MONTREAL Canadiens forward Scott Gomez and an assistant coach got into a shouting match at practice yesterday.
Assistant Randy Ladouceur apparently was upset at what he considered a lack of intensity during a drill. Gomez is among the league's highest-paid players, but has scored only one goal for the struggling Canadiens.
The spat continued for several minutes, first in front of other players before the two left to exchange more words elsewhere.
Gomez was asked if he had lost the will to play. He said that nothing could be further from the truth.
"That's not even the right question," Gomez said. "I'm a professional, I've always been. No one wants to win in Montreal more than me, I'll never let down my teammates."
Gomez downplayed the incident. He said he simply messed up an exercise and the coach let him have it. Head coach Randy Cunneyworth never intervened in the dispute.
At Boston, Henrik Lundqvist made 42 saves for his NHL-leading seventh shutout and the New York Rangers beat the Bruins, 3-0. The Rangers won their fourth game in a row.
* At Buffalo, Ilya Kovalchuk had three goals and an assist in leading the New Jersey Devils to a 4-1 win over the Sabres, whose coach, Lindy Ruff, was back behind the bench for the first time in a week since he broke three ribs in a collision with a player in practice.
* At Detroit, the Red Wings won an NHL-record 21st straight home game, beating the Dallas Stars, 3-1, behind first-period goals by Henrik Zetterberg and Brad Stuart.
* At Tampa, Jason Spezza had three goals and an assist, Craig Anderson made 28 saves and the Ottawa Senators beat the Tampa Bay Lightning, 4-0.
* At Columbus, Derek Dorsett's third-period goal lifted the Blue Jackets over St. Louis, 2-1.
* At St. Paul, Minn., Corey Perry scored at 12:21 of the third period as Anaheim beat the Wild, 2-1.
* At Nashville, Ryan Ellis scored with 5:42 to play to lead the Predators to a 3-2 win over the Chicago Blackhawks.
* At Calgary, Miikka Kiprusoff made 41 saves, leading the Flames over Toronto, 5-1.
* At Winnipeg, P.A. Parenteau scored the game-winner early in the third period as the New York Islanders upended the Jets, 3-1.
