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Bourque, Habs down Devils

Dec 3, 2013 - 4:09 AM Montreal, QC (SportsNetwork.com) - Rene Bourque tallied a goal and an assist as the Montreal Canadiens defeated the New Jersey Devils, 3-2, in the first game of a home-and-home set at Bell Centre.

Alex Galchenyuk and Max Pacioretty both added goals, while David Desharnais contributed two assists. Carey Price turned aside 27-of-29 shots as the Canadiens have won two straight and six of their last seven games.

Steve Bernier and Michael Ryder lit the lamp for New Jersey, who had their two-game winning streak snapped.

Martin Brodeur allowed three goals on 17 shots in defeat.

"We played well at the start. We missed a couple of open-netters. Their defensemen made a couple of good plays and at the end that is what made the difference. P.K. stopped the first one that could have made it 2-0 for us. They took advantage of those chances, we couldn't do the same," said Brodeur.

After being benched for the third period for an undisciplined penalty on Saturday, Galchenyuk responded by scoring the game-winning goal.

Alexei Emelin missed the net on a shot from the middle, but Galchenyuk was there to steer the puck into the net on a broken play to give the Canadiens a 3-2 lead 9:34 into the final stanza.

"I wasn't feeling low on Saturday, it happens, it's part of the game. I put it behind me. I was definitely excited about this game. I wanted to play good and was happy with that goal," said Galchenyuk.

Jaromir Jagr almost scored nearly five minutes into the first. He tried stuffing the puck in near the post, but P.K. Subban was in the crease to keep the puck out with his stick.

New Jersey opened the scoring at 11:13 of the first. Anton Volchenkov fired a low shot from the point and Bernier redirected the puck between his legs and over the pad of Price.

The Canadiens tied the game nearly nine minutes into the second. Desharnais raced back from behind Brodeur to retrieve a loose puck. He quickly dished a backhand pass to Bourque, who wristed a shot from the right circle to tie the game.

Pacioretty broke the tie on the power play 16:49 into the second. Subban's shot was blocked and the puck made its way to Andrei Markov at the left circle. Pacioretty took a feed from Markov at the opposite circle and beat Brodeur on the one-timer.

Bernier raced up the left wing and fired a shot that trickled through the pads of Price, but the Montreal netminder kept it out with the help of a sliding Subban early in the third.

Ryder tied the game at 4:42. The former Canadien blasted a shot over the shoulder of Price from the right circle to knot the game at two.

New Jersey pulled Brodeur with under a minute left, but the Devils could not tie the game with the extra man.

Game Notes

New Jersey forward Adam Henrique left the game after the second period with a lower-body injury ... Bernier has goals in back-to-back games ... Price has won his past five starts ... Devils defenseman Andy Greene's five-game point streak ended ... The two teams will complete their home-and-home series on Wednesday at Prudential Center.