Canadiens hold off Wild in shootout
Posted March 1, 2012 10:33 pm.
This article is more than 5 years old.
THE CANADIAN PRESS
MONTREAL — David Desharnais scored in regulation and in a shootout as the Montreal Canadiens pulled out a 5-4 win over the Minnesota Wild, despite blowing a three-goal lead in the third period on Thursday night.
The Wild trailed 4-1 going into the final four minutes of regulation and scored three times as Matt Kassian got his second of the game, and Dany Heatley scored before Devin Setoguchi tied it with the Wild playing with six attackers with nine seconds to play.
Boos poured down from the seats for a team that has blown leads repeatedly this season.
But Desharnais got the only shootout goal and Setoguchi fell on the Wild’s last attempt to give Montreal the win, ending a season-high five-game losing streak.
P.K. Subban, Lars Eller and Max Pacioretty scored as Montreal’s 29th ranked power play got three for the first time this season. Desharnais, who had three points, added a goal with both teams a man short.
Kassian scored his first two NHL goals for Minnesota (28-26-10), which is 3-7-3 in its last 13 games.
Montreal (25-30-10) played the Wild for the first time since an 8-1 win in Minnesota last season sparked by a Subban hat-trick.
A sellout of 21,273 was announced, but there were hundreds of empty seats on a snowy night for a Montreal squad that started the day in last place in the NHL Eastern Conference.
But it was an eventful game from the start as Ryan White and Stephane Veilleux squared off for a fight only 10 seconds in.
A couple of minor penalties later, Subban scored on a two-man advantage with a point blast at 2:33.
Only 19 seconds later, Wild goalie Niklas Backstrom seemed to pull something in a leg or groin and left the game in favour of Josh Harding, who was beaten at 4:28 on Eller’s first power-play goal as a Canadien. There was no immediate word on his condition.
Minnesota got one back as Alexei Emelin was felled by an uncalled cross-check that left Kassian open to poke in Darroll Powe’s pass at 15:27. It was Kassian’s first goal in 21 career NHL games.
White got another fighting major and a misconduct later in the period for throwing punches at Veilleux, who had slashed goalie Carey Price.
Pacioretty was on his off-wing to the right of Harding to put in his 26th of the season 11:59 into the middle period.
Desharnais tapped in a Pacioretty rebound 8:50 into the third for his third goal in as many games.
Kassian, back in the lineup after sitting out two games, went to the net and banged in his own rebound with a backhander with 3:53 left to play.
Coach Randy Cunneyworth’s starting lineup included Blake Geoffrion, grandson of Habs great Bernard (Boom Boom) Geoffrion and great-grandson of Howie Morenz. He played his first home game as a Canadien since he was acquired from Nashville two weeks ago.
Canadiens winger Brad Staubitz, claimed off waivers Monday, played against his former team.
Notes: Linesman Pierre Champoux was honoured for working his 1,500th career game. His family joined him at centre ice as he received a crystal trophy in a pre-game ceremony… Montreal forward Aaron Palushaj, cut by a high-stick, left the game in the first period… Montreal scratched defenceman Rafael Diaz. Erik Christensen didn’t play for the Wild.
