Canadiens douse Flames at home

Source: Agencies  |   2008-12-11  |     NEWSPAPER EDITION

THE Montreal Canadiens beat the Calgary Flames 4-1 on Tuesday, Robert Lang netting a pair of goals to help the Canadiens record their fourth win in five games.

Matt D'Agostini scored for the fourth consecutive game and Andrei Markov scored the other goal for the Canadiens, who improved to 4-0-1 during their seven-game homestand.

D'Agostini made it 2-0 with a sensational rush the length of the ice at 4:17 of the second period.

He had to balance the puck on his stick several times before finally swatting a shot past Calgary goalie Miikka Kiprusoff for his fifth point in five games since being called up from Hamilton of the American Hockey League on November 27.

"It's gone according to plan, I'd say, but even I never thought it would come like this, this fast," D'Agostini told reporters.

"The goals are coming, obviously, but I'm pretty happy with my all-round play and hopefully I can continue to do better and better."

Elsewhere in the National Hockey League, it was: Canucks 3, Predators 1; Flyers 4, Islanders 3; and Avalanche 6, Kings 1.

In Montreal, Canadiens backup goalie Jaroslav Halak made 32 saves for his first win in seven weeks. Dustin Boyd scored the lone goal for the Flames, who out-shot the Canadiens 33-31.

"He was very, very solid in the net for them and probably was a difference maker," Flames coach Mike Keenan said about Halak's play. "That's the kind of effort you need from your goalie to win games."

Montreal (16-6-5) opened the scoring on Lang's ninth goal of the season 3:41 into the game and never trailed, improving to 9-2-3 on home ice and ending Calgary's four-game road winning streak.

"We have to take advantage of all these games at home," Montreal coach Guy Carbonneau said.

"We have so far but you don't get these games back, we'll be on the road soon enough."

Keenan said his team could not get the momentum back after the loss of the early goal.