MONTREAL (AP) — Markus Naslund had two goals and an assist and Todd Bertuzzi also had three points to lead the Vancouver Canucks to a 5-2 win over the Montreal Canadiens on Tuesday night.
Mike Keane scored his first Vancouver goal and Jason King got his team-leading 11th goal as the Canucks ended a five-game road losing streak (0-3-0-2).
Naslund scored to break a 1-1 tie in the second, and assisted on Bertuzzi’s eighth goal early in the third. He added his second goal of the game — his 10th of the season — with 6:27 remaining.
Vancouver, coming off back-to-back losses to Toronto, got its first win in regulation in eight games.
Richard Zednik, who scored twice Saturday in Edmonton — including the first outdoor goal in NHL history — got his fifth goal in four games for Montreal.
Ryan Kesler, chosen 23rd overall with the Canucks’ first pick in the 2003 draft, assisted on Keane’s goal for his first career point in his second game since being recalled from Manitoba of the AHL.
Keane, who signed as a free agent the day before Vancouver’s season opener, started the scoring in the first with his first goal in 15 games with the Canucks. It was his first goal since Jan. 23 with Colorado against Columbus — a span of 39 games.
Brad May recovered the puck and passed to Keane in the slot when Kesler was checked by Francis Bouillon along the right-wing boards. Keane beat goalie Jose Theodore through the legs.
Zednik, who scored just twice in his first 18 games — including a 12-game drought — scored his seventh to tie it. After taking a pass from Saku Koivu, Zednik’s first shot was blocked by Brent Sopel. Zednik fired the rebound past goalie Dan Cloutier, inside the left post.
Naslund took Bertuzzi’s pass and put a backhand shot beyond Theodore in the second to put Vancouver up 2-1.
Bertuzzi made it 3-1 just 3:15 into the third with a shot into the right side of the net, and King increased the lead to three.
Sundstrom scored his first of the season at 12:43 to draw Montreal to within4-2. Naslund restored the Canucks’ three-goal lead 50 seconds later.
Notes
Los Angeles Dodgers closer and 2003 NL Cy Young Award winner Eric Gagne took in the game from a rinkside seat beside the penalty box. … Both teams and the four on-ice officials wore retro uniforms. Vancouver wore the blue and green jerseys the team sported when it broke into the NHL in 1970-71. Montrealwore its 1945-46 white jersey.