Music: {allcanada} Sabres end 14-game losing streak, defeat Canadiens

Tuesday, February 3, 2015

{allcanada} Sabres end 14-game losing streak, defeat Canadiens

MONTREAL -- Drew Stafford, Matt Moulson and Brian Gionta scored first-period goals and the Buffalo Sabres defeated the Montreal Canadiens 3-2 at Bell Centre on Tuesday to end their 14-game losing streak.

Jhonas Enroth made 32 saves for Buffalo (15-33-3), which won for the first time since Dec. 27. The Sabres' losing streak was one game shy of the third-longest in NHL history set by the Philadelphia Quakers from Nov. 29, 1930 to Jan. 8, 1931.

The NHL record for consecutive losses (17) was set by the expansion 1974-75 Washington Capitals and matched by the second-year San Jose Sharks in 1992-93.

Brandon Prust and David Desharnais scored for Montreal (32-15-3), which has lost two in a row following a five-game winning streak that included back-to-back 1-0 wins at the New York Rangers on Thursday and the Washington Capitals on Saturday.

Stafford scored at 5:21 of the first period to end Montreal goalie Carey Price's shutout streak at 158:24.

Moulson ended a 16-game goal drought at 14:53 to restore Buffalo's one-goal lead at 2-1. Sabres captain Brian Gionta increased the lead to two with an unassisted goal with 41 seconds left in the first.

Price, who made 15 saves, rested Sunday when the Canadiens lost to the Arizona Coyotes 3-2. He had won his five previous starts and was named the League's First Star of the Week on Monday after going 3-0-0 with two shutouts, a 0.66 goals-against average and .980 save percentage.

Moulson took a back pass from defenseman Nikita Zadorov and spun around into the slot to beat Price with a shot between his legs for his eighth goal, and first since Dec. 15.

Gionta got credit for his fifth goal to make it 3-1 at 19:19 when his centering pass went in off Montreal defenseman Nathan Beaulieu's skate.

Price had allowed more than two goals once in his previous 16 starts, going 13-2-1 with a 1.43 GAA and .953 save percentage over that span.

Desharnais drew Montreal to within one at 4:20 of the third period when the puck went in off his skate while he battled former teammate Josh Gorges for position on the edge of the crease. A video review upheld the on-ice ruling.

Prust knocked Tyler Myers down and off the puck in the neutral zone and passed off to Desharnais to begin the play that led to his fourth goal. Desharnais fed a return pass past Zadorov to Prust, who snapped a shot past Enroth from the inside edge of the right faceoff circle at 8:15 to tie it at 1-1.