Higgins leads Canadiens over Devils 4-3

New Jersey Devils' Travis Zajac (19) stick-handles the puck in front of Montreal Canadiens goaltender Cristobal Huet, of France, as Devils' Zach Parise (9) and Canadiens' Mark Streit, left, of Switzerland, look on in the second period of NHL hockey Thursday night, Jan 24, 2008, at the Prudential Center in Newark, N.J. (AP Photo/Bill Kostroun)

NEWARK, N.J.—Chris Higgins scored a power-play goal with 5:29 remaining to cap a three-goal third period and give the Montreal Canadiens a 4-3 victory over the New Jersey Devils on Thursday night in the final game for both before the All-Star break.

Brian Smolinski scored twice for Montreal, which got its 17th road win of the season.

Just 29 seconds Smolinski scored off a rebound from Andrei Markov's shot, slicing the lead to 3-2. Saku Koivu tied it with 8:06 left when he deflected Mike Komisarek's slap shot for his ninth goal of the season.

Higgins then scored his 16th of the season off a scramble in front of the net.

The Devils had leads of 2-0 and 3-1, thanks to two goals from Patrick Elias and one from captain Jamie Langenbrunner.

Elias scored just seven minutes into the game on a power play, assisted by defenseman Mike Mottau and scored again in the second period on a perfect give-and-go between himself and Mottau.

After Smolinski sliced the lead to 2-1 on a goal he set up by maneuvering through two defenders, Langenbrunner scored a power-play goal on an uncontested slap shot with just three minutes left in the second period, seemingly giving the Devils command of the game.