Canadiens Finally Beat Sabres

February 6, 1999 / 11:41 PM EST / AP

Mark Recchi scored his first goal in 10 games and Martin Rucinsky had his team-leading 13th as the Montreal Canadiens scored three times in the first period en route to a 3-2 win over the Buffalo Sabres on Saturday night.

Eric Weinrich also scored for the Canadiens, who last beat the Sabres at the Molson Centre on March 18, 1996.

Michal Grosek and Mike Peca scored for Buffalo, which outshot Montreal 29-19. Alexei Zhitnik added two assists.

The Sabres thought they had tied the game with less than a minute left in the third period, but Brian Holzinger's goal was disallowed after video replays showed teammate Geoff Sanderson was in the crease.

The Sabres also had a goal disallowed late in the first period. Miroslav Satan beat Montreal goalie Jeff Hackett with a slap shot from the right circle, but teammate Vaclav Varada was in the crease.

Hackett was forced to leave the game early in the second period after suffering a hip injury. He was replaced by Frederic Chabot.

The Canadiens opened the scoring when Weinrich scored on power play at 2:52. He drilled a slap shot from the point that deflected off a skate and past Buffalo goalie Dwayne Roloson.

Roloson started in place of Dominik Hasek, who was being rested for Sunday's game against Washington.

The Sabres tied it at 5:59 on a power play when Grosek's high wrist shot from the slot eluded Hackett.

Rucinsky gave Montreal the lead again just 39 seconds later, and Recchi made it 3-1 a little more than two minutes after that. Recchi, Montreal's leading scorer with 37 points, hadn't scored since Jan. 15.

Peca scored at 17:42 of the third on a high slap shot to make it close.