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Cristobal Huet eyeballs a flying puck.
Christopher Pike, Reuters

UPDATED with link to Pat Hickey's game story

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This one had all the makings of a great game, which too often winds up spelling dull with a capital D.

But who knew we'd witness playoff-quality hockey on a Saturday afternoon ... in November?

The scoreboard showed a final of 3-1 in favour of the Ottawa Senators over the Canadiens at Scotiabank Place in Ottawa-suburban Kanata. But the victory was shared by any fan who invested their afternoon in this one.

Ottawa's Chris Neil surprised Canadiens goalie Cristobal Huet with an unassisted wrist shot from the deep slot at 16:30 to give the Senators the victory. An insurance goal was scored into an empty net in the dying seconds by captain Daniel Alfredsson, who has put four of his 13 goals this season into an empty net.

The Senators outshot their visitors 37-29.

The quite terrific Canadiens, now 9-4-3 who were 7-1-1 in their last nine games, and the remarkable 14-2-0 Senators, their eight-game winning streak snapped on Thursday, engaged in something pretty classic. We might not see something this good for months.

Updated by Kevin Mio with links to Pat Hickey's game story
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A crucial 5-on-3 penalty kill late in the third period allowed the Canadiens to leave Boston with a 2-1 win over the Bruins on Thursday night in the first game of a four-game road trip. With Mike Komisarek and Francis Bouillon in the box, the Habs were able to kill off a two-man disadvantage for 1:57 with about seven minutes remaining. Carey Price got the win for the Canadiens and stopped 28 of the 29 shots Boston fired his way, while Tomas Plekanec and Alex Kovalev beat Tim Thomas for all the goals Montreal would need. Linemate Andrei Kostitsyn had a pair of assists on the night.

After a slow start in the first period, the Canadiens got the game’s first goal when Plekanec slipped a puck between Thomas's pads and Kovalev made sure it crossed the line with less than three minutes left in the period.

UPDATE: It is Latendresse and not Komisarek who will miss tonight's game.
Here's an update on tonight's gane against the Bruins from The Gazette's Pat Hickey in Boston:

Francis Bouillon will play tonight, while Guillaume Latendresse won't. He didn't practice this morning because of a hip or back problem.

The Bruins didn't practice this morning because they couldn't fly out of Buffalo after last night's game. Apparently there was a problem with their plane.

Canadiens' Michael Ryder is photographed from overhead in the Bell Centre during tonight's pre-game warmup.
André Ringuette, NHLI via Getty Images

Cristobal Huet keeps a close eye on the action.
Dave Sandford, NHLI via Getty Images

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Tomas Plekanec provided the Canadiens with all the offence they needed tonight – thanks to the goaltending of Cristobal Huet.

Plekanec's goal a little more than midway through the second period and Huet's stellar work in the Montreal net lifted the Canadiens to a 2-0 victory over the visiting Buffalo Sabres to close out a four-game Bell Centre homestand.

First-star Huet earned his 14th career shutout, making 29 saves. The Canadiens had 19 shots on the Sabres, including a late goal by Bryan Smolinski, his second of the season, who iced the victory with an empty-netter at 19:38.

Canadiens' Bryan Smolinski and goalie Cristobal Huet combine to stop Toronto captain Mats Sundin tonight at the Bell Centre.
André Ringuette, NHLI via Getty Images

Canadiens' Mike Komisarek takes Toronto's Simon Gamache into the boards.
Christinne Muschi, Reuters

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Canadiens fans don't like their team losing. But they like their team losing to the Toronto Maple Leafs perhaps least of all.

Toronto's Matt Stajan scored on a long shot that appeared to deflect off the stick of Montreal defenceman Mark Streit past goalie Cristobal Huet with 1:34 left to play tonight, giving the Maple Leafs a 3-2 victory.

The Leafs are perfect against the Canadiens after two games this season, having beaten Montreal 4-3 in overtime in the Canadiens' first game of the year.

