Robert Lang had two goals and an assist, Matt D’Agostini extended his goal-scoring streak to four games and the Canadiens beat the Calgary Flames, 4-1, last night in Montreal.
Canadiens backup goalie Jaroslav Halak made 32 saves for his first win in seven weeks. The 23-year-old Slovak, who has allowed one goal in each of his three wins this season, went 0-2-1 in four starts since winning his first two outings.
Alex Kovalev had two assists – both on Lang’s goals in the first and second periods. Kovalev, though, failed to score a goal for a 17th game in a row, two short of his longest career drought.
Defenseman Andrei Markov added the fourth goal in the third period as the Canadiens improved to 3-0-1 on their franchise-record seven-game homestand.
Dustin Boyd scored for Calgary in the second period in his return to the lineup from a shoulder injury. Miikka Kiprusoff stopped 27 shots.
Flyers 4, Islanders 3 – Simon Gagne scored a tiebreaking power-play goal in the third period, allowing Philadelphia to tip visiting New York.
Arron Asham, Darroll Powe, and Jeff Carter also scored for the Flyers, who are unbeaten in regulation in their last seven home games (5-0-2). Carter tied Buffalo’s Thomas Vanek for the NHL lead with his 20th goal.
Andy Hilbert, Doug Weight and Blake Comeau scored for the Islanders, who have lost four games in a row and six of their last seven.
Canucks 3, Predators 1 – Defenseman Alexander Edler scored a power-play goal 24 seconds into the third period, and Vancouver pulled out a win at Nashville to snap an 0-5-1 skid in the sixth of a seven-game road trip.
Pavol Demitra and Alex Burrows (empty-netter) also scored for the Canucks.
Radek Bonk scored during a 5-on-3 advantage for the Predators.
Elsewhere in the NHL – A banker and an economist spoke at the NHL’s board of governors meeting in Palm Beach, Fla., helping owners and executives assess the financial landscape. Commissioner Gary Bettman pointed to both “a lot of uncertainty” and “cautious optimism.” . . .
Pittsburgh defenseman Hal Gill (shoulder) will miss 2-4 weeks.
