Canadiens get off to fast start in win over Senators
OTTAWA -- The Montreal Canadiens scored four times in the first period, then went on to defeat the Ottawa Senators 8-3 at Canadian Tire Centre on Monday night.
The win was the second in a row for the Canadiens (4-7-1) while the Senators (5-2-5) lost their second straight.
Charles Hudon and Artturi Lehkonen led the Canadiens with two goals apiece, while Max Pacioretty, Alex Galchenyuk, Brendan Gallagher and Tomas Plekanec had the others.
Tom Pyatt, Ryan Dzingel and Chris DiDomenico scored for the Senators.
Ottawa goalie Craig Anderson gave up six goals on 15 shots before being pulled at the end of two periods. His replacement, Mike Condon, stopped 12 of the 14 shots he faced.
Al Montoya made 25 saves in the Canadiens' net.
The Canadiens took a 6-3 lead into the final 20 minutes.
DiDomenico brought the Senators to within a goal when he banked a shot in off Karl Alzner on the power play at 10:34 of the middle period.
Galchenyuk restored the off a nice breakaway pass by Jodie Benn and a shot over Anderson's catching mitt at 17:41.
Gallagher upped the count with 31 seconds left in the period, breaking in on the left wing and sweeping around Anderson before tucking the puck into the net.
The Canadiens had held a 4-2 lead despite being outshot 11-7 in the first period.
Pyatt opened the scoring just 21 seconds into the first period when he accepted a giveaway from Brandon Davidson and took a shot from the left wing circle that hit Montoya high and fell into the net.
Hudon scored his first of the night at the 4:27 mark, stepping around Erik Karlsson and firing a shot that beat Anderson on the short side.
Pacioretty put the Canadiens ahead with a short-handed effort when he stripped the puck from Anderson behind the net and deposited it into the vacated cage at the 7:20 mark.
Dzingel replied for the Senators by deflecting a point shot by Mike Hoffman on the power play at 8:15 of the period.
Lehkonen scored his first of the season at 13:17 by putting the finishing touches on a passing play as Senators winger Alex Burrows crashed into Anderson.
Hudon completed the first-period scoring at the 16-minute mark, taking advantage of more sloppy defensive-zone play by the Senators before backhanding a shot in off the cross bar.
NOTES: Senators C Kyle Turris missed his third game with a viral infection. Turris is expected to play Thursday when the Senators host Detroit. ... Senators D Mark Borowiecki was a late scratch due to illness. He was replaced by F Max McCormick. ... Canadiens G Al Montoya was making his second start of the season because Carey Price had played three games in five days last week, coach Claude Julien said. ... The Canadiens scratched D Joe Morrow and LW Jacob De La Rose. ... The Canadiens' next game is Thursday in Minnesota, where they are starting a three-stop road trip.