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Canadiens edge Senators to get Ducharme 1st win

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MONTREAL (AP) — Carey Price made 26 saves and the Montreal Canadiens beat the Ottawa Senators 3-1 on Tuesday night to give rookie coach Dominique Ducharme his first NHL victory.

Jeff Petry and Brendan Gallagher each had a goal and an assist. Tyler Toffoli scored into an empty net for Montreal (10-6-5), which snapped a five-game losing streak.

Artem Zub scored for last-place Ottawa (8-16-1), which had won four of five. Joey Daccord stopped 30 shots in his second NHL start for the Senators, who fell to 3-2-0 against the Canadiens this season following Monday’s 5-1 victory over Calgary.

Ottawa winger Drake Batherson's six-game goal streak, which tied a franchise record, came to an end.

The Canadiens entered on an 0-2-3 skid and had just one victory over their last eight games (1-4-3). Ducharme replaced the fired Claude Julien last week in the wake of consecutive shootout and overtime losses to the Senators in Ottawa.

Montreal blew a 3-1 lead before dropping a 6-3 decision to the Winnipeg Jets in Ducharme’s NHL head coaching debut Thursday, then lost 2-1 in overtime on the road in Saturday’s rematch.

Price entered 5-4-3 with an .888 save percentage and 3.13 goals-against average this season. Over his previous six starts, the former Hart and Vezina Trophy winner was 1-4-1 with an .870 save percentage.

Senators winger Austin Watson hit the post seven minutes into the third on his team’s best chance to get the equalizer.

NOTES: Petry’s seven goals lead NHL defensemen. ... The Canadiens were minus top-six winger Josh Anderson (lower-body injury) for the second straight game. ... The Senators gave starting goalie Matt Murray the night off. Filip Gustavsson dressed as Daccord’s backup. ... Ottawa center Derek Stepan, hurt in last Tuesday’s victory over Montreal, has a shoulder injury that requires season-ending surgery.

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UP NEXT

Senators: Travel to Calgary for a two-game set on Thursday and Sunday.

Canadiens: Host the Winnipeg Jets for two games on Thursday and Saturday.

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