Jaroslav Halak made 45 saves to help the Montreal Canadiens hold off a swarming Vancouver offense and record a 3-2 victory on Tuesday, with the hard-fought triumph bringing an end to the Canucks’ seven-game winning streak.
The visitors trailed 3-1 before Ryan Kesler scored at 14:10 in the third, but Halak stopped 19 shots in the period to allow the Habs to hang on and pick up a first win in four games.
Halak was given a rare start following a loss and made the most of his opportunity.
PHOTO: AFP
“I knew that was my first start after I lost a game this season and I didn’t change anything,” Halak told reporters. “I just wanted to prepare for the game the same way as for the game before and just try and do my best.”
Montreal winger Sergei Kostitsyn opened the scoring in the first, but Mikael Samuelsson tallied for the Canucks to cancel out the lead.
The Canadiens (26-25-6) took control with 1:56 left in the first on a wrist shot from Maxim Lapierre, and Tomas Plekanec doubled the advantage when he scored at 9:14 in the third.
Vancouver (34-19-2), playing their second of a record 14-game road trip to allow for this month’s Winter Olympics, dominated the play with a 47-28 shot advantage, but were unable to capitalize.
NHL points leader Henrik Sedin attempted four shots but failed to convert any of them, while goalie Roberto Luongo, who was pulled on Saturday for allowing three first-period goals, conceded another three goals from 28 shots.
“Obviously we’d like to tighten up defensively but we had a lot of chances tonight,” Kesler said. “We threw everything at the net and their goalie stood on his head and stole a game tonight.”
Without leading scorer Mike Cammalleri, who is out with a knee injury, Montreal got additional help from left wing Benoit Pouliot.
He finished with two assists and has notched 11 goals in 19 games since being traded from the Minnesota Wild on Nov 23.
Red Wings 4, Sharks 2
In San Jose, California, Detroit came back from an early two-goal deficit to beat San Jose, extending their uncanny dominance of the NHL Western Conference-leading Sharks.
Derek Meech scored the go-ahead goal early in the third period, while Dan Cleary, Henrik Zetterberg and Patrick Eaves also found the net for the Red Wings, who are 3-0 against the Sharks but have struggled against almost everyone else this season.
The Red Wings, who have won the Western Conference the past two seasons, are fighting just to make the playoffs this year in a season hampered by injuries.
Joe Thornton scored both goals for the Sharks, whose only two regulation losses in their past 12 games have been at home against Detroit.
Capitals 4, Bruins 1
In Boston, Washington set a franchise record with an 11th straight win and sent the hosts to their eighth consecutive loss.
Washington, the NHL’s highest-scoring team, trailed Boston — the league’s lowest-scoring team — after David Krejci’s first-period goal.
But the Capitals tied it through Mike Knuble’s goal early in the second and Brooks Laich put the visitors ahead in the third. That was followed soon after by Boyd Gordon’s goal and Alex Ovechkin added a late empty-netter.
The Capitals broke the club record streak set in 1983-1984 and have the NHL’s longest winning streak since San Jose also won 11 in a row late in the 2007-2008 season.
Washington took over the league points lead from San Jose.
Coyotes 1, Predators 0, SO
In Nashville, Tennessee, Adrian Aucoin lifted a wrister over the glove of Nashville goalie Pekka Rinne in the 10th round of the shootout to give Phoenix their fifth straight win.
Phoenix’s Lauri Korpikoski scored in the second round of the shootout, but David Legwand tied it as Nashville’s third shooter.
The Predators had a chance to keep the shootout going after Aucoin scored, but Shea Weber’s shot went wide. The Coyotes matched their best streak of the season.
In other NHL action, it was:
● Kings 2, Rangers 1
● Avalanche 5, Blue Jackets 1
● Maple Leafs 3, Devils 0
● Stars 4, Wild 2
● Lightning 2, Thrashers 1
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