Parise, Devils slow down Canadiens
Posted February 19, 2012 8:51 pm.
This article is more than 5 years old.
THE CANADIAN PRESS
MONTREAL — Zach Parise and David Clarkson scored and Martin Brodeur made 21 saves to lead the New Jersey Devils to a 3-1 win over the Montreal Canadiens on Sunday.
Matt Taormina added a goal as New Jersey (34-20-4) won its third straight and vaulted past division rivals Pittsburgh and Philadelphia into fourth in the Eastern Conference.
Max Pacioretty scored the lone goal for Montreal (24-26-10), which has now lost eight straight to New Jersey at the Bell Centre. The Canadiens last beat the Devils in Montreal nearly four years ago, a 4-0 triumph on March 11, 2008.
Carey Price made 22 saves for Montreal.
After a key 4-3 shootout victory in Buffalo on Friday, the Canadiens’ slim hopes for a playoff berth stalled again. A win would have moved Montreal within four points of the eighth and final spot in the Eastern Conference.
Price gave the Canadiens a chance in the opening 20 minutes, stopping 12 shots including a chance by Patrik Elias from in close.
Elias and Clarkson found themselves alone in front of Price after Montreal defenceman Chris Campoli got caught but couldn’t beat the Habs netminder.
The Devils opened the scoring when Parise deflected an Ilya Kovalchuk shot off the faceoff past Price at 18:03 of the first. It marked the fourth straight game that the Canadiens have seen their opponent open the scoring.
New Jersey doubled its lead at 19:42 of the second. Elias’ wristshot from the blue-line deflected off Clarkson and into the net, for the rugged winger’s 22nd goal of the season.
Pacioretty ended Brodeur’s shutout bid at 1:46 of the third when he picked up a loose puck in a busy crease and wristed it past the Devils goalie, who had no idea where the puck was. The 23-year-old winger has been on a tear of late, picking up 13 goals and five assists in his last 17 games.
Taormina re-established New Jersey’s two-goal lead with his first of the season. After the Canadiens failed to clear the zone, Devils defenceman Mark Fayne took a shot from the blue-line that went in off Taormina at 8:27.
Notes: With Canadiens winger Louis Leblanc under the weather, Aaron Palushaj made it into the lineup after being called up by the Habs on Saturday. … The Devils scratched defenceman Kurtis Foster and wingers Stephane Veilleux and Cam Janssen. … For the first time since January 20, 2001, the Canadiens did not take a penalty.
