MONTREAL (AP) — Alex Kovalev scored twice for his 996th and 997th career points and the Ottawa Senators extended their winning streak to three with a 3-2 victory over the Montreal Canadiens on Saturday night.
Kovalev, who played for Montreal from 2003-2009, opened the scoring late in the first. He added his second goal of the game on a power play 6:42 into the third, a slap shot through traffic past Carey Price that restored Ottawa’s two-goal lead at 3-1.
Brian Elliott made 21 saves and Zack Smith also scored for the Senators, who have won six of eight since getting off to a 1-4-1 start. Erik Karlsson and Peter Regin each had two assists.
Brian Gionta scored with 4:07 left in the third to draw the Canadiens within one. Jaroslav Spacek also scored for Montreal, which won 3-2 in Buffalo on Friday. Price made 28 saves.
Kovalev got credit for his fourth goal of the season when he gave Ottawa a 1-0 lead 17:50 in. Karlsson’s point shot through traffic struck the Russian veteran on its way past Price.
Smith, who was recalled from Binghamton of the AHL earlier in the day, put Ottawa up 2-0 in the second. He got his second of the season with a third effort on a loose puck Price was unable to cover up 12:15 into the middle period.
Spacek drew the Canadiens within 2-1 with 1:21 left in second. A video review confirmed that the Montreal defenseman’s shot from the right point deflected off Sergei Gonchar’s stick on its way past Elliott.
Montreal’s Andrei Markov tipped a puck into the net 11:07 in. Referee Mike Leggo immediately waved off the goal because the Canadiens defenseman had made contact above the level of the crossbar.
NOTES: Kovalev has 417 goals and 580 assists in 1,242 games with the New York Rangers, Pittsburgh, Montreal and Ottawa. … Elliott made his 10th straight start. … Ds Alexandre Picard and Ryan O’Byrne and C Lars Eller did not dress for Montreal.
