Nikolai Khabibulin makes 32 saves in Oilers’ 3-2 victory over Canadiens

Khabibulin leads Oilers past Canadiens

EDMONTON, Alberta — Nikolai Khabibulin made 33 saves to help the Edmonton Oilers beat the Montreal Canadiens 3-2 on Saturday night.

Mike Comrie, Jean-Francois Jacques and Patrick O’Sullivan scored to give the Oilers a 3-0 lead midway through the second period.

Brian Gionta and Roman Hamrlik scored for Montreal.

The Oilers finished 2-1-1 on their season-opening homestand, while the Canadiens dropped to 2-3-0 with their third straight loss on a five-game trip.

Edmonton only had six shots on Montreal starter Carey Price in the first, but made one of them count with 1:20 left as Sam Gagner sent Comrie in on a partial breakaway with a long pass. Comrie beat Price with a high wrist shot.

The Oilers made it 2-0 early in the second period when Jacques tipped Ladislav Smid’s shot through Price’s legs for just his second point in 64 NHL games.

Edmonton extended the lead 5 minutes later after Ryan Stone stole a puck in the Montreal zone and sent it to O’Sullivan in front. O’Sullivan beat Price with a low shot. Edmonton scored three goals on its first 10 shots.

Gionta scored with 49 seconds left in the second, and Hamrlik completed the scoring with 3:22 to go in the third.

NOTES: D Steve Staios returned to the Edmonton lineup after missing time because of a concussion. He replaced D Sheldon Souray, who is recovering from a mild concussion. … The Canadiens played without forward Glen Metropolit (rib injury).