Stajan, Maple Leafs slip by Montreal
Matt Stajan scored an unassisted goal late in the third period to lift the Toronto Maple Leafs to a 3-2 win over the Canadiens last night in Montreal.
The 23-year-old center ended a nine-game goal drought when he broke down the right side and put a slap shot past Cristobal Huet with 1:34 remaining in the third and Toronto went on to its first win in three games.
"I let it fire and I heard a metal thump," Stajan said.
Tomas Kaberle and Mats Sundin also scored for the Maple Leafs, who lost, 3-2, in New Jersey one night earlier. Vesa Toskala stopped 32 shots.
Mike Komisarek and Chris Higgins scored for the Canadiens, who lost in regulation for the first time in seven games (5-1-1).
Bryan Smolinski assisted on both Montreal goals.
"They played a smart game," Canadiens captain Saku Koivu said. "They played well defensively, they didn't force anything, and then they got the winner in the end."
It was the second meeting of the season between the teams, who make up the league's longest-standing rivalry. Kaberle scored the overtime winner in Toronto's 4-3 win over Montreal Oct. 6.
Hurricanes 4, Panthers 2 - Matt Cullen had a power-play goal and an assist, Cory Stillman also scored with the man advantage, and Carolina beat Florida in Raleigh, N.C.
Chad LaRose and Trevor Letowski also scored, and Jeff Hamilton and Rod Brind'Amour each had two assists for the Southeast Division-leading Hurricanes, who entered with the league's fifth-best power play.
Rangers 2, Devils 1 - Petr Prucha scored the lone goal of the shootout to give host New York the win over New Jersey.
Prucha, the second shooter, beat Martin Brodeur with a shot over his left shoulder.
Henrik Lundqvist stopped all three Devils shooters - Zach Parise, Brian Gionta, and John Madden - to secure the Rangers' third straight win.
Wild 4, Flames 1 - Marian Gaborik scored twice and added an assist to lead Minnesota past Calgary in St. Paul.
Brian Rolston and Branko Radivojevic also scored for Minnesota, which snapped a five-game winless streak. Niklas Backstrom stopped 23 shots in his return after missing four games because of a strained groin.
Thrashers 6, Lightning 4 - Pascal Dupuis scored the go-ahead goal late in the third period and Ilya Kovalchuk had his second consecutive three-goal game as visiting Atlanta rallied past Tampa Bay.
Blackhawks 3, Blues 2 - Patrick Sharp scored a pair of shorthanded goals in the third period and Chicago won in St. Louis.
Sharp's winning goal came after Blues goalie Manny Legace tried to play a puck to defenseman Barret Jackman. The puck skipped over Jackman to Rene Bourque, whose shot was blocked into the slot, and Sharp's high wrister to the glove side beat Legace with 2:21 left. It was Sharp's fifth of the season.
Islanders 3, Penguins 2 - In his return to the bench for one night only, Al Arbour-led New York rallied from a two-goal deficit to beat Pittsburgh in Uniondale, N.Y.
Arbour was behind the bench for the Islanders' four Stanley Cup championships in the 1980s and was invited back to coach the team for the 1,500th time, earning win No. 740.
