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BOX SCORE
MONTREAL (AP) -- Brian Savage's offensive talents were hardly
hindered by donning a visor.
Savage scored two power-play goals just over three minutes apart
in the second period as the Montreal Canadiens scored four
unanswered goals to beat the Phoenix Coyotes 5-2 on Saturday night.
|  | | Montreal's Brian Savage broke a three-game scoring slump with his two goals Saturday vs. the Coyotes. |
Savage, who doesn't wear normally wear an eye shield, was
wearing the added protection after getting cut over his right eye
when he took a high stick from Atlanta's Steve Guolla the previous
night.
"The cut was so deep, I had to wear it," Savage said. "I'm
sure my dad's going to be pushing for it. I've tried them before
and never felt comfortable with them, but it didn't seem to bother
me tonight."
Sheldon Souray, Karl Dykhuis and Chad Kilger also scored for
Montreal, which won for just the third time in 18 home games after
opening the season with four straight wins at the Molson Centre.
"It feels so good to get a win at home," Souray said.
The Canadiens began a season-long five-game homestand while
Phoenix lost its third straight to close out its season-long
five-game road trip with a 1-3-1 record.
The Coyotes kept reporters waiting for 20 minutes after the game
while they held a team meeting.
"It's a tough stretch that we're in right now," Phoenix
forward Shane Doan said. "We've just got to find a way to get out
of it."
Coyotes defenseman Teppo Numminen scored his third of the season
to open the scoring 3:43 into the first and Daniel Briere scored
his second on the power play 5:40 into the third.
Montreal scored four unanswered goals in between to take
control.
Savage, who had been held without a point in his last three
games, was involved in an altercation with Phoenix's Sean Burke in
the first period and gained a measure of revenge on the Coyotes
goalie by beating him for the tying and go-ahead goals 3:12 apart
early in the second.
"I was just standing in front of the net and he cross-checked
me," Savage said.
After Montreal failed to convert on any of four power-play
opportunities in the first, Savage took a pass from rookie
defenseman Andrei Markov, drove to the net and backhanded a shot
past Burke 2:52 into the period to tie it.
Savage scored his 17th of the season -- and ninth in 10 games --
at 6:04 to put the Canadiens ahead 2-1.
"I definitely had a few smiles after I scored," Savage said.
Souray gave Montreal a two-goal lead when he blasted a slap shot
over Burke's left shoulder at 8:27 for his first goal since April
6. The unassisted score gave Montreal three goals within 5:35.
"We came out a little flat in the first and came back in the
second," Souray said. "It was nice to finally get a goal. I'm not
an offensive force or anything like that, but I can contribute.
I've been getting some chances, so it's nice to get it."
Dykhuis added another unassisted goal 2:50 into the third to
make it 4-1.
Briere scored on a power play with 14:20 left to draw the
Coyotes to within two before Kilger scored his seventh on a man
advantage with 1:01 left to close out the scoring.
Burke stopped 25 shots, while Canadiens goalie Jose Theodore
stopped 18.
Game notes
Burke was given a double-roughing minor along with Savage's
roughing penalty after their altercation in the crease 11:31 into
the first. ... Burke's goals-against average went from 1.84 to
1.90. ... Souray's goal was his first point in 16 games for
Montreal this season since returning from offseason abdominal
surgery. ... Forward Johan Witehall made his first appearance for
the Canadiens after he was claimed on NHL waivers from the New York
Rangers the day before. Witehall had one goal and four assists in
28 games with the Rangers during parts of three seasons.
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ALSO SEE
NHL Scoreboard
Phoenix Clubhouse
Montreal Clubhouse
RECAPS
Boston 4
NY Rangers 1
Montreal 5
Phoenix 2
Toronto 4
New Jersey 4
NY Islanders 6
Pittsburgh 5
Washington 4
Atlanta 1
Philadelphia 4
Florida 1
St. Louis 4
Los Angeles 2
Ottawa 5
Calgary 2
Nashville 5
San Jose 3
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