Canadiens extend winning streak after dispatching Rangers

New York — Carey Price made 26 saves and the Montreal Canadiens extended their winning streak to five games with a 4-1 victory over the New York Rangers on Saturday night.

Shea Weber, Artturi Lehkonen, Andrew Shaw and Jordie Benn scored for the Canadiens, who are in first place in the Atlantic Division. Max Pacioretty and Alex Galchenyuk each had two assists for Montreal, which has won six of seven. That streak started with a shootout win over the Rangers on Feb. 21 at Madison Square Garden.

Chris Kreider scored and Henrik Lundqvist made 31 saves for the Rangers, who have lost three of their past four.

With the Rangers trailing 3-0, Lundqvist made two strong saves on Pacioretty early in the third period before the Rangers got on the board.

Kreider took a pass from Derek Stepan and scored on his own rebound for his 24th of the season at 1:44.

However, Benn restored Montreal’s three-goal lead with his third of the season at 6:58.

Leading by a goal after the first period, the Canadiens controlled the play in the early part of the second by winning the battles for the loose pucks.

Pacioretty took the puck away from defenseman Ryan McDonagh along the boards and passed to Phillip Danault, who set up Lehkonen for a one-timer that beat Lundqvist stick-side for his 12th goal of the season at 8:48.

The Rangers then started getting some pressure on Price.

Pavel Buchnevich sent a pass to Rick Nash, who collided with Price with nine minutes remaining in the period. A minute later, Price made a nice save on Kevin Hayes, who came in on a break with Jimmy Vesey.

Montreal withstood the push and took a 3-0 lead late in the second.

Galchenyuk sent a pass to Shaw. Lundqvist made the initial save but couldn’t find the puck as Shaw gathered the rebound and scored on a wraparound for his 10th of the season at 18:37.

The Canadiens got off to a fast start, outshooting the Rangers 11-6 in the opening period.

Newly acquired center Steve Ott won a faceoff in the Rangers zone. Weber then sent a wrister toward the net that deflected off Rangers defenseman Adam Clendening for Weber’s 15th goal of the season at 12:41.

Notes

Ott and Andreas Martinsen made their debuts for the Canadiens, replacing Michael McCarron (healthy scratch) and Alexander Radulov (lower-body injury) . ... Michael Grabner, who leads the Rangers with 26 goals, remains day to day with a hip injury. Defenseman Kevin Klein (back) won’t travel with the team on its upcoming road trip.