggling to hold on to number one.

First, however, the Kings face the other Western Conference bottom-feeders, the Blues, before taking on the lackluster Ottawa Senators. 

Finally, on Sunday the Habs head to Anaheim to face the surging Ducks. After a bit of a sloppy start to the season, Anaheim is playing like last year, which was good enough to win the Cup.

A good run now for the Ducks could easily net them top spot but, for the moment, home-ice advantage is the goal and all they need to do is finish fourth overall. Couple all of that with solid goaltending, a half-decent power play and a strong penalty killing unit, and the Habs have a rough end to what will be a tough road trip.  

More so than any time this season, this road trip is when the Montreal Canadiens really need to shine, to prove to everyone this is a team that's ready to take on any and all contenders in order to hoist their 25th Stanley Cup. If they can't pull it off, it'll be hot dogs, beer, and peanuts but this time, it may be on the back nine on an early day in May.