Max Pacioretty scored two goals and backup netminder Peter Budaj made 28 saves, as the Montreal Canadiens(17-20-8) defeated the Eastern Conference-leading New York Rangers (28-11-4), 4-1, Sunday night at Bell Centre.
Rangers Vs. Canadiens: Pacioretty Nets Two As Habs Knock Off Blueshirts
The line of Erik Cole, David Desharnais, and Max Pacioretty combined for three goals and nine points, and backup netminder Peter Budaj made 28 saves, as Montreal beat the Rangers, 4-1, snapping a three-game losing streak.
The win snapped a three-game losing skid for the Canadiens (0-2-1), who were in desperate need of a victory. Still sitting in 12th place in the conference, the Habs remain eight points behind the eighth-place Pittsburgh Penguins for the final playoff spot in the East.
After a stretch where they won 10 of 11 games to push them to the top of the NHL standings, the Broadway Blueshirts have dropped two of their last three contests, and have now lost in their last six trips to Montreal.
The line of Pacioretty, David Desharnais, and Erik Cole led the way offensively for the Habs, as the trio combined for nine points. Pacioretty tallied two goals and an assist, Desharnais a goal and two assists, and Cole chipped in with three helpers. Mike Blunden also scored for the Canadiens goal.
John Mitchell notched the lone goal for the visiting Rangers.
With number one goalie Carey Price having looked lost in losing his last three starts, coach Randy Cunneyworth decided to instead go with Budaj, who hadn't played since December 21. Budaj responded by stopping 28 of 29 Rangers' shots in winning for just the second time in six decisions on the season.
Henrik Lundqvist (19-9-4) made 25 saves in dropping his second consecutive decision.
Rene Bourque, who was acquired from the Calgary Flames in Thursday night's trade for Mike Cammalleri, made his debut for the team. The left winger registered three shots on goal, blocked a shot, and was credited with four hits in 20:59 of ice time.
Pacioretty opened the scoring at the 2:39 mark of the opening frame, taking a pass in the slot from Cole from behind the net and whipping a shot over a fallen Lundqvist for his 14th goal of the season to give the Canadiens a 1-0 lead.
Ten minutes later, New York would take advantage of a couple of mistakes by Montreal in their own end. Lars Eller turned the puck over with a chance to clear the zone, and the puck eventually ended up on Marian Gaborik's stick behind the Canadiens' net. The Rangers' leading scorer sent a pass out front to Derek Stepan, who sent a shot on Budaj. The goaltender made the initial stop but lost sight of the rebound, while Eller allowed Mitchell to get away from him at the edge of the crease. Mitchell beat Budaj before the goalie could recover for his third goal of the year to tie the game at 1-1 at the end of one period.
The second frame, which had been their best period all season long, would be New York’s downfall on this night.
It was Pacioretty again scoring early in the period, deflecting a Cole shot home for his second of the evening and 15th on the year to give Montreal a 2-1 at 3:54 for what would prove to be the game-winning goal.
Blunden made it a 3-1 Habs' lead just over three minutes later, taking a Scott Gomez pass and beating Lundqvist from the right hash mark for his second goal of the season.
Four minutes later, the Desharnais line would strike again to make it a three-goal lead. Budaj started the sequence by passing the puck up to Cole, who rumbled along the right wing boards through center ice before flipping the puck to Pacioretty as he entered the Rangers’ zone. As his space was closed off along the right wing boards, Pacioretty whipped a pass to the front of the net, where he hit Desharnais in full flight and tipped the puck past Lundqvist for his seventh goal of the year at 12:18 of the second for a 4-1 Montreal lead to close out the scoring.
New York had an opportunity to get back in the game late in the middle stanza, when a bad line change led to an odd-man rush for the Rangers. Brandon Prust unleashed a wicked wrist shot from the right faceoff circle and beat Budaj to the short side, but the puck hit the post and stayed out to keep the home club's three-goal lead in tact heading to the third period.
The game was not without a bit of controversy, as Montreal's P.K. Subban was caught on camera spitting from the Canadiens' bench in the direction of New York's Michael Del Zotto as he skated by following Pacioretty's second period goal (right around the 25 second mark of the video).
See More:
