Drury Caps Comeback As Rangers Stun Habs

[February 04, 2008]  MONTREAL (AP) -- Chris Drury had the go-ahead goal midway through the third period, and the New York Rangers scored five unanswered goals in a 5-3 win over the Montreal Canadiens on Sunday.

Drury redirected Nigel Dawes' shot past Montreal goalie Cristobal Huet at the right edge of the crease as New York overcame a 3-0 deficit early in the second period to extend its winning streak to three.

Martin Straka capped the five-goal rally at 18:30 of the third with the Rangers' second goal of the period.

After Montreal rookie Sergei Kostitsyn beat Henrik Lundqvist on a penalty shot 5:40 into the second to put the Canadiens up by three, New York scored three times to close out the period. Michal Rozsival and Brandon Dubinsky scored 24 seconds apart to draw the Rangers to 3-2. Scott Gomez scored at 15:40 to tie it at 3.

Andrei Markov and Alex Kovalev each scored power-play goals in the first period for Montreal in the first period.

Lundqvist made 25 saves, including a huge stop 55 seconds into the third when he stuck out his right pad to deny Tomas Plekanec after the Canadiens center deked past him on a short-handed breakaway opportunity.

Huet also stopped 25 shots in his 12th straight start for Montreal, which lost an opportunity to move within one point of Eastern Conference leaders Ottawa for the Northeast Division lead.

The Canadiens, who had won eight of 11 (8-2-1), host the Senators on Tuesday night.

Rangers left wing Ryan Hollweg got a boarding major and a game misconduct 15:40 into the second. Hollweg, who was leveled by Kovalev's shoulder check earlier in the period, was sent off after he checked Kostitsyn from behind headfirst into the boards.

Markov extended his points streak to six games when he opened the scoring 3:11 in with an unassisted effort for his 12th goal of the season.

Kovalev scored his team-leading 24th goal at 13:36 when he finished off a passing play with Saku Koivu and Chris Higgins to put Montreal up 2-0.

Kostitsyn made the most of an opportunity to increase the lead to 3-0 when he was awarded a penalty shot by referee Chris Lee after he was hooked by Sean Avery on a breakaway

Roszival put New York on the board with a power-play goal at 8:39 and Dubinsky scored on an unassisted effort at 9:03 to draw the Rangers to 3-2.

Notes: Lundqvist has won four of his last five starts. ... Kovalev has three power-play goals in his last six games.

[Associated Press; By BOB BAUM]

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