NHL ROUNDUP : Devils End Canadiens’ Streak at Five Games

Bobby Holik scored three first-period goals as the New Jersey Devils ended the Montreal Canadiens’ five-game winning streak with a 6-2 victory in a penalty-filled game Friday night at East Rutherford, N.J.

Referee Paul Devorski called 10 misconducts, four majors and 164 minutes in penalties during the game, which was interrupted by several scuffles and a couple of apparent cheap shots.

“This one got way out of hand,” Devil defenseman Ken Daneyko said. “There was just way too much stick work. The old style was better where guys just dropped their gloves and fought. I’m not crying. Both hockey clubs were doing it, but there was way too much stick work.”

Montreal forward Benoit Brunet will be sidelined for six to eight weeks because of a broken left thumb he suffered when he was whacked across the left hand by forward John MacLean.

“I know MacLean’s not a dirty player,” Montreal Coach Jacques Demers said. “That was a shot that should have gotten him thrown out of the game. He’s never been a cheap-shot guy, but his two-hander broke my player’s thumb.”

MacLean said he wasn’t trying to injure Brunet.

“I didn’t think I slashed him that hard,” MacLean said. “It happens when you hit on a spot that is unprotected. I’m sorry. It just happened. It wasn’t a malicious slash.”

Alexander Semak of New Jersey took a forearm to the face from Brian Skrudland after giving the Devils a 4-2 lead with 17 seconds left in the second period by scoring his first of two goals.

The victory ended the Devils’ two-game losing streak and was their sixth in the last 10 games (6-2-2). Montreal, which had won its last three road games, is 7-2-1 in its last 10.

Buffalo 6, Quebec 2--NHL goal-scoring leader Alexander Mogilny had two power-play goals as the Sabres won at Buffalo.

Mogilny, trying to become the sixth player in league history to score 50 goals in 50 games, brought his league-leading total to 45. The right wing needs to score five goals in the next three games to join the 50-50 club.

The victory was the seventh in 10 games for the Sabres.

Goaltender Tom Draper, playing in only his fifth game this season for the Sabres, stopped 22 shots for his second consecutive victory.

Edmonton 2, Pittsburgh 1--The defense of backup goalie Ron Tugnutt and a third-period goal by Craig MacTavish helped the Oilers defeat the Penguins at Edmonton.

MacTavish scored midway through the third period to break a 1-1 tie, but Tugnutt’s 33 saves, most of them in the first two periods against the league’s top team, nullified Pittsburgh’s attack.

Calgary 4, Winnipeg 4--Keith Tkachuk scored with five seconds to play as the Jets tied the Flames at Calgary.

Waiting at the edge of the crease, Tkachuk deflected a shot by Teppo Numminen that also bounced off the stick of Calgary defenseman Chris Dahlquist and over goaltender Mike Vernon.