Ryder, who was the runner-up in rookie-of-the-year voting in the 2003-04 season, said the Canadiens concentrated on "throwing the puck toward the net" and the result was what could best be described as a soft goal.

The Canadiens, who outshot the Rangers 28-19, appeared to be on their way to a 3-2 win, but Dominic Moore scored his first NHL goal on a power play at 17:24 of the third period to send the game into overtime.

Canadiens' Chris Higgins and Alexander Perezhogin each scored their first goals and it was something special for Higgins, because he grew up in suburban Long Island and had some supporters among the sellout crowd of 18,200 at Madison Square Garden.

"I must have 40 family members and friends here," said Higgins, whose father, Robert, is a longtime Canadiens' fan. "I can't wait to see them. I'm sure there'll be some tears from the family."

Perezhogin, who was a healthy scratch for Wednesday's season opener in Boston, was pressed into service after Richard Zednik suffered a groin injury.

This was a goal that was made possible by the new rules in the NHL. Kovalev forced a turnover in the Canadiens' zone and spotted Perezhogin, who was lurking near the far blue line. Under the old rules, Kovalev's pass would have been whistled off as a two-line pass, but with the elimination of the red line, the pass was legal.

"I was very nervous when I went out for my first shift, but I was less nervous on the second shift and then I started feeling more comfortable," Perezhogin said.

There was an ironic twist to the goals by Perezhogin and Higgins. They both scored their first American Hockey League goals on Oct. 31, 2003, when the Hamilton Bulldogs were playing in Rochester.

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