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Canadiens ride early outburst, blast Maple Leafs

Jan 9, 2009 - 5:43 AM MONTREAL (Ticker) -- The Montreal Canadiens wasted little time sending a message to their "Original Six" rival.

Andrei Kostitsyn recorded a goal and two assists as the Canadiens scored three times in the first period and cruised to a 6-2 triumph over the Toronto Maple Leafs on Thursday.

Maxim Lapierre scored a goal and set up another and All-Star Alexei Kovalev, Sergei Kostitsyn, Guillaume Latendresse and rookie Max Pacioretty also tallied for Montreal, which improved to 8-1-1 in its last 10 games.

"It's been our confidence and the scoring chances. When you are playing good, the chances roll more your way," Canadiens coach Guy Carbonneau said. "The last few games, it's been to take the shots, and if nothing happens with the initial shot, be there to make other things happen."

Jaroslav Halak made 30 saves and defenseman Patrice Brisebois notched three assists to post his ninth career three-point game - and first since November 18, 2002.

"It was a great night to get three points in the first period, but it was because we put on a lot of pressure," Brisebois said. "We got a huge first goal, and we built on that. In the second, it got a bit stirred up, but in the third, things calmed down."

Blue-liner Tomas Kaberle and Matt Stajan scored and Vesa Toskala turned aside 16 shots over two periods for Toronto, which fell to 2-6-0 in its last eight contests.

Curtis Joseph started the third session and made seven saves for the Maple Leafs.

"For us, every game is a challenge," Toronto's Jason Blake said. "We have to make sure we are ready from the drop of the puck. It's all about wins right now. We have to play better than we did tonight.

"They're a pretty good hockey team, but we have to battle and fight a bit harder. ... Right now, points are so valuable, and if we want to be there at the end of the year in the top eight, we definitely have to play better."

With the scoreboard decidedly in Montreal's favor throughout the majority of the contest, play turned chippy as the teams combined for 140 penalty minutes.

"I think it was a great 'Original Six' matchup and they were losing, 6-1, and they tried to change the momentum, trying to hit and fight with guys," Lapierre said. "But the main thing is that we maintained our focus because we wanted to win that game."

"I didn't really like the way the game was officiated," Toronto coach Ron Wilson said. "We were on the receiving end in some scrums and we had guys thrown in the box for 10 minutes. Actually, three of our better players had to spend time in the box tonight for not doing anything."

After Sergei Kostitsyn opened the scoring just 2:35 into the contest with a power-play tally, Lapierre doubled the advantage less than 2 1/2 minutes later following an alert play by Brisebois.

The blue-liner fed Lapierre as he exited the penalty box after serving an interference penalty, and the center quickly skated in and tucked the puck between Toskala's pads for his eighth goal of the campaign.

"We were great from start to finish," Brisebois said. "Everyone played well. We remember the last time we played in Toronto and we wanted to avenge that loss. We played well defensively and waited for our chances."

Kaberle halved the deficit with a power-play tally nearly three minutes afterward, but Latendresse restored the two-goal advantage with 57 seconds remaining in the session, collecting a loose puck on the doorstep and wristing it past Toskala.

Kovalev's 11th tally of the season just 6:20 into the second gave Montreal a three-goal bulge, and Andrei Kostitsyn added a power-play tally with 67 seconds left in the period to make it 5-1.

Pacioretty netted his second goal - and third point - in four NHL games just over 12 minutes into the third.

Stajan, who returned to the lineup for Toronto after missing five games with an eye injury, tallied with 90 seconds left to cap the scoring.