New Jersey Devils comeback and rally to defeat Montreal Canadiens 5-3 -NHL Update
Captain Zach Parise showed his importance for New Jersey by scoring the game-winner late in the third period as the Devils rallied during the final minutes, overtaking Montreal Canadiens, 5-3, on Thursday night, February 2, 2012, at the Prudential Center
in Newark, New Jersey, United States.
Parise put up two goals for a spectacular victory while the Devils managed to avenge their rookie player, Adam Larsson, who took a hit by Canadiens’ defenseman, P.K. Subban and was helped off the ice due to a bruised back.
"It was a big win for us and a real gutsy effort," Devils’ coach, Pete DeBoer, said. "I don't know if there was one thing (that turned it around). I think we just stuck with it. On the bench we never felt we were out of the game. There was a good feeling
that there was a lot of hockey left and we could climb back in. That's what we did."
David Desharnais and Andrei Kostitsyn put Montreal Canadiens ahead midway through the opening period by picking up two goals straight while Zach Parise came out strong for New Jersey and added their first of the night nearly a minute later.
Mathieu Darche tried to break the New Jersey momentum which was slowly building up with his third of the 2011-2012 National Hockey League (NHL) regular season, being shorthanded with Raphael Diaz being booked coming into the second period.
Erik Cole was called for high-sticking at the 13:18 mark, giving Montreal an ample opportunity to get another goal with a power play advantage as David Clarkson added his 18th of the season.
Dainius Zubrus, Zach Parise and David Clarkson put up three straight during their third period rally, ultimately giving them a much needed win to move up to the seventh number position in the Eastern Conference while the Montreal Canadiens sit at number
14 with 47 points and two straight losses now.
"On the bench, we never felt we were out of the game," DeBoer said. "It was a good feeling that there was a lot of hockey left and that we could climb back in."
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