The New Jersey Devils continued their dominance over the Montreal Canadiens Saturday night with a 2-1 victory at the Bell Centre.
Defenceman Brian Rafalski scored the game-winning goal and goaltender Martin Brodeur preserved the victory with 33 saves.
Martin Brodeur lunges to make a save off Montreal Canadiens winger Sergei Samsonov Saturday night at the Bell Centre.
(Paul Chiasson/Canadian Press)
The Devils (7-5-1) won for only the third time in the last seven games, but maintained their unbeaten streak against Montreal that dates back to 2004.
The Canadiens (7-3-3) lost all four games against New Jersey last season, including two at the Bell Centre during the final month of the regular season.
"This was a great win for our hockey club," said coach Claude Julien, who was fired by the Canadiens last January.
"I didn't come here with a sense of revenge, but more of a sense of pride. You always want to do well when you come back to play your old team and our players gave us a great effort. I couldn't ask for more."
Winning streak snapped
Montreal also failed to extend its winning streak to three games, losing the momentum from its shutout win against the defending Stanley Cup champions Carolina Hurricanes Thursday night. The Habs blanked the Hurricanes 4-0 on the strength of goaltender Cristobal Huet's 12th career shutout.
The Devils took a 1-0 lead at 12:38 after completing a nifty three-way passing play.
With the teams skating four aside, John Madden found Paul Martin down low and to the right side of Huet. The Devils defenceman fed a soft pass to Jay Pandolfo, who one-timed a shot behind the out-of-position Huet for his second goal of the season.
The Devils then converted on the power play during a mad scramble in front of the Canadiens' net to take a 2-0 lead at 10:52. Rafalski located the loose puck outside the crease and backhanded a shot into the open net.
"In New Jersey, when you have 8,000 people in the building, it can be a little hard to get motivated," Brodeur said. "But in Montreal, I think everyone in the room likes to come here not only for the city, but for the hockey atmosphere and the importance hockey is given here.
The Canadiens finally broke through on their power play less than two minutes later. Higgins redirected defenceman Craig Rivet's shot that slid between the legs of Brodeur to cut New Jersey's lead to 2-1. The goal also gave Higgins his team-leading eighth of the season.
Goaltenders outstanding
The third period featured plenty of scoring opportunities, but both goaltenders were up to the challenge.
Huet, who made 27 saves on the night, kept the Canadiens in the game by robbing Devils winger Jamie Langenbrunner on the breakaway with about seven minutes remaining in the third.
Brodeur was equally impressive, stopping 12 shots in the final period, including two key saves after the Canadiens pulled Huet for the extra attacker in the final minute.
"I'm happy with the game we played," said Montreal coach Guy Carbonneau. "Unfortunately, we faced a goaltender who was solid. We had good speed and good chances, but it was just one of those nights."
Despite the loss, Montreal continued to thrive on special teams. The Canadiens, who came into the game boasting the third best penalty-killing unit in the NHL, allowed only one goal on four chances.
Related
Internal Links
More Hockey Headlines »
- Reeling Oilers fall to Blues
- Lee Stempniak's third-period insurance goal clinched a 5-3 home win for the St. Louis Blues over the Edmonton Oilers on Sunday afternoon.
- Flyers name Holmgren GM for season
- The Philadelphia Flyers have removed the interim tag on Paul Holmgren, making him the team's general manager for the rest of the season, owner Ed Snider said Saturday.
- Kings claim Murray, shelve Sopel
- The Los Angeles Kings claimed centre Marty Murray off waivers from Philadelphia on Saturday and placed defenceman Brent Sopel on injured reserve.
- Canada wins Four Nations Cup
- The Canadian women's hockey team captured the Four Nations Cup with a 5-2 win over the U.S. on Saturday.
- Flames extend win streak
- The Calgary Flames are unbeaten in four games after they scored three unanswered goals Saturday night to erase a 2-0 first-period deficit in Vancouver against the Canucks.
More Sports Headlines »
- Lions win West final in a rout
- The B.C. Lions rode 29 first-half points and a masterful performance by quarterback Dave Dickenson to a 45-18 drubbing of visiting Saskatchewan in the CFL West final on Sunday.
- Alouettes returning to Grey Cup
- The Montreal Alouettes will make a return trip to the Grey Cup following a 33-24 victory over the Toronto Argonauts Sunday at Olympic Stadium.
- Reeling Oilers fall to Blues
- Lee Stempniak's third-period insurance goal clinched a 5-3 home win for the St. Louis Blues over the Edmonton Oilers on Sunday afternoon.
- Bruce blasts CFL officials
- Argonauts wide receiver Arland Bruce III accused CFL officials of being racist following Toronto's 33-24 loss to the hometown Montreal Alouettes in the East final on Sunday.
- Raptors remain winless on road
- The Toronto Raptors' struggles in Sacramento continued on Sunday night as Kevin Martin registered a game-high 26 points in a 107-92 Kings victory.
