Hartnell hat trick lifts Flyers over Canadiens 7-3

Source : Yahoo.com

Montreal Canadiens coach Michel Therrien wants to remind his team that the season isn't over just because a playoff spot has already been clinched.

Therrien was angry after the Canadiens lost by four goals for a second straight game - this time 7-3 to the Philadelphia Flyers on Monday night.

Max Pacioretty, Brendan Gallagher and Alex Galchenyuk scored for the Canadiens (26-11-5), who were coming off a 5-1 loss in Toronto on Saturday. They have had two lopsided losses since clinching a playoff spot on Thursday.

''Since we clinched, our intensity and concentration level, our attention to detail and our work ethic, have fallen a lot,'' Therrien said after the loss that helped the struggling Flyers end a four-game losing streak. ''You see the results.

''It's a game of pride. You have to come to the rink ready to play. That's what we were not doing the last two games. There's no work ethic there right now. It's disappointing.''

Scott Hartnell scored three goals, Claude Giroux and Jakub Voracek each had a goal and two assists, and Wayne Simmonds and Erik Gustafsson also scored for the Flyers (18-21-3), who matched their season high for goals as they try to make a late push for a playoff spot.

Philadelphia is in 12th place in the Eastern Conference, four places and seven points behind the New York Rangers and the postseason cutoff. The Flyers have six games remaining, starting with a home matchup with the Rangers on Tuesday.

The Flyers outshot Montreal 33-28 in a sloppy game that had the 21,273 at the Bell Centre booing the Canadiens.

Price was pulled for a second game in a row in favor of Peter Budaj. Price left at the end of the second period after allowing six goals on 29 shots.

''Carey Price obviously didn't have his best night,'' said Hartnell, whose team scored only three goals in its previous four games. ''We had traffic in front, we were making plays, we were moving our feet in the offensive zone.

''We weren't standing still with the puck. It's lot more fun to play games like that instead of 0-0.''

The Canadiens are in danger of losing three in a row for the first time this season when they play at first-place Pittsburgh on Wednesday.

''We always bounced back all season,'' said defenseman Francis Bouillon, who was minus-3 on Monday. ''We've got a lot of character in this room.

''It would be nice to win a few games. We're not focusing on the playoffs now, but it's important for us to play some good hockey before the playoffs.''

They could be without Ryan White for a while. White was ejected in the first period for a direct hit to the head of defenseman Kent Huskins, when the Canadiens were trailing 2-0 just 6:11 in. The Flyers said Huskins had a concussion, and he didn't return to the game.

White launched himself at Huskins, but missed his body and caught him on the jaw. Already in trouble with Therrien earlier in the season for taking ill-timed penalties, White's future with Montreal now looks in doubt.

Price, pulled in Toronto on Saturday after allowing three goals on four shots, gave up two goals on five Philadelphia shots before settling down. The Flyers outshot Montreal 17-8 in the first period.

''It isn't easy to play every game at the same level,'' Canadiens defenseman Andrei Markov said. ''Other players can make a mistake, and your partner can cover you. We support him.''

Simmonds broke down right wing and fired a shot that was stopped by Price, but the rebound hit rookie Montreal defenseman Nathan Beaulieu and went in at 2:45.

Gustafsson's wrist shot from the point went through several bodies in front and trickled between Price's pads at 5:49.

Consecutive cross-checking calls on the Flyers' Oliver Lauridsen allowed the Canadiens to tie it as Pacioretty tipped in Tomas Plekanec's pass in the slot at 19:02. Gallagher scored from in front 38 seconds into the second.

Only 24 seconds later, Josh Gorges overskated a puck behind his net, and Claude Giroux pounced and fed Voracek as the Flyers took a 3-2 lead. Voracek's 18th goal tied a career high set last season.

Hartnell scored from the slot on a power play at 7:30, but Galchenyuk fought off a check to score at 9:11. Giroux put one in off Andrei Markov's stick at 10:46 for a 5-3 Philadelphia lead.

