(AP Photo/The Canadian Press, Graham Hughes)
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VIDEO: Game highlights
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Oh so close.
Just 12 seconds remained on the clock in regulation when Washington, enjoying a 6-on-4 advantage, beat Carey Price to tie the game and send this one to overtime. Nicklas Backstrom scored the lone shootout goal and the Capitals handed the Canadiens their second consecutive loss, with a 4-3 final.
Jaroslav Spacek, Tomas Plekanec and Travis Moen scored for Montreal while Eric Fehr (twice) and Alexander Ovechkin replied for the visitors. Spacek also had an assist in his return after a two-game absence; defensive partner Roman Hamrlik picked up a pair of assists.
It didn’t look good for the Canadiens after the first 20 minutes. Down 2-0 midway through the opening stanza, Jacques Martin to use his timeout to calm his troop. The Canadiens kept the Capitals off the scoreboard after that but it was in the second period when the home squad finally kicked it into high gear, thanks in large part to the man keeping the crease.
Less than two minutes into the middle frame, Price had Ovechkin bearing down on him but gave him nothing. A goal could have put the Habs on their heels; instead, the save helped garner momentum. No. 8 would try again after having his way with Marc-Andre Bergeron, but Price again had the last word.
The Canadiens’ usually dormant power play woke up against Washington, converting twice. It was the first time since the win in Phoenix that Montreal connected more than once with the man advantage, and it was just the fourth time all season. Spacek got the first one when his blast from the point found the back of the net. The second came courtesy of Moen who, while parked in the Caps’ crease, tipped in Bergeron’s rocket from the blue line to give the Canadiens a 3-2 lead.
Plekanec’s second period tally came off a goalmouth scramble.
The officials seemed to let the players play this one, whistling the Canadiens for just three penalties and calling four against the Capitals. Despite a more disciplined night than in the past, it was Paul Mara who earned Montreal’s final infraction, which led to the tying marker.
Other game notes:
- In a taped video message for RDS, centre Scott Gomez showed off the success of his French lessons. In it, he said he hopes to be ready to return for Tuesday’s game against Toronto.
- There was a Czech flavour to the Habs’ second goal, authored by Plekanec and assisted by countrymen Hamrlik and Spacek.
- Canada accounted for Montreal’s third goal, with Moen getting credit from Bergeron and Mike Cammalleri.
- With so few resources available to him, Martin summoned Kyle Chipchura for a few power play shifts. Overall, the pivot logged 1:19 with the extra attacker.
- In addition to his eight shots on goal, Ovechkin had just as many blocked and another two that missed entirely. His entire team overall had 23 shots on goal through 65 minutes.
- While typically defencemen garner the most ice time for Montreal, it was a pair of forwards that were tapped the most by Martin. Cammalleri played an incredible 26:17 over 28 shifts while Plekanec wasn’t that far behind with 25:56 over 32 shifts.
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