Max Pacioretty scored four goals while Brian Flynn tallied twice in a six-goal first period as the Montreal Canadiens routed the Colorado Avalanche 10-1 on Saturday night.
Flynn, Pacioretty and Artturi Lehkonen scored as Montreal put three goals past starter Calvin Pickard on 10 shots in the opening 7:12. Pacioretty, Paul Byron and Flynn scored on the first four shots against Semyon Varlamov.
Pacioretty completed his hat trick in the second period and added another in the third to give the Canadiens captain seven goals in his last four games.
Alexander Radulov and Jeff Petry also scored for Montreal (19-6-3), which has shown no drop-off on attack without injured scoring leader and first line centre Alex Galchenyuk after Thursday's 5-2 win over New Jersey. Montreal outshot the Avs 36-16.
Blake Comeau got one late in the first frame for Colorado (10-15-1), which was coming off a win Thursday night in Boston that ended a six-game winless run. The Avs end a four-game road trip Sunday night in Toronto.
Avalanche winger Jarome Iginla played his 1,500th NHL game. While the 39-year-old didn't figure into the scoring, he took two minor penalties for throwing punches at Alexei Emelin after the Canadiens defenceman clipped Joe Colborne with a low check with less than four minutes to play.
By Bill Beacon