• Preview
• Recap
• Bleachers

Kovalchuk nets shootout winner as Thrashers top Canadiens

Oct 31, 2007 - 3:31 AM By Mark Lidbetter PA SportsTicker Contributing Writer

MONTREAL (Ticker) -- Ilya Kovalchuk's goal in the third round of the shootout lifted the Atlanta Thrashers to a 3-2 victory over the Montreal Canadiens on Tuesday.

Kovalchuk wristed a shot between the pads of rookie goaltender Carey Price for the eventual game-winner.

Alexei Kovalev was the final shooter for Montreal, but his backhanded shot deflected off the top of the crossbar and went high, giving Atlanta the win.

"I think we deserved it (the win)," Thrashers goaltender Johan Hedberg said. "They (Montreal) were down 2-1 and had played pretty patiently all game. It was a little more open game in the third.

"We're happy and we're going to try and build on it."

Christopher Higgins tied the game with just under two minutes left in regulation, but Price was unable to pull out a win in his second straight shootout.

"We struggled tonight," Higgins said. "We played a terrible first period. That's probably our worst game of the season.

"We didn't deserve that point at all, that's probably the only positive we can take away from tonight."

Price stopped all eight chances in a 4-3 victory over the Penguins on Saturday, but was beaten by Bryan Little and Kovalchuk on Tuesday.

"I knew they had a few good players," Price said. "You always have to look sharp or any team in the league will make you look silly.

"Kovalchuk just caught me moving, he cut across and snapped it off quick."

Hedberg made 31 saves for his first career victory against Montreal in seven tries.

After Kovalev put Montreal on top with a power-play goal at 8:10 of the second period, the Thrashers responded with Eric Perrin and Vyacheslav Kozlov scoring unassisted goals 57 seconds apart, thanks to some shaky Montreal defense.

Canadiens defenseman Andrei Markov, who had his back to the play, backhanded the puck right to Perrin at the top of Price's crease. Perrin made no mistake, burying the shot low to the left for the equalizer at 16:16 of the second.

Play had barely resumed when defenseman Josh Gorges mishandled the puck just outside the Canadiens' blue line. Kozlov pounced on the loose puck and skated in alone on Price, sliding the puck inside the left post for a 2-1 advantage at 17:13 of the second period.

Atlanta killed off a two-man advantage by Montreal for 52 seconds late in the third period, but on the Canadiens' next power play, Higgins evened the game at 2-2.

"We are a shooting team on the power play," Canadiens coach Guy Carbonneau said. "When we shoot, we have success. When we get on the 5-on-3s - or the 4-on-3s - we seem to look for that perfect shot."

Saku Koivu received a pass down low from Kovalev and fed the puck in front for Higgins, who fired the puck past Hedberg with 1:58 left in the game.

"It was a pretty nice feed (by Kovalev) that's why he's a (heck) of a player," Higgins said. "I knew he (Hedberg) was going to come across, so I tried to squeak it through his pads - but it was a great pass to set it."

In his first home start, Price made 31 saves for the Canadiens, who had their four-game winning streak snapped.

"It was electric in here with 21,273 people, but you can't win them all," Price said.