Montreal fell to 7-3-0 with the loss, Toronto snapped a two-game losing skid to improve to 6-6-3. And give full credit for the Leafs victory to their goalie, Vesa Toskala, who stopped 32 Canadiens shots.

Huet faced 31 from Toronto shooters and would like to have a couple of them back.

Canadiens goalie Cristobal Huet stones Flyers' Scott Hartnell on this scoring attempt.
Dave Sandford, Getty Images

Canadiens' Mike Komisarek tangles with Hartnell during first-period action. Komisarek was a physical presence all night long for Montreal.
Christinne Muschi, Reuters

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The Philadelphia Flyers weren't so bad after all. Or, maybe the Canadiens were simply that good.

The Habs scored twice at even strength, twice on their league-leading power play and once more while shorthanded, outshooting the Flyers 41-19 to defeat their visitors 5-2 before the usual 21,273-fan sellout at the Bell Centre.

Montreal improved their record to 7-2-3, while the Atlanta Division-leading Flyers, playing their fourth in an eight-game road trip, dropped to 7-4-0.

Christopher Higgins pounced on a rebound off a Mark Streit slap shot at 16:42 of the third period, the Canadiens enjoying a 5-on-3 advantage, to put the Habs up 5-1.

Canadiens goalie Carey Price drops to make a save against the Thrashers.
Christinne Muschi, Reuters

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The Canadiens' four-game winning streak came to an end tonight – in a shootout.

The Atlanta Thrashers, dominant through the first half of the game, scored twice on Canadiens goalie Carey Price in the shootout, the Habs getting just one on Atlanta's Johan Hedberg at the other end. The visitors were full value for their 3-2 victory.

Price was beaten first by Bryan Little, then Ilya Kovalchuk, after having stopped Vyacheslav Kozlov. Hedberg stopped Tomas Plekanec, was deked beautifully by Saku Koivu for a goal, then ran Alex Kovalev out of ice on the must-score effort of the Habs forward.

Christopher Higgins had converted a perfect pass from Koivu at 18:02 of the third period, pulling the glacier-fast-starting Habs into a 2-2 tie.

Higgins's goal, his fourth of the season, was the Canadiens' NHL-best 19th power-play score this year.

Defenceman Francis Bouillon takes a seat tonight, listed as day to day with a left shoulder injury suffered Saturday in Pittsburgh upon being hit by the Penguins' Sergei Gonchar. Josh Gorges takes his place on the blue line against the Atlanta Thrashers. Look for Mikhail Grabovski to replace Andrei Kostitsyn on the Habs' third line.

Here's head coach Guy Carbonneau after this morning's skate. Clip runs 4:50.

Canadiens hero Andrei Markov celebrates his game-winning, shootout goal tonight vs. Pittsburgh.
Jason Cohn, Reuters

UPDATING THROUGHOUT THE GAME WITH PHOTOS

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Defenceman Andrei Markov scored on the Canadiens' eighth shootout attempt, Habs goaltender Carey Price stopping all eight Pittsburgh attempts, to lift the Canadiens to a 4-3 victory over the Penguins at Mellon Arena tonight. The victory runs Montreal's winning streak to four games and completes a perfect back-to-back weekend, having beaten the Carolina Hurricanes 7-4 Friday night in Raleigh, N.C.

It was Markov's second goal of the game, having scored a power-play marker in the first period, the winner a backhand that eluded Pittsburgh goalie Dany Sabourin.

It was the only one of 16 shootout tries to beat either goalie.

Montreal outshot Pittsburgh 28-23, 3-1 in the overtime period.

Pat Hickey sends along these words from the scrummed Sidney Crosby after today's pregame morning skate. Clip runs 3:00.

Tomas Plekanec celebrates his first goal tonight. His two-goal, two-assist performance is the best of his NHL career.
Streeter Lecka, Getty Images

Updated at 10:33 p.m. ET with more photos

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Tomas Plekanec had a career-high two goals and two assists and the Canadiens scored five times on the power-play, four of the goals coming in a shocking five-goal, first-period outburst, to defeat the Carolina Hurricanes 7-4 in Raleigh, N.C.

