Lang's hat trick leads Canadiens over Rangers

NEW YORK: Andrei Markov and Robert Lang scored power-play goals 2:08 apart to break open a tight game in the third period and lift the Montreal Canadiens to a 6-3 victory over the New York Rangers on Wednesday.

Lang made it 5-3 with 4:31 remaining during 4-on-4 play and finished his second NHL hat trick with an empty-netter. Montreal, on a 7-1-1 spurt, jumped one point ahead of the Rangers into fourth in the Eastern Conference.

Alex Kovalev and Guillaume Latendresse gave the Canadiens one-goal leads in the first period. Chris Drury tied it for New York in the first, and Ryan Callahan in the second.