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Canucks rally to down Habs in SO

Dec 9, 2011 - 4:24 AM Montreal, QC (Sports Network) - Cody Hodgson netted the only shootout goal and the Vancouver Canucks overcame a three-goal deficit to take a 4-3 decision over the Montreal Canadiens.

Mason Raymond, Hodgson and Sami Salo scored in regulation for Vancouver, which won its third straight game and the eighth time in nine games.

Roberto Luongo made 20 saves for the win.

"It's always exciting to win in a shootout," Luongo said. "They're awful when you don't win but when you do they're fun."

Frederic St-Denis, Raphael Diaz and Erik Cole tallied goals for the Canadiens, losers in six of seven.

Carey Price stopped 28-of-31 shots in a losing effort.

Trailing 3-1 entering the third period, Hodgson brought Vancouver within a goal at the 4:24 mark while on a 4-on-4 with a wrister from inside the right circle into the far side.

Montreal's Lars Eller was whistled for a cross checking penalty later in the period, resulting in the Canucks knotting the game with 4:40 left in regulation on Salo's one-timer from the blueline that ripped under the crossbar to force overtime.

Montreal struck first 4:38 into the opening frame on St-Denis' wrister from the right point that skipped along the ice and into the far side through a screen for the defenseman's first career goal.

After Vancouver failed to convert on a 5-on-3 power play in which the Canucks registered eight shots, Diaz sent a wrister from almost the same spot as St- Denis that sailed into the top-right corner for a 2-0 advantage after one period.

The Canadiens' lead stretched to three early in the second on Cole's wrister, but the Canucks raced down the ice on a shorthanded rush that Raymond finished with a hard wrister from the slot to get Vancouver on the board.

"There are a lot of things that go on and take the momentum away and gives it back to them," Montreal defenseman Hal Gill said about Raymond's goal. "That's something we try not to let happen. But in the third period we should lock it down and that's something we haven't been good at."

Game Notes

The Canucks improved to 9-6-0 on the road this season, while Montreal fell to 4-5-6 at home...Vancouver has scored 23 goals over its last five games...Montreal has earned a point in four straight games (1-0-3) but has won just once in its last seven contests.