It was the Canadiens' third straight win, and this one came over a usually excellent Hurricanes squad, which came into the contest on the heels of a 6-2 win over Buffalo on Wednesday and with a 6-1-3 record this season, putting them atop the NHL's Southeast Division. Carolina was unbeaten at home in regulation time (3-0-1) and with the pounding of the Sabres had earned at least a point in seven consecutive games.

Canadiens' Steve Bégin scores his first goal of the season, directing a pass from Tom Kostopoulos past Boston goalie Manny Fernandez.
Phillip MacCallum, Getty Images

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Canadiens goalie Cristobal Huet makes a sensational, rebound pad save on Bruins' Glen Murray off a 2-on-1, first-period break.
Phillip MacCallum, Getty Images

It should be a very happy week around the Bell Centre.

The Canadiens can, and should, savour their performance of tonight, a thoroughly dominant 6-1 victory over the Boston Bruins, a team that arrived in Montreal with a 5-2-0 record and two points up on their Northeast Division rivals.

They left well beaten, and tied in the standings. The Canadiens, meanwhile, enjoyed their second consecutive victory on home ice after having dropped three straight games.

The Canadiens (4-2-2) now have a few days to prepare for their first back-to-back games of this young season, facing the Hurricanes in Carolina on Friday and the Penguins in Pittsburgh on Saturday. They'll be back on Bell Centre ice next Tuesday against Atlanta.

You can't say he doesn't backcheck: Canadiens centre Tomas Plekanec dives across goaltender Cristobal Huet to keep a Buffalo shot out of the Montreal goal.
Phillip MacCallum, Getty Images

Canadiens defenceman Mike Komisarek (right) tangles with Buffalo's Ales Kotalik along the boards.
Christiine Muschi, Reuters

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The Canadiens no longer are winless at home.

First star Roman Hamrlik scored at 12:38 of the third period tonight, then Christopher Higgins found an empty Buffalo net with 24.9 seconds left to play, lifting Montreal to a 4-2 victory over the visiting Sabres.

The Canadiens were 3-1 losers to Carolina in their home opener last Saturday before dropping a 2-1 shootout decision to Florida on Tuesday. And then they were on the short end of a 4-3 game in Ottawa on Thursday, so tonight's win was most welcome, snapping a three-game losing streak.

Hamrlik, Montreal's free-agent defence signing upon the departure of blueliner Sheldon Souray, provided the Canadiens with the winning goal with Montreal enjoying a two-man advantage, Buffalo's Drew Stafford and Brian Campbell serving minors. It wasn't pretty; he was given credit for the winner after his shot caromed off the end boards and found its way in off Buffalo defenceman Toni Lydman.

The goal was first credited to Higgins, who appeared to chip it past Sabres goalie Ryan Miller from the corner of the crease, but the call was changed to Hamrlik.

Canadiens' Tom Kostopoulos and Florida's Noah Welch mix it up.
Allen McInnis, Gazette

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Jozef Stumpel beat Canadiens goalie Cristobal Huet on Florida's third effort in a shootout, giving the Panthers a 2-1 victory over a Canadiens team that had dominated the game almost from start to finish.

Stumpel drew the puck to his backhand and beat Huet along the ice to give the victory to the Panthers (3-3-0). The Canadiens fall to 2-1-2 with the loss.

Canadiens head coach Guy Carbonneau sat two very popular members of his team in the press box tonight. From seven storeys up in the Bell Centre, forwards Steve Bégin and Guillaume Latendresse saw their team turn in an excellent performance against the Panthers.

But a slashing penalty to Montreal defenceman Mike Komisarek at 17:46 of the third period led to tying goal by Florida's Nathan Horton with 11 seconds left in regulation time.

