-----------------------------
Ottawa 0 0 1--1
Montreal 1 1 2--4
-----------------------------
FIRST PERIOD -- Scoring: 1, Montreal, T Linden 8 (Darby, Poulin), 14:42.
Penalties: Robidas, Mon (holding stick), 17:34; Mceachern, Ott (slashing),
18:55.
SECOND PERIOD -- Scoring: 2, Montreal, Koivu 8 (power play) (T Linden,
Brisebois), 16:22. Penalties: Hnidy, Ott (high sticking), 8:25; Koivu, Mon
(goalie interference), 9:46; Hnidy, Ott (interference), 15:33; Darby, Mon
(roughing), 19:29.
THIRD PERIOD -- Scoring: 3, Montreal, Brisebois 9 (power play) (T
Linden, Weinrich), 4:16. 4, Ottawa, Hnidy 2 (Fisher, Dackell), 16:46. 5,
Montreal, Poulin 4 (empty net) (unassisted), 19:02. Penalties: York, Ott
(slashing), 3:54.
Shots on goal:
---------------------------------
Ottawa 8 11 11--30
Montreal 6 5 5--16
---------------------------------
Power-play Conversions: Ott - 0 of 3, Mon - 2 of 4. Goalies: Ottawa,
Lalime (15 shots, 12 saves; record: 21-11-2). Montreal, Theodore (30, 29;
record: 11-16-3). A:20,021. Referees: Degrace, Van Massenhoven.
Linesmen: Racicot, Champoux.
INDIVIDUAL PLAYER STATISTICS
Ottawa Montreal
G A +/- Shots G A +/- Shots
Alfredsson 0 0 -1 2 Asham 0 0 -1 1
Bonk 0 0 -1 0 Brisebois 1 1 +2 3
Dackell 0 1 +1 0 Campbell 0 0 even 0
Emmons 0 0 even 0 Chouinard 0 0 even 0
Fisher 0 1 +1 3 Darby 0 1 +1 0
Forbes 0 0 even 0 Dykhuis 0 0 even 0
Havlat 0 0 -2 2 Higgins 0 0 -1 0
Hnidy 1 0 +1 2 J Lind 0 0 -1 0
Hossa 0 0 -2 0 Kilger 0 0 even 4
Mceachern 0 0 even 5 Koivu 1 0 +1 2
Phillips 0 0 even 0 Landry 0 0 even 0
Rachunek 0 0 -1 2 Markov 0 0 even 0
Redden 0 0 -1 5 Petrov 0 0 +1 0
Rivers 0 0 even 0 Poulin 1 1 +2 1
Roy 0 0 even 0 Robidas 0 0 -1 0
Schastlivy 0 0 +1 3 Souray 0 0 +2 2
Yashin 0 0 -1 3 T Linden 1 2 +1 2
York 0 0 -1 3 Weinrich 0 1 -1 1
Zamuner Groin Laflamme Healthy
Ciernik Healthy Witehall Healthy
Game Story
MONTREAL (Ticker) -- The Montreal Canadiens still have a handful
of regulars out of the lineup, but Trevor Linden has provided a
big boost since returning from a foot injury.
Linden had a goal and two assists and Jose Theodore stopped 29
shots as the Canadiens cooled off the Ottawa Senators, 4-1, for
their second straight victory.
After missing 12 games, Linden came back on Saturday and had a
pair of assists in a 4-2 victory over Washington. On Sunday, he
scored late in the first period to put Montreal ahead for good
and set up power-play tallies by Saku Koivu and Patrice
Brisebois to extend the lead to 3-0.
"With Trevor in the lineup, we have an extra jump," Koivu said.
"He's the one that helped us score the power-play goals. Give
him credit for all the goals we scored today."
Theodore came within 3:14 of his second shutout of the season
before rookie Shane Hnidy scored for Ottawa. He shrugged off a
left leg injury suffered in the final minute of the second
period and helped the Canadiens snap a four-game losing streak
against the Senators.
"I got hit on the inside of my knee at the end of the second
period. It was very sore," Theodore said. "They iced it up
between periods and in the third period, I didn't feel a thing."
Patrick Lalime stopped just 12 shots for Ottawa, which would
have set a franchise record with a sixth straight win.
"I don't keep track of records," Senators coach Jacques Martin
said. "Their specialty teams beat us. They won the game
clearly. We had opportunities to score. ... Our guys just kept
firing the puck at Theodore's pads."
Ottawa nearly struck first, but Daniel Alfredsson flicked a
short wrist shot off the right goalpost midway through the first
period.
Five minutes later, Lalime could not control a loose puck in the
crease and Linden poked it under the sprawled goaltender for his
eighth of the season.
"It's great to be back in the lineup," Linden said. "I love the
city and I love this franchise. It's nice to know I'm wanted.
We didn't take as many shots as we should have taken, but Ottawa
has a system that shuts us down."
Koivu doubled Montreal's lead late in the second period,
converting a cross-slot pass from Linden for his eighth goal.
Theodore preserved the shutout with 1:44 left in the period.
Alexei Yashin's shot from the left side trickled by the goalie,
but he reached behind to stop the puck before it crossed the
goal line.
Brisebois got the Canadiens' second power-play goal 4:16 into
the third. Linden made a behind-the-back pass to the blue line
and Brisebois one-timed a blast inside the right goalpost for
his ninth goal.
Hnidy finally got the Senators on the board at 16:46 with his
second goal of the season. Andreas Dackell threw a pass in
front from the left side and Hnidy tapped it in from the edge of
the crease.
"I should've stopped that goal. Those are saves I have to
make," said Theodore.
But Patrick Poulin scored into an empty net with 58 seconds
left, sealing the Canadiens' first set of consecutive home wins
since October.