Kovalev wins it in overtime for Montreal

Montreal Canadiens Alex Kovalev, second right, from Russia, celebrates with teammates after scoring the winning goal in the first overtime of Game 2 of the Eastern Conference quarterfinal hockey playoffs in Montreal, Saturday, April 12, 2008. (AP Photo/The Canadian Press, Ryan Remiorz)

MONTREAL—Alex Kovalev scored a power-play goal 2:30 into overtime to give the Montreal Canadiens a 3-2 win over the Boston Bruins on Saturday night and a 2-0 lead in their first-round series.

Kovalev drove a slap shot past Tim Thomas from the left side as Montreal took advantage of consecutive penalties to Boston's Shawn Thornton and Jeremy Reich.

Thornton got a double-minor for high sticking with 2:17 left in the third when the Bruins forward's stick came up and struck Montreal's Tom Kostopoulos in the face, drawing blood and an automatic -- and ill-timed -- 4 minutes in penalties.

The Canadiens were unable to score on that advantage but broke through after Reich was sent off for tripping Andrei Markov with 12 seconds remaining in Thornton's second minor.

Montreal has won 13 in a row against Boston, which claimed just one point -- a shootout loss -- out of a possible 16 in losing eight regular-season games against the Canadiens this season.

Game 3 is Sunday night in Boston.

Roman Hamrlik scored late in the first and Canadiens rookie Sergei Kostitsyn scored his second goal in as many playoff games 1:30 into the middle period to put Montreal up 2-0.

The Bruins tied it at 2 midway through the third on David Krejci's first playoff goal after Peter Schaefer drew Boston within 2-1 earlier in the period.

Schaefer put a backhand past Carey Price 3:58 into the third as Boston finally scored its first goal of the game despite firing 25 shots at Montreal's 20-year-old rookie in the first two periods. Price finished with 37 saves.

Krejci tied it during a two-man advantage at 9:34 when he finished off a 5-on-3 passing play with Marc Savard and Marco Sturm and put a shot into a wide-open net from the left edge of the crease.

Bruins defenseman Andrew Alberts appeared in his first playoff game and figured prominently in Montreal's opening goal.

Despite a strong effort in the opening period, Boston went to the dressing room trailing 1-0 after Hamrlik drove a slap shot past Thomas from the left faceoff circle with 1:30 remaining in the first.

The scoring play began with Alberts -- a healthy scratch Thursday -- lining up Montreal's Steve Begin for a check in the Canadiens' zone. Alberts took the brunt of the collision and fell to the ice.

Savard dropped back as Montreal counterattacked and made a vain attempt to block Hamrlik's drive.

Kostitsyn, who scored 34 seconds into his playoff debut Thursday, increased the lead to two 1:30 into the second.

Notes:@ Price made a left pad save on Thornton's shot with just under 5 minutes left in the second and moments after Hamrlik drove a slap shot off the left post. ... Canadiens captain Saku Koivu is still recovering from a broken bone in his left foot and did not dress. D Francis Bouillon also remained sidelined by a right ankle injury.