Campus Maximus » s Quick who was tested early. He denie

The Montreal Canadiens seemingly swooped in at the final hour to acquire winger Thomas Vanek in an effort to improve their playoff chances. Vanek is expected to make his Habs debut tonight when the club looks to push its unbeaten streak over the Phoenix Coyotes to 15 straight games. Canadiens defenceman Josh Gorges is returning to Montreal on Thursday to have a hand injury reevaluated by team doctors. Watch the game live on TSN Habs tonight at 9pm et/10pm at. You can also listen to the game live on TSN Radio Montreal 690. The Canadiens posted a 4-3 shootout win over the NHL-leading Anaheim Ducks on Wednesday night hours after getting Vanek from the New York Islanders in exchange for prospect Sebastian Collberg. Montreal will also part with a 2014 second-round pick should it make the playoffs while also getting a fifth rounder back from New York. That seems like a safe bet with Vanek in the fold. The 30-year-old Austrian winger is set to become an unrestricted free agent in the summer, but he could help Montreal in its push to the playoffs this spring. Vanek has 21 goals and 32 assists over 60 games this season with the Islanders and Buffalo Sabres. "The most important thing is to make the playoffs and right now I have a chance to do so. This is why we play," Vanek said on Montreals website. "Anything can happen in the playoffs, especially when you have a goalie like Carey Price, who I think is one of the best in the league. Ive played with Ryan Miller and Carey is just as good." Montreals win last night has the club in second place in the Atlantic Division with 77 points, three ahead of the Toronto Maple Leafs and four up on the fourth-place Tampa Bay Lightning. While Vanek mentioned playing with Price, the Habs netminder has missed all five games since the league resumed action following a break for the Winter Olympics. Price aggravated a lower-body injury during that tournament and it is unknown when he will return to action. Peter Budaj started the first four games in Prices absence and finally got a game off last night. Dustin Tokarski made his first NHL appearance of the season and stopped 39 shots before halting four of the six skaters he faced in the shootout. After Saku Koivu failed on his attempt for Anaheim in the tiebreakers sixth round, Andrei Markov fired a shot that beat Ducks goaltender Jonas Hiller five-hole to improve the Habs to 6-1-1 in their last eight games. "He played unbelievable," Markov said of Tokarskis play. "He made great saves to keep us in the game." Brendan Gallagher registered a goal and an assist, while Max Pacioretty and Brian Gionta also scored for the Canadiens, who were coming off a 2-1 setback in Los Angeles on Monday that opened a four-game road trip. The swing ends on Saturday versus San Jose. Budaj is likely to return to net tonight and is 8-3-3 lifetime versus the Coyotes with a 2.70 goals against average. Montreal will try to avoid its first loss in this series since a setback on the road on Dec. 9, 1998. The Canadiens have gone 11-0-0 with three ties in the 14 meetings since, winning five times and posting one tie in the desert over that span. The Coyotes can ill-afford to see that winless streak extended as they come in one point back of the Dallas Stars for the second wild card spot in the Western Conference. Phoenix snapped a four-game slide on Tuesday with a 1-0 win over the Vancouver Canucks. Antoine Vermettes 22nd of the season, scored in the first period provided Mike Smith with the only support he would need, as the 31-year-old netminder turned aside 23 shots, 11 in the third period, to secure his third shutout of the season and 27th of his career. "It was kind of a sloppy hockey game, but we won," Phoenix head coach Dave Tippett said. "Thats all we need right now." The Coyotes finish off a three-game homestand tonight before hitting the road for four in a row and should have Martin Erat in the lineup tonight after picking up the winger in a trade with the Washington Capitals on Tuesday. Erat notched one goal and 23 assists in 53 games with the Caps this season. Smith is 2-1-3 with a 2.22 GAA in seven career meetings with the Canadiens. Nike Flex On Sale . - Chris Davis hit a two-run double, scoring Nelson Cruz in his Orioles debut in Baltimores 9-7 win over to the Toronto Blue Jays on Saturday. Nike Flex Clearance . After overcoming a three-goal deficit the Senators forced the game to overtime only to watch it slip away as Seth Jones scored the winner 3:49 into the extra period as the Nashville Predators defeated the Senators 4-3 Monday night. http://www.nikeflexcheap.com/.com) - On a night the Bulls played without Derrick Rose, it was time for Pau Gasol to take charge. Nike Flex Cheapest Price . It was well worth the wait. Manning and the Denver Broncos waited eight long months, then another 33 minutes to get the season started because of a lightning storm. Nike Flex Shoes Sale . Solomon Elimimian did not make the trip with the team after suffering what appeared to be a right leg injury in the teams regular season finale against the Calgary Stampeders.Los Angeles, CA (SportsNetwork.com) - Marian Gaborik scored his sixth goal in the last four games to help the Los Angeles Kings top the Arizona Coyotes, 4-2, Saturday at Staples Center. His goal tied the game at 2-2 at the end of the second period, and the Kings received goals from Alec Martinez and Trevor Lewis in the third to win their second straight game. Jeff Carter scored the Kings first goal and Jonathan Quick made 15 saves in the win. Devan Dubnyk was under siege all game, facing 35 shots and allowing all four Los Angeles goals. Arizona, losers of six of its last seven, picked up goals from Martin Hanzal and Kyle Chipchura in the second period. As the middle period neared its end, Gaborik extended his scoring streak. Anze Kopitars backhand pass reached Gaborik through traffic, and he quickly got the puck to his forehand and wristed it into the net for the power play tally. Martinez scored the second Kings power-play goal of the game early in the third period. Martinez wound up and fired a slapshot from the top of the circle that beat Dubnyk. Later in the third, Oliver Ekman-Larsson leveled Gaborik with a big hit at the Coyotes blue line. While he was still on the ice, Tyler Toffoli picked up the loose puck and Lewis drove to the net. Toffoli faked a shot, went to his backhand and slid the puck across to Lewis alone in front of the net where he redirected it iin for the insurance goal.dddddddddddd Arizona didnt get its first shot of the third period until there was only 9:06 left, and it finished with just three in the final period. The Kings went on the power play just 15 seconds of the game, but it was Quick who was tested early. He denied David Moss breaking in all alone short- handed before Arizona kept the Los Angeles power play off the board. Los Angeles got the lead late in the first period. Keith Yandles clearing attempt was knocked down by Kopitar, and Carter stepped into the pass from Kopitar in the faceoff circle to fire the puck by Dubnyk. Hardly any time in the second period expired when Hanzal tied the game. He snuck by the Kings defense and his backhand shot beat Quick high. Minutes later, Chipchura was credited with a goal to give the Coyotes their first lead of the game when his pass attempt was deflected off two different Kings players into the air and past Quick. Game Notes The Kings won two of three games in the season series, and it concludes March 16 at Los Angeles ... Arizona is being outscored 37-18 in the third period ... Dubnyk was making his third straight start for struggling starter Mike Smith ... Gaborik has eight points in his four-game point streak ... Coyotes coach Dave Tippett has now been behind the bench for 900 NHL games. ' ' '