Wed Oct 15 22:46:37 2008

Comment | Email | Print

Tanguay and Canadiens continue dominance over Bruins

---

Montreal, QC (Sports Network) - Alex Tanguay scored the winning goal in the shootout as the Canadiens edged the Bruins, 4-3, for their 12th straight win over Boston.

Alex Kovalev and Maxim Lapierre also scored for Montreal, which has won three straight contests. Saku Koivu tallied, while Andrei Markov had two assists. Carey Price stopped 31-of-34 in the win, which was the team's 100th season- opener in Montreal.

Marc Savard scored twice for Boston, which has dropped two straight tilts. David Krejci scored and had an assist in defeat, while Tim Thomas let in three goals on 28 shots.

The Bruins tied it up with under 50 seconds left in the game on an improbable goal. With a last desperation heave, Michael Ryder lifted the puck into the Canadiens zone and it bounced behind the goal. Price went back to get it but it bounced back in front as Savard skated in to smack the pill into the cage and the teams headed for overtime.

Montreal took the lead in the shootout as Tanguay skated in and put a deke on Thomas before going top corner on the right side.

Boston had a chance to extend the shootout but Ryder came in and was stopped trying to go low on the netminder, ending the game with a 4-3 Montreal victory.

Kovalev and Koivu scored goals 1:22 apart to give the Habs a 2-0 lead late in the first period. Kovalev scored on a power play before Koivu, positioned behind the net, hit Guillaume Latendresse with a pass at the right circle.

After his shot was stopped, Koivu wristed in the rebound to notch the second tally with 3:22 left in the first frame.

Just 1:47 later, with Montreal threatening again, the puck slid across the crease, eluding Thomas. Lapierre was there to backhand the puck beyond the goal line for a shorthanded score to give the home team a 3-0 lead heading into the middle period.

Krejci's unassisted slap shot from the point accounted for the lone offense in the second period, and pulled the B's within 3-1 heading into the final stanza.

Boston came within 3-2 at the 7:12 mark of the third period. On the power play, the Bruins were working the puck around and Krejci hit Chara, who found Savard. He let loose a wrister that hit the twine for a Boston goal.

Game Notes

Montreal has not lost to the B's since March 3, 2007. Boston has also dropped eight in a row at the Bell Centre...Boston's Aaron Ward played in his 700th game.