Montreal, QC (My Sportsbook) - Andrei Kostitsyn scored and added an assist while Andrei Markov netted the eventual game-winner in the second period as the Montreal Canadiens notched a 3-2 victory over the Buffalo Sabres.

Steve Begin also scored while Carey Price recorded 26 saves for Montreal, which had dropped three of four but opened up a seven-game homestand with a win.

Thomas Vanek continued his hot start to the season with two goals for Buffalo, which had won two in a row. Patrick Lalime, in his sixth start of the season, stopped 31-of-34 shots against in the loss.

Kostitsyn got an eventful second frame started with the tying goal just 2:51 into the frame, and Vanek knocked in his 17th goal of the season off a nice pass from Drew Stafford several minutes later to put the Sabres up 2-1.

The Canadiens answered with two more tallies in the frame, as Begin netted a wrister past a screened Lalime, and Markov tapped in Saku Koivu's pass from behind the net for a 3-2 lead with 1:30 left in the second.

Buffalo couldn't capitalize on a pair of power plays in the third, and though the Canadiens failed on a 5-on-3 advantage, Price pushed aside eight shots in the frame to seal the win.

"We are still up-and-down, still looking for our game," Markov said. "I think we can play much better than tonight."

Jason Pominville had a chance to tie the score in the waning seconds but struck the post while on the right doorstep.

With a man advantage in the first period, Buffalo's Jaroslav Spacek kept the puck in the zone, lofted a pass towards the net that found Vanek, who got behind the defense and registered his 16th goal with 6:29 remaining.

"Great play by Spacek to keep the play alive," Vanek said. "I was ready to change [lines]. Once I saw the puck was still in, it ended up coming to me bouncing...so I put it between my legs and it worked out."

Game Notes

Buffalo has dropped six of seven in Quebec...Montreal was 0-for-5 on the power play, while Buffalo scored once in five chances with the man advantage.