Brian Gionta recorded two goals and one assist
as Montreal downed Pittsburgh, 5-3, at Bell Centre.
Tomas Plekanec had a goal and two helpers for the Canadiens, who have won
three straight games. Scott Gomez and Mathieu Darche also tallied while
Jaroslav Halak stopped 18 shots for the win.
Evgeni Malkin posted a goal and one assist for the Penguins, who had won four
of five coming in. Bill Guerin and Pascal Dupuis added scores as well.
Starter Marc-Andre Fleury was pulled in the third period after allowing four
goals on 28 shots. Brent Johnson finished the contest by yielding one score on
four shots.
Montreal turned a one-goal lead into a three-goal bulge with scores 3 1/2
minutes apart in the third period. Darche hit the net at 7:15 and chased
Fleury from the net to give the Habs a 4-1 advantage, before Gionta tacked on
his second of the contest at 10:47 to welcome Johnson.
Malkin's short-handed tally with 3:16 to play brought the Pens within 5-3,
though they were held in check the rest of the contest.
The Habs got on the board early, as Plekanec tallied at the 29-second mark,
but Dupuis answered just 33 seconds later for the Penguins.
Gionta tipped in a shot from Roman Hamrlik just prior to the midway point of
the second period for a 2-1 Montreal edge, then Gomez made it a two-goal
contest on a Canadiens power play less than a minute later.
The Pens got within a goal when Sidney Crosby fed Guerin with 6:03 left in the
period.
Game Notes
Pittsburgh, which had won the first three meetings this season and five in a
row dating back to last February, took three of four in the season
series...Both teams are in action on Sunday as the Canadiens host Boston on
Sunday and the Penguins take on the Capitals in America's capital.
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