*Tanguay, Koivu help Canadiens jolt Coyotes*
MONTREAL (Ticker) -- Alex Tanguay scored twice and captain Saku Koivu had a goal and two assists as the Montreal Canadiens recorded their fourth victory in a row with a 4-1 triumph over the Phoenix Coyotes on Saturday.
Robert Lang also tallied, defenseman Andrei Markov notched two assists and Carey Price made 28 saves for Montreal, which improved to 7-0-0 with three ties in its last 10 meetings with Phoenix. The last time the Coyotes defeated the Canadiens was December 9, 1998.
"Winning is fun right now - we've only lost that first one in the shootout in Buffalo," Tanguay said. "We're still at the point where we need to wrap up wins, move up in the standings, and right now, we are doing that and we're having fun."
Captain Shane Doan scored and Ilya Bryzgalov stopped 29 shots for Phoenix, which finished its four-game road trip with a 1-3-0 record.
Tanguay opened the scoring 6:11 into the first period, accepting a brilliant backhand pass from Koivu and beating Bryzgalov for his second tally of the season.
Koivu doubled the advantage just over five minutes later. After Markov faked a shot from the left point and fed the captain in the right faceoff circle, Koivu settled the puck and beat an out-of-position Bryzgalov.
The tone of the contest quickly changed after Coyotes defenseman Kurt Sauer leveled Andrei Kostitsyn in the second period, causing the Belarussian to leave the game. He did not return.
" (Kostitsyn) came over the blue line, he was starting to lay back and, I don't know, I just hit him," Sauer said. "I didn't see the replay, but it isn't good when a guy goes down like that. I don't think it was (a head shot). I don't think I came up high on him."
"I don't know if it was dirty, but I know (the league is) trying to erase blows to the head, and I think timing is part of the game and hitting's part of the game," Montreal coach Guy Carbonneau said. "(Sauer) pushed himself forward to try and make a hit, and his arm was up."
Although no penalty was called, brother Sergei Kostitsyn came out on the next shift and physically stepped up his game, drawing a roughing penalty after checking defenseman David Hale behind the Coyotes' net.
Later in the session, Tom Kostopoulos challenged Sauer to a fight, with less-than-desirable results. Tanguay added his second goal of the game 66 seconds later to give the Canadiens a three-goal bulge.
"It was just a reaction. (I'm) starting to know Saku, know what he's going to do a little bit," Tanguay said of the tally. "There's always somebody in front. I just hung back and he made a beautiful pass through a lot of guys, and then I just had to make sure to take my time and not miss the net and put it in."
The remainder of the second period proved to be contentious, with Montreal enforcer Georges Laraque being whistled for a two-minute unsportsmanlike conduct and a five-minute fighting penalty with Todd Fedoruk.
"The league punishes blows to the head, so you can't just go after a guy and jump on him - especially me," Laraque said. "I thought we responded well in a moderate way to show we didn't like it, but again, you have to be careful. You don't want to get five or 10 games (as a suspension). Then who won?"
Lang extended the advantage to 4-0 with 56 seconds remaining in the second period, taking advantage of Daniel Winnik's turnover in his own end and quickly wristing the puck past Bryzgalov for a power-play tally.
Doan spoiled Price's bid for a shutout midway through the third period with his fourth of the season.
"He stoned me on the first one, what a save on the first one, and we needed that one a lot more," Doan said of a first-period save by Price, who also is his cousin. "He came up with the big save when he needed. I think it was a 1-0 game there. If I score it's 1-1, it's a different game."