The Gazette's Pat Hickey writes that the Carolina Hurricanes play an aggressive game that relies on puck control and they have done plenty of that during their last two games against Toronto and Ottawa. The Canadiens are aware of that and coach Guy Carbonneau said he wants to avoid the same mistake the Ottawa Senators made.

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Two games. Two overtimes. Two different results.

The Toronto Maple Leafs battled back from 1-0, 2-1 and 3-1 deficits tonight to win their first game of the season, beating the Canadiens 4-3 in overtime in a typically raucous, playoff-intense matchup between the two Original Six clubs.

Tomas Kaberle scored for the Leafs on 4-on-3, eight seconds into a holding penalty assessed to Canadiens defenceman Francis Bouillon.

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Canadiens captain Saku Koivu scored twice, including the winner on the power play in overtime, to lift the Canadiens to a 3-2 season-opening victory over the Carolina Hurricanes tonight. Read below for a selection of pre-game press notes.

Links updated Saturday 7:05 am ET

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First star Matt D'Agostini, one of the talented young Hamilton Bulldogs, scored his second goal of the night, unassisted at 1:45 of overtime, to give the Canadiens a 3-2 victory over the visiting New York Islanders Friday night. The win evened Montreal's exhibition-season record at 2-2 and avenged Wednesday's 3-1 loss to the Islanders in Moncton.

New York's Radek Martinek scored at 14:03 of the third period to send the contest into extra time.

A pretty second-period goal by Guillaume Latendresse on a feed by Tomas Plekanec on a delayed penalty had given the Canadiens a 2-1 lead. D'Agostini had given Montreal a 1-0 lead in the first, assisted by Latendresse and Plekanec, before New York's Jeff Tambellini tied the score early in the second.

Habs goalie Carey Price made 22 saves on the 24 shots he faced. The Canadiens' power play went 0-for-5.

Links updated Saturday 7:05 am ET

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First star Matt D'Agostini, one of the talented young Hamilton Bulldogs, scored his second goal of the night, unassisted at 1:45 of overtime, to give the Canadiens a 3-2 victory over the visiting New York Islanders Friday night. The win evened Montreal's exhibition-season record at 2-2 and avenged Wednesday's 3-1 loss to the Islanders in Moncton.

New York's Radek Martinek scored at 14:03 of the third period to send the contest into extra time.

A pretty second-period goal by Guillaume Latendresse on a feed by Tomas Plekanec on a delayed penalty had given the Canadiens a 2-1 lead. D'Agostini had given Montreal a 1-0 lead in the first, assisted by Latendresse and Plekanec, before New York's Jeff Tambellini tied the score early in the second.

Habs goalie Carey Price made 22 saves on the 24 shots he faced. The Canadiens' power play went 0-for-5.

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Bryan Smolinski
Scores in first game as Canadien

The Canadiens, 3-2 overtime winners Monday in their dare we say inspiring exhibition-season opener, were not the same team in lineup, effort or on the scoreboard tonight, 5-2 losers to the same (but different) Pittsburgh Penguins at the Bell Centre.

It wasn't the kind of night hoped for by highly touted goaltending prospect Carey Price, who made a few brilliant stops but yielded three goals on 17 shots in the Canadiens net. But then, he didn't have a lot of help. Fellow goalie Jaroslav Halak surrendered two goals on 10 shots.

Newly arrived free agent Bryan Smolinski and captain Saku Koivu (shorthanded) had Montreal's goals. The Habs are off to Moncton, N.B., Wednesday night to play the New York Islanders in the Canadiens' third exhibition game in as many nights.

Read all about tonight's loss, if you have the stomach, by clicking on the links above.

The Canadiens meet the Pittsburgh Penguins again tonight at the Bell Centre, on the heels of Monday's entertaining 3-2 overtime victory for Montreal on the strength of a three-point night for Alex Kovalev.

Tonight will feature vastly different lineups for both teams, as you'll see on the pre-game lineup sheet below.

The Canadiens team to face Pittsburgh skated at 9 am this morning, followed 45 minutes later by those who either played last night or won't be seeing action tonight.