Montreal avoids OT, ends Rangers’ streak

For a change, the Montreal Canadiens did not have to work overtime on Tuesday night.

For the first time in five games, the Habs did not have to play extra time. Instead, the Canadiens posted a victory in regulation, getting Benoit Pouliot’s game-winning goal in the third period to snap the New York Rangers’ three-game winning streak in a 2-1 victory in New York City.

Pouliot’s ninth goal of the season came at the 6:03 mark of the third as Montreal capped a rally from a 1-0 deficit. New York scored first on Brandon Dubinsky’s 17th of the season just 4:15 into the contest.

Down 1-0 after a period, Montreal tied the game on Jaroslav Spacek’s second goal of the season with just 1:11 left before intermission. That set the stage of Pouliot’s go-ahead goal in the third.

Alex Auld stopped 25 of 26 shots for the Canadiens. Henrik Lundqvist was almost as good for the Rangers, making 36 saves.

The Canadiens are tied with Atlanta for seventh in the Eastern Conference with 51 points, two points behind the sixth-place Rangers.

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Wednesday, January 12, 2011 at 11:36 am by bud

Tags: Alex Auld, Benoit Pouliot, Brandon Dubinsky, Henrik Lundqvist, Jaroslav Spacek, Montreal Canadiens news, Montreal Canadiens schedule, Montreal Canadiens tickets, National Hockey League, New York Rangers