Price paces Habs to comeback vs. Columbus
Last Updated: Wednesday, November 25, 2009 | 12:20 AM ET
By Justin Piercy, CBC Sports
Outshot and outworked through the first half of the game, the Montreal Canadiens dug in and turned a 3-2 deficit into a 5-3 win over the Columbus Blue Jackets on Tuesday night in Montreal.
Marc-André Bergeron's second goal of the night 4:56 into the third period proved to be the game winner, while Carey Price made 33 saves to keep his Canadiens (12-11-1) competitive. Price escorted the Habs through a lacklustre first half that saw them outshot 26-11 to rally with three third-period goals, improving their record to 4-0-1 in their last five games.
"The first half of the game our timing wasn't there and we lacked intensity," Canadiens coach Jacques Martin said. "Our goalie allowed us to stay in the game."
Antoine Vermette potted a pair in a losing effort as his Blue Jackets (12-8-3) dropped their third straight game.
The Canadiens started off strong — Mike Cammalleri struck first on a nice little dangle that turned defender Rostislav Klesla into a screen as the Montreal sniper fired a wrister that beat Columbus goaltender Mathieu Garon five-hole.
Rick Nash and Antoine Vermette let the Habs enjoy that lead for exactly 46 seconds.
Nash took the puck around the rear of the Montreal net to the right side. With his back to the goalie and the defence, he launched a no-look back pass to Vermette in the slot, who beat Price over the blocker.
The Jackets pulled ahead 1:36 later on a power-play from Anton Stralman. With the Canadiens' Josh Gorges off for a clipping penalty, Nash fired a shot from the side boards which Price turned away but couldn't control the rebound.
Luckily for Columbus, Stralman was pinching and potted the loose puck for the 2-1 lead.
Price came up huge for his team on a pair of identical deflection chances by Nash and Brassard. Both players gained the zone at full speed and Nash fired shots from the sideboards which Brassard redirected, but Price ably slid over and denied both opportunities.
"It's been a team effort, it's not just me," Price said. "Everybody's been putting in the time and putting in the work."
Canadiens lean on Price
He made 11 saves in the first period, which saw his team outshot 13-7. His teammates leaned on him heavily in the second period as they didn't record another shot through the first half of the middle frame.
On a man-advantage opportunity six minutes in, Nash was brought down to the ice in the high slot and still managed to send a sharp pass to R.J. Umberger on the doorstep, but Price was up to the task.
That stellar performance on the penalty-kill allowed the Habs to score the tying marker on only their second shot of the period, once again victimizing Columbus defenceman Klesla.
Montreal's Bergeron sent a shot from the point that was deflected by the stick of Klesla and fluttered over Garon.
With Canadiens forward Travis Moen in the box on a questionable roughing call — video replay showed the Habs forward missed his penalized hit on Nash — Price couldn't hold off the Blue Jackets' power play. With Raffi Torres providing some traffic out front, Vermette scored his second goal of the game.
Another odd-man rush had Price banging his stick on the ice in possible frustration with his team after he stopped Kristian Huselius. The Canadiens were again heavily outshot in the second, giving up 13 shots, compared with their paltry four sent toward Garon.
Habs turn it around
A late power-play chance gave the Montreal offence a shot in the arm that carried through for the rest of the game.
While they couldn't tie the game, hitting the post on their best chance, they kept control of the puck and camped out in the Columbus zone, denying their opponents any shots in the last quarter of the period.
That determined play continued in the third and paid off when the Habs notched the tying and go-ahead goals 2:38 apart.
Roman Hamrlik's blast from the point ricocheted off the cross bar and into the back of an unaware Garon. As he tried to gather the loose puck in the crease, Glen Metropolit was there to help push it into the net for the 3-3 tie with 17 minutes left to play.
A play that started with a great poke-check save by Garon on Max Pachioretty's breakaway chance ended with the goalie looking a little overwhelmed. Unable to get back up as the Canadiens kept control of the puck behind the net, Garon couldn't regain his footing.
The goalie was left to flop around on the ice as the puck made its way to the front of the net and Bergeron slid it easily past the goalie for his second marker of the game.
A night after his team was lit up for seven goals in a loss to the New York Rangers, Columbus coach Ken Hitchcock said he is not impressed with his last line of defence.
"We have not got good goaltending the last two nights," Hitchcock said. "It has to be better. You can't put in efforts like we did in the first and second periods tonight and then throw it away."
Maxim Lapierre added the insurance goal when he held the puck on a 2-on-1 chance with Sergei Kostitsyn and beat Garon low on the blocker side with 4:35 remaining.
