Canadiens 6, Kings 2
Jiri Sekac registered his first career two-goal performance while defenseman P.K. Subban recorded a tally and two assists as Montreal improved to 2-0-0 on its five-game homestand.
Blue-liner Andrei Markov and David Desharnais each notched a goal and an assist while Sven Andrighetto netted his second tally in three NHL games for the Canadiens, who have posted back-to-back wins for the first time since Nov. 20-22. Carey Price turned aside 44 shots as Montreal went 2-for-3 with the man advantage.
Drew Doughty scored a goal and set up another while fellow defenseman Jake Muzzin also tallied as the Kings fell to 1-2-0 on their five-game road trip. Tyler Toffoli collected two assists and Martin Jones made 14 saves for Los Angeles, which outscored the Canadiens 8-1 in a pair of victories last season.
Montreal got things going 8:16 into the contest as Subban fired a wrist shot from above the slot that Sekac deflected past Jones during a power play. Markov doubled the lead while on a man advantage 61 seconds into the middle period with a one-timer from the right point that glanced off a defender's stick and in, and Subban made it 3-0 less than three minutes later with his own one-timer from the right point.
Muzzin got Los Angeles on the board at 3:35 of the third, unleashing a wrister from the right point that beat Price after hitting Markov's arm in front. But Desharnais answered by one-timing PA Parenteau's cross-slot pass from the left faceoff circle during a 2-on-1 rush midway through the session.
GAME NOTEBOOK: Doughty got the Kings within 4-2 just 61 seconds after Desharnais' tally, but Andrighetto restored Montreal's three-goal lead with 6:01 remaining, beating Jones with a one-timer from the right hash marks, and Sekac sealed the win 1 1/2 minutes later by spinning around below the right circle and firing the puck into the top left corner of the net. ... Montreal C Manny Malhotra's assist on Subban's goal was his first point in 31 games this season. ... Canadiens C Tomas Plekanec notched an assist for his 461st point with the team, tying him with Aurele Joliat for 25th place on the franchise list.