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Balanced attack leads Canadiens past Flyers

Oct 6, 2013 - 4:10 AM Montreal, QC (SportsNetwork.com) - Brian Gionta, Rene Bourque, Brendan Gallagher and Lars Eller each picked up a goal and one assist, as Montreal sent down Philadelphia, 4-1, from Bell Centre.

Alex Galchenyuk chipped in two helpers and Carey Price provided 22 stops for the Canadiens, who snapped back to attention following a season-opening 4-3 home loss to rival Toronto on Tuesday.

Vincent Lecavalier's third-period goal was all the offense for the Flyers, who have been outscored by a 7-2 margin in dropping their first two games of the year.

"The first two periods, we got going during 5-on-5 but it only lasted two and three minutes, and then the penalty killers were back on the ice," said Flyers head coach Peter Laviolette about his club giving up nine power-play chances. "We lost our composure during the last part of the game and it unraveled from there."

Ray Emery's first start with the club since February of 2010 ended with a 30- save defeat.

The hosts assumed a 2-0 edge on the first shift of the third period. Gallagher fired wide on a chance from the slot, then the puck caromed off the back boards for Eller's successful backhander -- which deflected off the skate of Philly defender Andrej Meszaros -- from a sharp angle along the goal line at the right wing at the 12-second mark.

"Obviously, we're down a goal, so it was a big one for them," Lecavalier said. We were in the box a lot, too much, and it broke our momentum from the beginning. It was a tough night overall."

Montreal later had 59 seconds of two-man advantage at its disposal, and a potential third goal on a blast from reigning Norris Trophy winner PK Subban was waved off and ruled to have gone through the netting on the left side behind the post.

Seconds later, after a conference of all four officials determined the faceoff should stay in the Flyers' zone, it was a 3-0 lead as Gallagher tapped in a a Galchenyuk dish inside the crease.

"It's a matter of more experience and learning to handle yourself out there," Eller admitted. "A lot of things coming together, but puck pursuit is big, even when we don't have the puck. About giving them less time to make a pass, and forcing them to make bad ones."

Lecavalier finally broke through with 10:47 on the clock with a shot from along the goal line, but Bourque rifled home a Gionta feed from the edge of the left circle on a power play to seal it with 57 seconds to play.

Montreal failed to click on the game's first two power plays, including a brief 5-on-3. Nonetheless, the Habs struck first, as Gionta beat Mark Streit to a puck at the left post and slammed it home with 8:10 played.

"It was good to get the first goal. Our line moved around with slick passes. I guess we rely on pursuit in the opponents' end and it paid off, said Gionta.

Price made eight saves in a scoreless second period, none better than flashing his left pad to stop a short-handed chance by Claude Giroux in the final two minutes. The Philadelphia captain pulled the puck through a Habs defender and squeezed off a backhander on the left side.

Game Notes

Montreal has won seven of its last 12 home dates with Philadelphia ... Ex- Flyer and current Canadiens forward Danny Briere finished with no points, no shots on goal and two minor penalties in 13;56 of ice time in his first game against his former club ... Emery's last game in orange and black was a 3-0 win at Calgary on Feb. 1, 2010, before a hip injury and subsequent surgery ended his season ... Saturday's loss was Emery's first as a Flyers netminder since a 4-3 defeat against the Atlanta Thrashers on Jan. 28, 2010 and first on the road since Jan. 17, 2010, a 5-3 setback in Washington ... The Habs played without forward Max Pacioretty, who is suffering from a left wrist injury ... Philly forward Zac Rinaldo participated in his 100th career game.