Final - 2OT
Kovalev, Canadiens look for third consecutive win
Dec 30, 2008 - 1:10 PM Montreal (20-9-6) at Tampa Bay (10-16-9), 7:30 p.m. ESTTAMPA, Florida (Ticker) -- Alexei Kovalev finally scoring again and the Montreal Canadiens are winning as a result.
Kovalev and the Canadiens seek their third straight victory when they visit the lowly Tampa Bay Lightning on Tuesday.
After posting a 35-goal and 85-point campaign in 2007-08, Kovalev has struggled mightily on the offensive end this season.
The 16-year veteran has nine goals and 19 assists thus far but may have found a spark, netting a key goal in Montreal's 5-2 triumph over the Florida Panthers on Monday.
The Russian has picked up nine points in his last nine games and ended a 19-game goalless drought in the process.
Though coach Guy Carbonneau had to be encouraged by Kovalev's contribution, Maxim Lapierre stole the show Monday by recording his first career hat trick in Montreal's 3,000th all-time regular-season win.
With the victory, the Canadiens have now won four of their last five games. Before that stretch, they dropped four of five and fell in the standings of the tight Eastern Conference.
Tampa Bay, meanwhile, has won three straight contests after notching victories twice in 19 games.
In the Lightning's latest game, captain Vincent Lecavalier scored two second-period goals and set up another and Martin St. Louis tallied and had three assists in a 6-4 win over the Panthers on Saturday.
Ryan Malone recorded a goal and set up two others and Jussi Jokinen notched two assists for the Lightning, whose only other winning streak this season came when they won three in a row from October 28-November 1.
- NHL
END OF OT 1ST 2ND 3RD OT TOTAL
--- --- --- --- -----
MONTREAL 0 0 1 0 1
TAMPA BAY 1 0 0 0 1 END OF OT
GOAL SCORING:
1ST PRD: TAM - (PP) VACLAV PROSPAL 7 (RYAN MALONE, MARTIN ST. LOUIS)
13:18
2ND PRD: NONE
3RD PRD: MON - GUILLAUME LATENDRESSE 5 (MAXIM LAPIERRE, TOM
KOSTOPOULOS) 0:46
OT: NONE
SHOTS ON
Dec 30 10:04 PM - NHL
END OF THE 3RD GOING INTO OT
1ST 2ND 3RD TOTAL
--- --- --- -----
MONTREAL 0 0 1 1
TAMPA BAY 1 0 0 1 GOING INTO OT
GOAL SCORING:
1ST PRD: TAM - (PP) VACLAV PROSPAL 7 (RYAN MALONE, MARTIN ST. LOUIS)
13:18
2ND PRD: NONE
3RD PRD: MON - GUILLAUME LATENDRESSE 5 (MAXIM LAPIERRE, TOM
KOSTOPOULOS) 0:46
SHOTS ON GOAL: 1ST 2ND 3RD TOTAL
Dec 30 9:54 PM - NHL
MONTREAL 1
TAMPA BAY 1
3RD PRD: MON - GUILLAUME LATENDRESSE 5 (MAXIM LAPIERRE, TOM
KOSTOPOULOS) 0:46
Canadiens 1, Lightning 1 3rd - 19:14Dec 30 9:28 PM - NHL
END OF THE 2ND 1ST 2ND 3RD TOTAL
--- --- --- -----
MONTREAL 0 0 0
TAMPA BAY 1 0 1 END OF THE 2ND
GOAL SCORING:
1ST PRD: TAM - (PP) VACLAV PROSPAL 7 (RYAN MALONE, MARTIN ST. LOUIS)
13:18
2ND PRD: NONE
SHOTS ON GOAL: 1ST 2ND 3RD TOTAL
--- --- --- -----
MON 10 5 15
TAM 6 7 13
GOALIES
Dec 30 9:12 PM - NHL
END OF THE 1ST 1ST 2ND 3RD TOTAL
--- --- --- -----
MONTREAL 0 0
TAMPA BAY 1 1 END OF THE 1ST
GOAL SCORING:
1ST PRD: TAM - (PP) VACLAV PROSPAL 7 (RYAN MALONE, MARTIN ST. LOUIS)
13:18
SHOTS ON GOAL: 1ST 2ND 3RD TOTAL
--- --- --- -----
MON 10 10
TAM 6 6
GOALIES: MON - CAREY
Dec 30 8:18 PM - NHL
MONTREAL 0
TAMPA BAY 1
1ST PRD: TAM - (PP) VACLAV PROSPAL 7 (RYAN MALONE, MARTIN ST. LOUIS)
13:18
Canadiens 0, Lightning 1 1st - 6:42Dec 30 8:10 PM
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