Final
Pacioretty, Canadiens play spoiler with win over Red Wings
Mar 30, 2016 - 4:28 AM MONTREAL (AP) Playing the spoiler is about the only fun the Montreal Canadiens have left this season.Max Pacioretty's second goal of the night lifted Montreal to a 4-3 victory over Detroit on Tuesday, complicating the Red Wings' bid for a playoff spot.
''I don't want to be Doctor Evil, but I feel that way,'' Pacioretty said. ''You know they're going to come out that much harder when they're desperate.
''But you feel a bit better about yourself when you beat a team in that situation.''
Paul Byron and Sven Andrighetto also scored for Montreal, which blew a two-goal lead and trailed 3-2 heading into the final period. Mike Condon had 39 saves.
The Red Wings (38-28-11) and idle Flyers are tied for the second Eastern Conference wild card with 87 points apiece, but Detroit has five games left and Philadelphia has seven remaining. Detroit also is one point back of slumping Boston for third in the Atlantic Division.
Gustav Nyquist, Anthony Mantha and Mike Green scored in the second for Detroit, which outshot Montreal 42-27.
''It's a tough game to lose, especially being up,'' Red Wings rookie Dylan Larkin said. ''It hurts.
''It was an opportunity, but it's good that Boston lost and we're still only a point behind.''
The Canadiens (35-36-6) are already eliminated from postseason contention. But they hope to topple playoff-bound teams when they play Thursday at Tampa Bay and Saturday at Florida.
''The games we've won through this bad stretch have been against some very good teams,'' Pacioretty said. ''Sometimes you're able to surprise teams like that.
''First-place teams tend to take their foot off the gas late in the year.''
Red Wings goalie Petr Mrazek's late-season woes continued. He was pulled in favor of Jimmy Howard for a second straight start at 11:25 of the first period after allowing two goals on seven shots.
Pacioretty tipped in Joel Hanley's point shot at 8:23 and Byron backhanded in the rebound of an Alexei Emelin point shot at 11:25. A recent call-up, Hanley's assist gave him five points in five NHL games.
The Red Wings, coming off a 3-2 win over Buffalo on Monday night, roared back with three power-play goals in the second. It started when Emelin was given majors for interference and fighting for a hit into the boards that briefly shook up Larkin.
Nyquist picked the top corner with a shot at 12:33 and Mantha, a rookie who had more than 40 family and friends in the crowd, scored through a wild scramble in front of Condon at 13:17.
''It was pretty exciting in front of friends and family, but a goal with no win doesn't mean anything,'' Mantha said.
Green put a wrist shot through traffic and in off the far post at 16:20.
Montreal tied it at 3 in the third period when Andrighetto converted a tip-in for his seventh goal. Then Alex Galchenyuk fed Pacioretty for his 27th of the season at 11:18.
Mrazek was pulled after allowing four goals on 27 shots against Pittsburgh on Saturday. He was in the Vezina Trophy conversation earlier in the season, but has been yanked five times since Feb. 14.
NOTES: Montreal goaltender Carey Price, out since Nov. 25 with a lower-body injury, is expected to travel with the team for games Thursday in Tampa Bay and Saturday in Florida. Forward Brendan Gallagher, out since March 5, will also travel and hopes to play in at least one of the games.
- DETROIT: 3
MONTREAL: 4
Final
Mar 29 11:02 PM - DETROIT: 3
MONTREAL: 4
Final
Mar 29 10:17 PM - End of 3rd Period.
Mar 29 10:17 PM - End of 3rd Period.
Mar 29 10:17 PM - DETROIT: 3
MONTREAL: 4
3rd Period - 0:13
Mar 29 10:17 PM - Goal scored by Max Pacioretty assisted by Alex Galchenyuk and Paul Byron
Red Wings 3, Canadiens 4 3rd - 8:42Mar 29 9:53 PM - Power play - Goal scored by Sven Andrighetto assisted by Tomas Plekanec and Andrei Markov
Red Wings 3, Canadiens 3 3rd - 13:26Mar 29 9:45 PM - Goal scored by Alexei Emelin assisted by Michael McCarron
Red Wings 3, Canadiens 3 3rd - 17:02Mar 29 9:33 PM - End of 2nd Period.
Mar 29 9:10 PM - Power play - Goal scored by Mike Green assisted by Pavel Datsyuk and Tomas Tatar
Red Wings 3, Canadiens 2 2nd - 3:40Mar 29 9:05 PM - Power play - Goal scored by Anthony Mantha assisted by Pavel Datsyuk
Red Wings 2, Canadiens 2 2nd - 6:43Mar 29 8:57 PM - Power play - Goal scored by Gustav Nyquist assisted by Niklas Kronwall and Riley Sheahan
Red Wings 1, Canadiens 2 2nd - 7:27Mar 29 8:55 PM - End of 1st Period.
Mar 29 8:15 PM - Goal scored by Paul Byron assisted by Alexei Emelin and Alex Galchenyuk
Red Wings 0, Canadiens 2 1st - 8:36Mar 29 7:59 PM - Goal scored by Max Pacioretty assisted by Joel Hanley and Sven Andrighetto
Red Wings 0, Canadiens 1 1st - 11:37Mar 29 7:51 PM - DETROIT: 0
MONTREAL: 0
1st Period - 20:00
Mar 29 7:38 PM - Henrik Zetterberg won faceoff against Tomas Plekanec in neutral zone
Mar 29 7:38 PM - DETROIT: 0
MONTREAL: 0
Final
Mar 29 7:38 PM
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