Canadiens rally from 3-goal deficit to beat Senators in OT
Francis Bouillon scored 1:26 into overtime as the Montreal Canadiens erased a three-goal deficit in the third period and defeated the Ottawa Senators 5-4 on Saturday night.
David Desharnais tied it for Montreal with 1 second left in regulation for the Canadiens, who trailed 4-1 five minutes into the final period.
Lars Eller, Brian Gionta and Daniel Briere also scored for the Canadiens, who stormed back to end a three-game slide. Carey Price made 29 saves in his first NHL game since the Olympic break.
Jason Spezza, Zack Smith, Ales Hemsky and Clarke MacArthur scored for Ottawa, which has lost five of seven. Robin Lehner made 43 saves.
The Canadiens came out flying, putting one past Lehner on their third shot, 38 seconds into the first period. Following Tomas Plekanec's faceoff win, Briere took advantage of laid-back defending by Erik Karlsson to walk to the front of the net and fire home his 12th of the season.
Spezza tied it on the Senators' first shot of the game at 3:08, beating Price with a rocket of a slap shot into the top corner of the net. Spezza now has nine points (three goals, six assists) in his last six games.
Coming off back-to-back shutouts at the Sochi Games, the goal allowed was Price's first in more than 167 minutes of hockey. The Canadiens went 3-4-1 and conceded 28 goals without Price, who was out with a lower-body injury.
The Canadiens outshot the Senators 17-4 in the first period.
Minutes after seeing one of its goals disallowed, Ottawa took a 2-1 lead at 17:10 of the second period when Smith scored his 11th on a breakaway. Smith took a long stretch pass from Karlsson at the blue line, was stopped by Price, but scored on his own rebound.
Hemsky doubled the lead at 1:54 of the third, beating Price under the blocker for his seventh point in four games since being traded to the Senators. MacArthur made it 4-1 three minutes later.
Eller made a game of it late, scoring his first goal in his last 25 games at 16:38. Gionta added another less than minute later before Desharnais tied it up.
Notes: Lehner got the start for Ottawa in place of starter Craig Anderson (shoulder), who was injured in the third period of Monday's loss to the Nashville Predators. ... Michael Bournival (concussion) missed his 10th consecutive game. ... Ottawa wore their heritage jerseys. ... Thomas Vanek has yet to score on 13 shots in four games since donning a Canadiens uniform. ... The last time the Canadiens and Senators met, on Jan. 16, P.K. Subban was criticized for celebrating his overtime-winner with gusto. The teams play once more this season, on April 4 in Ottawa.
