• Preview
• Recap
• Bleachers
• Game Tracker

Habs top slumping Lightning in SO

Mar 18, 2011 - 3:18 AM Montreal, QC (Sports Network) - Mike Cammalleri's goal in the fourth round of the shootout gave Montreal a 3-2 victory over Tampa Bay and pulled the Canadiens within three points of the Lightning for fifth place in the Eastern Conference.

After Simon Gagne's goal sent the shootout in the fourth round, Cammalleri's wrister skipped between Dwayne Roloson's legs to put Montreal ahead. Carey Price then stoned Teddy Purcell's weak shot to secure the win.

Brian Gionta and Andrei Kostitsyn tallied for the Canadiens, who are 8-3-0 in their past 11 games. Price finished with 35 saves in the win to get Montreal three points of Boston for the Northeast Division lead as the Bruins lost in overtime to Nashville.

"It was a gutsy win," Cammalleri said. "I don't know if we were playing great defensively, but we'll take the two points -- a desperate two points for sure."

Gagne and Purcell posted regulation goals for the slumping Bolts, who have won just twice in their last nine contests. Roloson surrendered two goals on 29 shots.

"We'll take the point," Gagne said. "But this time of the season, you'd rather have two points."

During the early moments of the third period Gionta broke free after picking up a Martin St. Louis turnover at the top of Tampa Bay's zone. Gionta raced down the ice, beating Roloson with just one deke and backhanded it in for a 2-1 lead.

St. Louis atoned for his turnover with 10 1/2 minutes left with a factoring shot in the game-tying goal. On the power play, he sent a rising shot from the high slot and Gagne, at the top of the crease, clipped the puck under the legs of a prone Price.

Neither teams could find the go-ahead goal the rest of regulation and the teams went into overtime, with Tampa Bay outshooting Montreal 3-2.

Scott Gomez's holding penalty and off-setting slashing calls inside the final two minutes of a scoreless first period proved to be costly for the Canadiens. It took just 35 seconds into the second frame for the Lightning to score on the 4-on-3 power play when Purcell banged home a rebound from St. Louis' shot from the high slot.

Montreal, however, knotted it back up five minutes later on Kostitsyn's backhander that slipped low past Roloson. The score stayed that way heading into the final frame.

Game Notes

Habs defenseman Roman Hamrlik played in his 1,300th NHL game against the Lightning, who drafted him first overall in 1992, during their inaugural season...The Canadiens receive good news concerning forward Max Pacioretty earlier on Thursday. He will resume full contact practice in four to six weeks after suffering a concussion and cracked vertebra on a hit from Boston's Zdeno Chara...The season series ended in a tie...Montreal improved to an impressive 22-9-6 record on home ice...Tampa Bay sniper Steven Stamkos had a five-game point scoring streak snapped...St. Louis had two assists in the loss.