• Preview
• Recap
• Bleachers

Souray helps Canadiens once again beat Thrashers

Jan 19, 2007 - 5:32 AM ATLANTA (Ticker) -- Defenseman Sheldon Souray and the Montreal Canadiens took advantage of an unusual penalty by the Atlanta Thrashers.

Souray had a goal and an assist on power plays less than a minute apart early in the second period as the Canadiens snapped a three-game skid with a 4-1 triumph over the Thrashers.

Cristobal Huet recorded 44 saves - many spectacular - for the Canadiens, who defeated the Thrashers for the third time in as many meetings this season. Huet has yielded just four goals on 115 shots in the three games against Atlanta.

"Who we were facing doesn't matter," Huet said. "We knew we were playing a very good team. We knew we had to get some points, and we did that."

The Thrashers' 45 shots tied a franchise high, set March 20, 2004 at Washington.

"I can't take away what Cristobal did," Montreal coach Guy Carbonneau said. "Forty-five shots against Atlanta is very hard. They do have a team that likes to shoot from everywhere, so sometimes 45 shots is not the reality, but they still had those shots and you still have to make those saves."

Montreal settled for a 1-1 tie entering the first intermission after surrendering a goal by Bobby Holik with just nine seconds left in the opening period.

But the Canadiens seized control with a pair of power-play tallies in the first 2:42 of the second session. Atlanta's Garnet Exelby was whistled for holding 30 seconds into the period and fellow defenseman Shane Hnidy was called for delay of game just over a minute later after inadvertently launching the puck over the far glass in Montreal's zone.

Souray soon capitalized on the 5-on-3 opportunity, scoring on a slap shot from the right point that deflected off Atlanta left wing Brad Larsen's stick and past goaltender Kari Lehtonen at 1:56. Larsen's stick snapped in two upon impact.

"It was just bad luck," Lehtonen said. "I've never seen anybody shoot a puck from their end and have it go over the zone, over the other end (glass). I just had to get ready for the 5-on-3. Mighty unlucky there."

Souray had set a franchise record for power-play goals by a defenseman with his 12th in an 8-3 loss at Ottawa on Saturday.

Just 46 seconds later, Souray assisted on Tomas Plekanec's power-play tally that opened a 3-1 advantage, and Montreal took a three-goal lead on Sergei Samsonov's even-strength goal at 8:36.

"That 5-on-3 really put us on our heels," Atlanta coach Bob Hartley said. "Let's give credit to Montreal, they scored two goals. You looked at their first goal, it broke Larsen's shaft right in two to deflect into the net. There's not much we can do, and then they had a point shot with a rebound.

"Suddenly, we get back to 5-on-5 and it's 3-1. The momentum completely shifted."

Alexei Kovalev also scored for Montreal, which had been blanked in its previous two games.

"It was pretty good, but it was only one game," Kovalev said. "Hopefully, we will continue to have success. You can't judge from one game."

Lehtonen made 29 saves for the Thrashers, who had won back-to-back contests after dropping five straight.

"I don't think we ever had 45 shots in a game, so I'm happy about that," Lehtonen said. "Just a couple of mistakes cost us."