-----------------------------
Montreal 2 0 1--3
Ottawa 2 1 1--4
-----------------------------
FIRST PERIOD -- Scoring: 1, Ottawa, Yashin 11 (Alfredsson, York), 2:07.
2, Ottawa, Redden 6 (power play) (Rachunek), 12:44. 3, Montreal, Markov 4
(Dykhuis, Kilger), 13:20. 4, Montreal, Odjick 2 (Kilger), 14:21.
Penalties: Hnidy, Ott (slashing), 7:20; Dackell, Ott (holding stick),
8:38; Souray, Mon (roughing), 11:58; Asham, Mon (fighting major), 13:16;
Hnidy, Ott (fighting major), 13:16; Bonk, Ott (hooking), 15:51; Darby, Mon
(holding), 19:12.
SECOND PERIOD -- Scoring: 5, Ottawa, Yashin 12 (Havlat, Redden), 10:30.
Penalties: Roy, Ott (slashing), 4:51; Odjick, Mon (roughing, fighting
major), 6:58; Roy, Ott (fighting major), 6:58; Yashin, Ott (interference),
7:43; Campbell, Mon (hooking), 11:35; Theodore, Mon served by Ward (Delay
of game), 12:12.
THIRD PERIOD -- Scoring: 6, Montreal, Markov 5 (Landry), 4:01. 7,
Ottawa, Yashin 13 (Alfredsson, Rachunek), 11:34. Penalties: Havlat, Ott
(elbowing), 8:21; Markov, Mon (hooking), 9:26.
Shots on goal:
---------------------------------
Montreal 10 7 8--25
Ottawa 8 13 9--30
---------------------------------
Power-play Conversions: Mon - 0 of 6, Ott - 1 of 6. Goalies: Montreal,
Theodore (30 shots, 26 saves; record: 8-13-2). Ottawa, Lalime (25, 22;
record: 16-8-2). A:18,500. Referees: Auger, S Walkom. Linesmen:
Scapinello, Wheler.
INDIVIDUAL PLAYER STATISTICS
Montreal Ottawa
G A +/- Shots G A +/- Shots
Asham 0 0 +1 0
Brisebois 0 0 -1 6 Alfredsson 0 2 +2 3
Campbell 0 0 even 2 Arvedson 0 0 even 1
Darby 0 0 -1 0 Bonk 0 0 even 3
Dykhuis 0 1 +2 0 Dackell 0 0 -1 3
J Lind 0 0 -1 1 Emmons 0 0 -1 1
Kilger 0 2 +1 1 Fisher 0 0 -1 0
Koivu 0 0 -1 4 Havlat 0 1 even 1
Landry 0 1 +1 0 Hnidy 0 0 -1 0
Markov 2 0 +1 5 Hossa 0 0 even 1
Odjick 1 0 +2 1 Mceachern 0 0 even 4
Petrov 0 0 -1 2 Phillips 0 0 -1 2
Poulin 0 0 -2 0 Rachunek 0 2 even 0
Robidas 0 0 -1 0 Redden 1 1 +1 3
Savage 0 0 even 0 Rivers 0 0 even 2
Souray 0 0 -1 2 Roy 0 0 -1 0
Ward 0 0 +2 0 Yashin 3 0 +2 3
Weinrich 0 0 -1 1 York 0 1 -1 2
Zamuner 0 0 even 1
Laflamme Healthy V Prospal Healthy
Bashkirov Knee Injury Forbes Healthy
Game Story
KANATA, Ontario (Ticker) -- Alexei Yashin finally awakened.
Yashin broke out of a two-week slump by recording his sixth
career hat trick, leading the Ottawa Senators to a 4-3 victory
over the Montreal Canadiens.
After the Canadiens erased deficits of 2-0 and 3-2, Yashin
scored the game-winner with 8:26 remaining. He took a lead pass
from Daniel Alfredsson in the right faceoff cirle and unleashed
a quick slap shot. Goaltender Jose Theodore went down in an
attempt to make a blocker save, but the puck sailed over his
stick, allowing the Senators to tie New Jersey for first place
in the Eastern Conference.
"It's nice to have those goals go in, but the win is the most
important thing," Yashin said. "I've always said it's what you
do to help the team win that matters. It's not a measure of
goals or points."
With Ottawa owning one more victory than the Devils, Jacques
Martin of the Senators earned the right to coach the World
All-Stars in next month's All-Star Game in Denver. Martin,
however, is more concerned with Ottawa's three-game road trip
that begins on Wednesday in Vancouver. The Senators will take a
three-game winning streak into the trip.
"Every game is important now and I'm very happy with our effort
tonight," Martin said. "These last few games have given us a
positive to work with as we head west on a key road trip."
Yashin came into the game -- Ottawa's 40th -- with just 10 goals
and had scored only once in his previous eight contests. But the
Russian gave the Senators a 3-2 lead with 9 1/2 minutes left in
the second period before rookie defenseman Andrei Markov scored
his second goal of the game 4:01 into the third to tie it.
Yashin and Wade Redden staked the Senators to an early 2-0 lead,
but the Canadiens pulled even on goals by Markov and Gino Odjick
66 seconds apart late in the first.
Montreal, unable to match a season high with its third straight
victory, dropped to 1-9-0-0 against Northeast Division foes.
"We had a lot of confidence going into the game and I think at
one point, we had a chance to win," Canadiens captain Saku Koivu
said. "But in the third, they got the opportunity for the big
goal they needed."
The, Canadiens who were coming off Friday's emotional 4-3
victory at Pittsburgh, missed a chance to finish their six-game
road at .500, going 2-4-0-0.
"We obviously wanted to win, but we've had a good road trip and
we worked hard," Montreal coach Michel Therrien said. "The fact
that we fought back twice is encouraging, and although I don't
like to use the excuse, fatigue may have been a factor after
playing a tough game last night."
After spirited a first period that featured seven penalties,
Yashin used his speed to give Ottawa a 3-2 lead midway through
the second. Breaking in with Alfredsson on a 2-on-1, he took a
pass in the left faceoff circle from rookie Martin Havlat and
snapped a quick shot over Theodore.
"Our line created lots of chances and personally, I took a lot
of shots," Yashin said. "Whatever I can do to help the team win
the Cup is what I want."
Ottawa had a chance to extend the lead but squandered a 5-on-3
advantage for 83 seconds shortly after Yashin's goal. Montreal
went two men down when Theodore was called for delay of game for
knocking the net off its hinges.
Theodore redeemed himself by making 12 of his 26 saves in the
second period to keep the Canadiens within a goal.
Montreal tied it when Markov scored the Canadiens' second goal
of the contest directly off a faceoff. The draw went back to
Markov just inside the blue line and he flipped a seemingly
harmless shot that fluttered under Lalime's glove.
But the night belonged to Yashin, who showed the form that
enabled him to score 44 goals for Ottawa in 1998-99. He sat out
all of last season in a bitter contract dispute.
"This was definitely one of his best," Martin said. "Everybody
played well, but he stood out with a tremendous individual
performance."
"It's great to have fans support me now," Yashin added. "Even
last year, I knew I had fans in Ottawa and I'm glad I can win
over some of the people who were critical of me."