Scott Gordon picked up his first win as an
NHL head coach behind the strong play of backup goaltender Joey MacDonald, as
the New York Islanders won their home opener over the St. Louis Blues, 5-2.
Alex Tanguay scored a goal and notched three
assists and Sergei Kostitsyn scored twice in the second period to lead the
Montreal Canadiens to a 6-1 victory over the Toronto Maple Leafs at Air
Canada Centre. Jaroslav Halak collected 24 saves for Montreal, while Saku
Koivu added three helpers in the victory. Guillaume Latendresse registered
a goal and two assists. Jason Blake scored the lone goal for Toronto, which
opened its regular season with a 3-2 victory on the road over the defending
Stanley Cup champion Detroit Red Wings on Thursday. Vesa Toskala let up all
six goals on 23 shots before being replaced by veteran Curtis Joseph.
The 40-year-old Joseph did not allow a goal while facing 11 shots.