Carey Price takes over as Montreal Canadiens dominates Tampa Bay Lightning in a shootout –NHL Update
Even though they’ve won six of their past eight contests, Canadiens’ crowd wasn’t expecting their team to win against Tampa Bay Lightning on Thursday night at the Bell Centre in Montreal, Quebec. But, boy did the Canadiens surprise everyone, taking down
Lightning in a 3-2 hard fought shootout.
The audience was astonished when All-Star goalie, Carey Price, made an incredible 35 rejections, including some dramatic ones when attempted by several of the best shootout artists in the league from Tampa Bay.
His counterpart, Dwayne Roloson, was a little dazed after taking a shooting puck to his mask and falling down on the ice, but still managed to block 27 attempts.
"It starts with your goaltender. Carey was strong," Canadiens’ coach, Jacques Martin, said. "It was a big win with all the injuries we have. We played well 5 on 5.”
Both teams remained locked out during the initial period, fighting their way to the net. Tampa Bay’s captain, Vincent Lecavalier, faced a major 5-minute penalty for slashing P.K. Subban and another 10 minute one for game misconduct.
Tampa Bay’s coach, Guy Boucher, said he didn’t see the incident take place, but defended Lecavalier by saying that he wasn’t a type of player who would lose his temperament for nothing.
Teddy Purcell managed to redirect the team’s efforts into winning the match by scoring an early second period goal during a previously active power-play.
League leader in goals, Steven Stamkos, was distracted in his goal celebration thinking he had extended the lead, but later realised it didn’t count, just in time for Andrei Kostitsyn to tie the match five minutes later.
Brian Gionta shorthanded, added his 25th of the season in favour of Montreal unassisted during the final period, but Simon Gagne had the last say as he tied the match nearly midway through Martin St. Louis’s second assist of the night.
The game was eventually forced into overtime.
"We knew how important the game was and that we were only ahead of them in the standings by a few points," Gagne said about his tying goal. "To get to overtime was our goal, and you never know what can happen in a shootout."
Nigel Dawes, who made his first debut with Montreal after being recalled from the AHL, was successful on the first shootout attempt, Gagne scored on Tampa Bay’s second last attempt to tie it again.
Left wing, Michael Cammalleri, shot the winning attempt on Montreal’s last shootout chance; it was followed with an effort by Purcell to attempt a trick flip-shot which failed miserable against Price who saved it without even trying.
Tampa Bay gained that extra point just to stay ahead of Canadiens by just three points with 88. They face Ottawa on Saturday in their last away game before returning home. This will be the first time since 2007, that the 2005 Stanley cup winner will be making
the postseason.
Montreal has an easy line-up waiting for them ahead, they go on to meet the rangers on Friday, keeping up their current strategy could mean taking over the third spot in the Eastern Conference before the playoffs start.
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