Hartnell snapped a shot past Budaj from the top of the left circle 12:45 into the third.

NOTES: A moment of silence was held for victims of the Boston Marathon bombing. ... Montreal rested banged-up forward Brandon Prust. White took his place in the lineup.

Habs : Ryder's goal lifts Canadiens over Bruins 2-1

Source : Yahoo.com

The often bitter rivalry between Montreal and Boston is going the Canadiens' way.

Michael Ryder's power-play goal 57 seconds into the second period lifted the Canadiens to a 2-1 victory over the Bruins on Saturday night in a matchup of the top two teams in the Northeast Division.

Alex Galchenyuk also scored and Carey Price made 26 saves for the Canadiens (25-8-5), who won three of four against the Bruins this season. The Canadiens lead the division by three points, with

Boston holding a game in hand.

''Every time we play this team it's the most important game,'' Canadiens defenseman Josh Gorges said. ''We've had a couple of good ones against these guys.

''We played a full 60 minutes, and that's what was impressive. They had some good push. That's a good hockey team over there, but we held our ground and played hard.''

The Canadiens (25-8-5) have won five of six.

''We're finding ways to win games,'' Canadiens center Lars Eller said. ''This time we protected a lead over three periods. The last game we played in Boston we caught up after being behind by two goals.

''There's a lot to like about this team. Really. But there are still 10 games to go, and if you want to go to the Stanley Cup finals you have to be good enough to beat every team. You want to finish with as good a record as you can and feel good going in, and this one felt really good.''

Daniel Paille scored for Boston (24-9-4), which had a three-game winning streak snapped and dropped to 5-5-1 in its last 11.

Montreal coach Michel Therrien was impressed that his team came through a stretch of five games in eight days with eight points. It included a comeback 6-5 shootout win at Boston on March 27.

The Canadiens were down one defenseman from the midway point of the first period when Alexei Emelin appeared to sustain a left knee injury in a thunderous collision while taking a run at big
Bruins forward Milan Lucic.

Therrien said Emelin had a lower body injury, adding he would know more about Emelin's status after he is examined on Sunday.

Montreal had a one-goal lead at the time. Galchenyk, who scored for a second game in a row, slipped the puck into traffic in the crease, and Matt Batkowski put it into his own net at 6:49.

The teams exchanged goals in the second.

A cross-checking penalty by Lucic put Montreal on the power play to start the period. Ryder deflected P.K. Subban's wrist shot into the top corner only 57 seconds in. It was Ryder's sixth goal in six games.

The game featured good chances at both ends and some big hits and big saves from Price and Tuukka Rask, but none of the controversial incidents that often mark games between these rivals.

Montreal held a 29-27 edge in shots.

''We battled back,'' Rask said. ''They got the lead but we got better.

''We just couldn't get the puck in the net. That was it. If you look at all three goals scored, if you ask me or Price, it should have been a 0-0 game.''

Paille won a faceoff against David Desharnais in the Montreal zone, and Johnny Boychuk's shot went in off his back at 7:10.

The Bruins had a chance during a power play in the final minute, and pulled Rask for an extra skater, but still couldn't get a shot on goal.

They were still looking to pass as time expired.

''I didn't know what time it was,'' newly acquired forward Jaromir Jagr said. ''We were looking for the perfect shot.

''Maybe we should have taken some shots, but we didn't. It's OK. You have to learn from that. It's sad that we lost, but I'm happy with how we played the second and third periods.''

NOTES: Canadiens C Tomas Plekanec returned after missing one game due to a suspected groin injury, bumping Michael Blundin from the lineup. Gabriel Dumont, Tomas Kaberle and Yannick Weber were scratched for Montreal. ... Newly acquired D Wade Redden didn't play and has yet to make his Bruins debut. Jordan Caron and Aaron Johnson were healthy scratches. ... Boston's Patrice Bergeron, who had seven points in three games against Montreal, missed a second game because of a concussion.