CASPER
New member
LOS ANGELES – Brian Gionta scored in the first minute, Benoit Pouliot connected in the opening minute of the third period and Dominic Moore put Montreal ahead to stay with a short-handed goal in the second, leading the Canadiens to a 4-2 victory over the Los Angeles Kings on Saturday night.
Tomas Plekanek scored his 18th goal into an empty net with 1:11 to play, and Scott Gomez had two assists. Jaroslav Halak made 23 saves for the Canadiens, who broke out of a three-way tie with Atlanta and the New York Rangers in the race for the eighth and final Eastern Conference playoff spot with their fifth straight victory over the Kings.
Canadiens center Maxim Lapierre began serving a four-game suspension for his hit on San Jose's Scott Nichol on Thursday night in a 3-2 loss to the Sharks. Former Kings left wing Michael Cammalleri, who leads the Canadiens with 26 goals in his first season with them, missed his 10th straight game because of a knee injury.
The Kings, coming off a 4-2 loss at Nashville, have lost consecutive games for the first time since a three-game stretch Jan. 7-11. Anze Kopitar scored his 30th goal of the season in his 300th NHL game, and Fredrik Modin scored his first goal in two games with Los Angeles after being acquired from Columbus. Jonathan Quick made 21 saves.
The Canadiens were killing off a hooking penalty against Jaroslav Spacek when Moore got the puck in the neutral zone from Andrei Markov and beat Quick to the glove side with a 40-foot slap shot to give the Habs a 2-1 lead. It was only the third short-handed goal this season for Montreal and the third of Moore's career.
Moore has two goals in five games since he was acquired Feb. 11 from Florida. The Canadiens are the 29-year-old center's seventh team in six NHL seasons.
Pouliot made it 3-1 with his 15th goal, beating Quick to the glove side with a one-timer from the left circle after Gomez passed him the puck from behind the net.
Many in the sellout crowd were still finding their seats when Gianta scored his 19th goal after Quick turned back shots by Gomez and Pouliot.
Kopitar tied it at 18:16 of the first period with his 10th goal in 12 games. Jack Johnson cleared the puck off the left boards and into the Montreal zone, where Kopitar won a foot race with Glen Metropolit before swerving in front of the crease and beating Halak to the glove side with a backhander.
Tomas Plekanek scored his 18th goal into an empty net with 1:11 to play, and Scott Gomez had two assists. Jaroslav Halak made 23 saves for the Canadiens, who broke out of a three-way tie with Atlanta and the New York Rangers in the race for the eighth and final Eastern Conference playoff spot with their fifth straight victory over the Kings.
Canadiens center Maxim Lapierre began serving a four-game suspension for his hit on San Jose's Scott Nichol on Thursday night in a 3-2 loss to the Sharks. Former Kings left wing Michael Cammalleri, who leads the Canadiens with 26 goals in his first season with them, missed his 10th straight game because of a knee injury.
The Kings, coming off a 4-2 loss at Nashville, have lost consecutive games for the first time since a three-game stretch Jan. 7-11. Anze Kopitar scored his 30th goal of the season in his 300th NHL game, and Fredrik Modin scored his first goal in two games with Los Angeles after being acquired from Columbus. Jonathan Quick made 21 saves.
The Canadiens were killing off a hooking penalty against Jaroslav Spacek when Moore got the puck in the neutral zone from Andrei Markov and beat Quick to the glove side with a 40-foot slap shot to give the Habs a 2-1 lead. It was only the third short-handed goal this season for Montreal and the third of Moore's career.
Moore has two goals in five games since he was acquired Feb. 11 from Florida. The Canadiens are the 29-year-old center's seventh team in six NHL seasons.
Pouliot made it 3-1 with his 15th goal, beating Quick to the glove side with a one-timer from the left circle after Gomez passed him the puck from behind the net.
Many in the sellout crowd were still finding their seats when Gianta scored his 19th goal after Quick turned back shots by Gomez and Pouliot.
Kopitar tied it at 18:16 of the first period with his 10th goal in 12 games. Jack Johnson cleared the puck off the left boards and into the Montreal zone, where Kopitar won a foot race with Glen Metropolit before swerving in front of the crease and beating Halak to the glove side with a backhander.