By The Associated Press

ATLANTA – Rookie Michael Garnett became the first Atlanta goaltender to post consecutive shutouts as Jaroslav Modry had a goal and three assists in the Thrashers’ 4-0 victory over Montreal on Monday night.

The Canadiens entered with an 8-1-2 record all-time at Philips Arena, but they lost their eighth straight on the road.

Garnett saved 36 shots, giving him 65 in the last two games. He won 1-0 at New Jersey on Friday night, but coach Bob Hartley was noncommittal if Garnett (9-7-3) will make his 16th straight start when Philadelphia visits Atlanta on Wednesday night.

The Thrashers took Kari Lehtonen, the No. 2 overall draft pick in 2002, off the injured reserve list before the game. Lehtonen missed the last 35 games with a strained groin.

Improving to 6-0-2 since losing at San Jose on Dec. 6, Atlanta set a franchise mark by earning a point in eight consecutive games.

Jackets 4, Blackhawks 3

COLUMBUS, Ohio – Nikolai Zherdev tied the game with an acrobatic goal in the final seconds of regulation and Jaroslav Balastik scored in overtime to lead the Columbus Blue Jackets to a 4-3 victory over the Chicago Blackhawks on Monday night.

Balastik took a pass from Radoslav Suchy for a slap shot from near the right faceoff dot to beat Nikolai Khabibulin 2:35 into the overtime and end the Blue Jackets’ six-game losing streak. It was Balastik’s sixth goal of the season and fourth in the last three games.

Maple Leafs 2, Devils 1

TORONTO – Bryan McCabe scored his 13th goal of the season in the first period and it stood up as the game-winner as the Toronto Maple Leafs beat the struggling New Jersey Devils 2-1 on Monday night.

Ed Belfour stopped 33 shots and Mats Sundin also scored for the Maple Leafs (19-14-3), who have won consecutive games for the first time since Nov. 26-28.

John Madden scored for the Devils, who fell to 1-3-0 with general manager Lou Lamoriello behind the bench as interim head coach.

The Devils, 3-6-3 this month, were 0-for-6 on the power play and have four goals in their last 100 man-advantage situations.

Flyers 3, Panthers 2

SUNRISE, Fla. – Michal Handzus converted in the fourth round of the shootout Monday night to give the Philadelphia Flyers a 3-2 victory over the Florida Panthers.

Philadelphia goaltender Antero Niittymaki forced Josef Stumpel, Florida’s final shooter, wide and he didn’t get off a shot.

Philadelphia’s first three shooters, Mike Richards, Peter Forsberg and Simon Gagne, were unable to get anything past Roberto Luongo, while Florida’s Joe Nieuwendyk, Nathan Horton and Olli Jokinen could not beat Niittymaki.

The Flyers had the best scoring opportunities in the overtime but Luongo stopped shots from Frederick Meyer at 2:46 and 4:33.

Luongo also stopped Forsberg’s shot just outside the crease as the Flyers failed to convert on a 3-on-1 break with 7 seconds remaining.

Chris Gratton put the Panthers ahead 2-1 with his third goal of the season at 4:31 of the third period. Olli Jokinen controlled the puck behind the Flyers goal and skated near the left post where his centering pass ended in the crease. Gratton put in the loose puck.

Lightning 5, Hurricanes 4

TAMPA, Fla. – Dan Boyle scored with 33 seconds left in overtime to lift the Tampa Bay Lightning to a 5-4 victory over the Carolina Hurricanes on Monday night.

Boyle’s goal on his own rebound from in close moved the defending Stanley Cup champion Lightning within eight points of the Southeast Division-leading Hurricanes.

Dave Andreychuk had two goals for Tampa Bay, which snapped a four-game losing streak. Fredrik Modin and Tim Taylor also scored for the Lightning.

Carolina got goals from Matt Cullen, Eric Staal, Cory Stillman and Erik Cole, who scored 40 seconds into the third to tie it at 4-all.

The Hurricanes entered with a five-game winning streak.

Sabres 6, Islanders 3

BUFFALO, N.Y. – Chris Drury had a goal and two assists, and Ryan Miller made 16 saves to help the Buffalo Sabres to a come-from-behind 6-3 victory over the New York Islanders on Monday night.

Ales Kotalik, Maxim Afinogenov, Brian Campbell, Thomas Vanek and Jochen Hecht also scored for the Sabres, who won for the second straight time, and 17th in their last 20 games.

Buffalo swept the four-game, season series after losing seven of its last eight games to the Islanders.

With the game tied at 3, Vanek scored on the power play with just less than 5 minutes remaining in regulation, and Drury iced the game 11 seconds later with his 13th of the season.

Stars 6, Blues 1

ST. LOUIS – Dallas goalie Johan Hedberg recorded two assists and made 25 saves to lead the Stars to a 6-1 victory win over the St. Louis Blues on Monday night.

Hedberg, who got the start while Marty Turco stayed in Dallas with the flu, is the first goalie to have a multipoint game since Colorado’s Patrick Roy had two assists against Nashville on Dec. 29, 2000.

Hederg has five career points.

Stu Barnes and Mike Modano both scored twice for Dallas, which has won 17 of its last 22 and is off to the second-best start in team history after 34 games with 47 points.

Avalanche 7, Coyotes 4

DENVER – Milan Hejduk’s third-period goal capped a comeback from a three-goal deficit and the Colorado Avalanche found a team with more troubles in net than themselves in a 7-4 win over the Phoenix Coyotes on Monday night.

Hejduk took a perfect pass from Alex Tanguay through the crease and flipped it over Brian Boucher’s right shoulder to snap a 4-4 tie with 8:42 remaining, just as a 5-on-3 advantage was about to end.

The Avs, who entered the final period trailing 4-3, added two empty-netters in the final minute, one by Ian Laperriere and another by Karlis Skrastins.