PITTSBURGH Pens extend winning streak to four

Martin Straka scored twice in a 3-2 victory over Montreal.
PITTSBURGH (AP) -- Martin Straka scored two of Pittsburgh's three goals in a second period in which an apparent Montreal goal was waved off, and the Penguins ran their winning streak to four with a 3-2 victory Saturday night.
Milan Kraft scored the first of two Pittsburgh goals in a span of 1:17 early in the period as the Penguins rebounded from a 1-0 deficit and ended an eight-game winless streak against the Canadiens.
Montreal was 7-0-1 against Pittsburgh since last season, including a pair of overtime victories and a tie in their first three meetings this season.
Penguins goaltender Jean-Sebastien Aubin turned aside 20 shots for only his second career victory against Montreal and the first since his initial career start against them on Nov. 10, 1999. He also stopped his six-game losing streak that came during the Penguins' recent 10-game losing streak that preceded their current winning run.
Canadiens slumping
Montreal has lost three straight, one in overtime, to open a seven-game road trip.
The Canadiens came out strong, taking a 1-0 lead on Chad Kilger's goal at 12:55 of the first, but missed a chance to take control by failing to convert on the game's first three power plays.
That allowed Kraft to tie it 45 seconds into the second period, redirecting Mark Bergevin's shot past goalie Jeff Hackett, who started despite Jose Theodore's strong play in a 3-2 loss at Ottawa on Friday night. Hackett stopped 26 shots.
Straka put Pittsburgh ahead at 2:02 on a breakaway started by Alexei Kovalev, forcing Hackett to move to the left of the net before stuffing the puck into a big opening to the goalie's glove side.
Jan Hrdina then set up Straka's 10th goal of the season and second in just over 10 minutes, skating down the left wing boards before making a cross-ice pass that allowed Straka to easily beat Hackett.
Montreal appeared to have closed within 3-2 when Richard Zednik steered the puck past Aubin at 15:39 of the second, just as the net was being dislodged by Bergevin.
Referees Stephen Walkom and Kevin Pollock could have awarded the goal or called Bergevin for delay of game. Instead, the play was reviewed by video replay judge Dale Ruth, who is allowed only to determine whether the net was off its moorings -- not who dislodged it.
That lost goal proved big when the Canadiens finally scored again late in the third period, with Craig Rivet sliding the puck between Aubin's pads during a flurry in the Penguins' end with just more than two minutes remaining.