NHL Kovalev scores twice in 3-2 win

Montreal goalie Jose Theodore had two assists in a 3-2 win over Boston.
MONTREAL (AP) -- Jose Theodore not only stops goals, he sets them up. And Alex Kovalev is showing again that he knows how to finish plays.
Kovalev scored two first-period goals, both assisted by Canadiens goalie Theodore, and Montreal defeated the Boston Bruins 3-2.
Montreal trails the first-round playoff series 2 games to 1.
"You've got to feel happy when you get two goals and the team wins," Kovalev said. "The most important thing was to get the win. I didn't try to put too much pressure on myself. I just try to work on my game and I know eventually it'll turn around."
Andrei Markov also scored for the Canadiens, who scored just once while losing the first two games in Boston.
An enthusiastic, sellout Bell Centre crowd of 21,273 erupted on both of Kovalev's goals, each of which gave Montreal a lead.
Scoring slump
Kovalev had just four points, including an assist on Patrice Brisebois' goal in Friday's 2-1 overtime loss, in his first 14 games with the Canadiens, who acquired him in a trade with the New York Rangers on March 2.
"You have to give credit to Alex for that performance," Montreal coach Claude Julien said. "We're starting to see the Alex Kovalev we expected when we made the trade for him."
Theodore set up the rushes that led to both goals and became just the third goalie with two assists in an NHL playoff game, and the second -- following Edmonton's Grant Fuhr -- to do so in the same period.
"When I moved the puck and made the right play, I was able to beat one or two guys with the pass, and they did the rest," Theodore said. "It was just fun to hear my name like that for the two assists."
Boston's Andy Hilbert scored in his first career playoff game in the first period, and Brian Rolston brought the Bruins within one early in the third.
"They cashed in on their opportunities," Bruins forward Martin Lapointe said. "They did to us what we did to them in Boston."
Theodore, who allowed rookie Patrice Bergeron's goal 1:26 into overtime Friday, stopped 21 shots. Bruins rookie Andrew Raycroft, who had a shutout in his first playoff game Wednesday, stopped 29 shots.
Goals
Trailing a rush initiated by Theodore and led by Saku Koivu, Kovalev came through the slot and took a backhand pass from Koivu before beating Raycroft from a sharp angle 2:16 into the game.
Hilbert tied it when he beat Theodore with a long wrist shot.
Theodore started another play on Kovalev's second goal at 15:24. The goalie gave the puck to defenseman Craig Rivet, who shot along the right boards from behind Montreal's net.
Kovalev flipped the puck past defenseman Hal Gill at the Canadiens' blue line and broke down the ice on a two-on-one with Richard Zednik before beating Raycroft with a quick shot.
Markov gave Montreal a two-goal lead when he scored in the second period. Rolston ensured a tight finish when he scored 3:35 into the third on a slap shot that hit Theodore's left skate before going in.