NHL : Canadiens Get Past Devils, 3-2, for Fifth Consecutive Victory

The goaltending of Patrick Roy and three second-period goals gave the Montreal Canadiens a 3-2 victory over the New Jersey Devils on Wednesday night.

“In a long season, you have some nights when you feel really strong,” said Roy, who had 33 saves. “This was one of them. I was really concentrating--really focusing on the puck. It’s fun to have that kind of game.”

Denis Savard, Mike Keane and Kirk Muller scored as the Canadiens recorded their fifth victory in a row and the seventh in their last eight games.

Valeri Zelepukin and John Maclean scored for the Devils, who lost their second in a row.

The teams play again Friday night at New Jersey.

Montreal improved its Adams Division lead to five points over the Quebec Nordiques. New Jersey missed a chance to pull ahead of the New York Rangers for sole possession of third place in the Patrick Division.

All the scoring came in the second period in which Montreal outshot New Jersey, 20-18.

Overall, the Canadiens outshot the Devils, 37-35.

Roy kept the Canadiens in the game through a scoreless first period in which the Devils were constantly in the Montreal zone.

“Patrick won the game for us,” Muller said. “We played a little better in the second half of the game, but if Patrick hadn’t played like he did, we wouldn’t have won.”