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Devils try to push win streak to season-high 4 vs. Habs

Dec 17, 2011 - 4:09 PM (Sports Network) - Following an emotional home victory last night, the New Jersey Devils will try to push their winning streak to a season-high four straight games this evening against the Montreal Canadiens, who made a coaching move early on Saturday with the firing of Jacques Martin.

Prior to Friday's meeting with the Stars, the Devils retired the No. 27 jersey of former defenseman Scott Niedermayer, winner of three Stanley Cups with the organization. New Jersey then got offensive once the puck dropped, notching a 6-3 win over Dallas.

Zach Parise logged a four-point night with a goal and three assists in New Jersey's third three-game win streak of the season. The Devils have also won five of their last six.

Petr Sykora, Ilya Kovalchuk and Patrik Elias all had a goal and an assist, Adam Henrique scored shorthanded and Johan Hedberg turned aside 33-of-36 shots in the win.

"We're definitely playing better and playing smarter," said Parise. "Speaking for myself, I'm playing much better from earlier in the season, feeling good out there lately."

The Devils haven't won four in a row since Feb. 27-March 6 of last season and will try to do so against a Canadiens club that had won two in a row and had points in six straight (3-0-3) prior to Thursday's 4-3 setback to the visiting Flyers.

The game turned out to be the last for Martin, who was relieved of his duties early on Saturday. Randy Cunneyworth was named the interim head coach for the remainder of the season, with Larry Carriere becoming an assistant.

Martin took the Habs to the Eastern Conference final in 2009-10, his first season as the club's head coach, but Montreal currently sits tied for 10th in the East with 33 points as it tries to recover from a 1-5-2 start.

Cunneyworth was an assistant with Hamilton, Montreal's American Hockey League affiliate, a season ago and was also a former assistant coach with the Atlanta Thrashers.

On Thursday, Louis Leblanc scored his first NHL goal, while David Desharnais and Erik Cole added scores as the Habs battled back from three one-goal deficits before falling short. Carey Price allowed four goals on 25 shots as Montreal went 1-for-9 on the power play.

That includes two 5-on-3 advantages, one that saw a goal wiped out when it was ruled that Cole had made incidental contract with the goaltender in the first period.

"We had to capitalize on the 5-on-3, but games lose rhythm when there are so many penalties called on both sides," admitted Habs forward Mike Cammalleri. "It kind of screws up the flow in the game. This was one with a lot of ups and downs. We clawed back three times but it wasn't enough."

Montreal wraps a three-game homestand this evening and is 1-1-3 in its last five at home.

The Canadiens logged a 2-1 victory at New Jersey on Dec. 10 to win their second straight in this series, but the Devils have still taken nine of the past 13 encounters. New Jersey also won both meetings at Montreal a season ago by a 7-1 margin and have outscored the Habs by an 18-6 advantage over a six- game win streak at the Bell Centre.