Brian Gionta leads Habs to 5-3 win over Stars

Brian Gionta scored twice in his 500th career game and Georges Laraque got his first goal in more than 21 months to send the Montreal Canadiens to a 5-3 win over the struggling Dallas Stars on Thursday night.

Gionta, who scored a power-play goal in the first period, got his second of the game with the man advantage 7:14 into the third to give Montreal its second and final lead.

Carey Price stopped 33 shots and Benoit Pouliot and Mike Cammalleri also scored for the Canadiens, who dealt Dallas its ninth straight road loss.

Mike Modano got his 550th goal in the second to draw the Stars even at 3.

Toby Petersen and Steve Ott also scored for Dallas, which has not won on the road since a 3-2 shootout win in San Jose on Dec. 11.

Marty Turco made 23 saves in the Stars' first appearance in Montreal since Jan. 16, 2006. Dallas has dropped six of its last seven games overall.

Cammalleri scored the Canadiens' fifth goal at 16:41 of the third to make it a two-goal lead.

Laraque scored 2:51 into the second to tie it at 2. Laraque, who had failed to score in his previous 62 games, put his own rebound past Turco from the slot for his first goal since March 28, 2008, when he scored for Pittsburgh in a 3-1 win over the New York Islanders.

Pouliot put Montreal ahead 3-2 with an unassisted goal at 6:44 after intercepting Stars defenseman Matt Niskanen's reckless pass from the right corner. Pouliot put a backhand past Turco for his fifth goal in eight games.

Petersen opened the scoring 8:25 in when he faked a pass on a 2-on-1 before sending a shot along the ice between Price's legs for his fifth goal.

Gionta tied it with a power-play goal at 12:44 when he tucked a low shot inside the right post after Turco left an opening when he slid to his right.

Ott restored Dallas' one-goal lead at 15:08 when he was credited with his 10th goal after Stephane Robidas' slap shot from the point struck him on its way into the net.

James Neal, who leads Dallas with 19 goals, went to the dressing room early in the second after he broke some teeth when he was struck by a teammate's stick. He returned at the beginning of the third.

NOTES: A moment of silence for Haiti earthquake victims was observed before the game. A message from Canadiens president Pierre Boivin followed on the video scoreboard. He noted that Laraque and Dallas D Maxime Fortunus have family in Haiti as he invited Montreal fans to donate to UNICEF's relief effort. ... Modano has 1,345 points in 1,433 regular-season games. ... Canadiens defenseman Jaroslav Spacek knocked Dallas rookie Jamie Benn to the ice with a solid open-ice hit late in the second. ... Gionta, who signed a five-year free-agent contract with Montreal on July 1, has 164 goals and 332 points overall in the regular season since making his debut with New Jersey in 2001-02. ... Laraque has one goal and four assists in 59 games with the Canadiens over the last two seasons. He has 53 goals, 100 assists, 153 points and 1,126 penalty minutes in 693 regular-season games overall with Edmonton, Phoenix, Pittsburgh and Montreal.