Dawe, Canadiens Top Blues
The Montreal Canadiens are winning again. Now coach Alain Vigneault wants his top forwards to rediscover their scoring touch.
"I've said it 1,978 times -- our top lines have got to start scoring," Vigneault said after the Canadiens won for the seventh time in eight games with a 3-1 victory Monday night over the St. Louis Blues.
Vigneault juggled his lines and got Jason Dawe's first goal in 12 games as a Canadien, as well as the eighth goals of the season from star forwards Shayne Corson and Mark Recchi.
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"I'm trying to jump-start them, that's all," Vigneault added.
"Alain told us he was going to change the lines and we said, `Whatever -- it's not going to hurt,'" said Recchi, who scored into an empty net with 37 seconds left in the game. "Eventually, we'll all get back together."
Pavol Demitra scored his 21st in the second period for St. Louis, which has won only once in its last 13 road games (1-7-5).
The Blues, missing first-line forwards Pierre Turgeon and Geoff Courtnall to injuries, were incensed at losing veteran defenseman Al MacInnis after what appeared to be a harmless hit in the first period by Vincent Damphousse.
MacInnis left the game with back spasms and Tony Twist got Damphousse back by slugging him on the jaw during a faceoff with two seconds left in the period, earning a double-minor for roughing.
"He hit him from behind and Al drove his shoulder into the boards," Twist said of the hit. "It was a lack of respect for a fellow player.
"You jeopardize a guy's career like that. The team did a great job of killing off the penalties. We felt we needed to kill them off because we were doing what we had to do to send a message."
Coach Joel Quenneville said MacInnis would be examined Tuesday to determine the seriouness of the injury and said, "hopefully, he'll be OK for our next game."
The Canadiens swept a three-game home stand to reach the midpoint of their 82-game schedule at 15-19-7.
Montreal outshot St. Louis 25-23.
Dawe, claimed off waivers from the Islanders on Dec. 15, was left alone in the left circle to one-time a pass from Benoit Brunet inside the far post 6:56 into the game.
"That should relieve some pressure," said Dawe. "Before, the goalies were making great saves or I've been missing, but this time it went in."
The Blues killed off 3:58 in penalties to open the second period - including a full two minutes down two men - and then tied the game at 7:17 when Demitra deflected Ricard Persson's wrist shot past Jeff Hackett.
Corson redirected a pass by Recchi from the edge of the crease past Jamie McLennan on a power play at 12:55.
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