GAME THREAD: GAME THREAD: NHL: MONTREAL (12-11) at TORONTO (8-16)

NHL: MONTREAL at TORONTO

<div class="pre">NHL FINAL IN SHOOTOUT 1ST 2ND 3RD OT TOTAL
--- --- --- --- -----
MONTREAL 0 2 1 0 (2) 4
TORONTO 0 2 1 0 (1) 3 FINAL IN SHOOTOUT

GOAL SCORING:

1ST PRD: NONE
2ND PRD: TOR - DARCY TUCKER 3 (JOHN POHL, JASON BLAKE) 2:50
MON - (PP) ALEXEI KOVALEV 11 (ANDREI MARKOV, MARK STREIT)
4:50
TOR - CHAD KILGER 5 (ANDY WOZNIEWSKI, BRYAN MCCABE) 6:35
MON - GUILLAUME LATENDRESSE 5 (CHRIS HIGGINS, SAKU KOIVU)
7:08
3RD PRD: MON - (PP) ALEXEI KOVALEV 12 (BRYAN SMOLINSKI, ANDREI
MARKOV) 1:09
TOR - MATS SUNDIN 12 (JASON BLAKE, NIK ANTROPOV) 19:42 (WITH
EXTRA ATTACKER)
OT: NONE
SO: MTL - ALEXEI KOVALEV (GOAL), TOMAS PLEKANEC (SAVED),
SAKU KOIVU (SAVED), CHRIS HIGGINS (SAVED),
ANDREI KOSTITSYN (GOAL)
TOR - KYLE WELLWOOD (SAVED), MATS SUNDIN (GOAL),
NIK ANTROPOV (SAVED), DARCY TUCKER (MISSED),
JASON BLAKE (SAVED)

POWER-PLAY CONVERSIONS: MON - 2 OF 5, TOR - 0 OF 4.

SHOTS ON GOAL: 1ST 2ND 3RD OT TOTAL
--- --- --- --- -----
MON 6 15 6 3 30
TOR 17 13 15 1 46

GOALIES: MON - CAREY PRICE
TOR - VESA TOSKALA

OFFICIALS: REF - DEAN WARREN, GORD DWYER
LIN - ANDY MCELMAN, GREG DEVORSKI

ATT: 19,608</div>

 

NHL: MONTREAL at TORONTO

<div class="pre">------------------------------------------------
Montreal 0 2 1 0 (2) --4
Toronto 0 2 1 0 (1) --3
------------------------------------------------

FIRST PERIOD -- Scoring: None. Penalties: W Belak, Tor (tripping), 6:00; A Kostitsyn,
Mon (hooking), 11:07.

SECOND PERIOD -- Scoring: 1, Toronto, Darcy Tucker 3 (John Pohl, Jason
Blake),2:50. 2, Montreal, Alexei Kovalev 11 (power play) (Andrei
Markov, Mark Streit)4:50. 3, Toronto, Chad Kilger 5 (Andy Wozniewski,
Bryan Mccabe),6:35. 4, Montreal, Guillaume Latendresse 5 (Chris
Higgins, Saku Koivu),7:08. Penalties: M Bell, Tor (high sticking),
3:23; G Latendresse, Mon (high sticking), 9:52; B Mccabe, Tor
(tripping), 18:31; A Wozniewski, Tor (high sticking), 19:54.

THIRD PERIOD -- Scoring: 5, Montreal, Alexei Kovalev 12 (power play)
(Bryan Smolinski, Andrei Markov)1:09. 6, Toronto, Mats Sundin 12
(Jason Blake, Nik Antropov),19:42 (with extra attacker). Penalties: M
Dandenault, Mon (interference), 1:50; C Kilger, Tor (tripping), 7:53;
C Higgins, Mon (tripping), 14:08.

OVERTIME -- Scoring: None.

SHOOTOUT -- Montreal, Alexei Kovalev (goal), Tomas
Plekanec (saved), Saku Koivu (saved), Chris Higgins (saved), Andrei
Kostitsyn (goal). Toronto, Kyle Wellwood (saved), Mats Sundin (goal),
Nik Antropov (saved), Darcy Tucker (missed), Jason Blake (saved).

Shots on goal:
--------------------------------------------
Montreal 6 15 6 3 --30
Toronto 17 13 15 1 --46
--------------------------------------------

Power-play Conversions: Montreal - 2 of 5, Toronto - 0 of 4. Goalies :
Montreal, Carey Price (46 shots, 43 saves; record: 6-2-1). Toronto,
Vesa Toskala (30 shots, 27 saves; record: 6-8-3). A: 19,608.
Referees: Dean Warren, Gord Dwyer. Linesmen: Andy Mcelman, Greg
Devorski.</div>

 

NHL: MONTREAL at TORONTO

<div class="pre">-----------------------------------------------------
MONTREAL 0 2 1 0 (2) --4
TORONTO 0 2 1 0 (1) --3
-----------------------------------------------------

FIRST PERIOD -- Scoring: None. Penalties: W Belak, Tor (tripping), 6:00; A Kostitsyn,
Mon (hooking), 11:07.

SECOND PERIOD -- Scoring: 1, Toronto, Darcy Tucker 3 (John Pohl, Jason
Blake),2:50. 2, Montreal, Alexei Kovalev 11 (power play) (Andrei
Markov, Mark Streit)4:50. 3, Toronto, Chad Kilger 5 (Andy Wozniewski,
Bryan Mccabe),6:35. 4, Montreal, Guillaume Latendresse 5 (Chris
Higgins, Saku Koivu),7:08. Penalties: M Bell, Tor (high sticking),
3:23; G Latendresse, Mon (high sticking), 9:52; B Mccabe, Tor
(tripping), 18:31; A Wozniewski, Tor (high sticking), 19:54.

THIRD PERIOD -- Scoring: 5, Montreal, Alexei Kovalev 12 (power play)
(Bryan Smolinski, Andrei Markov)1:09. 6, Toronto, Mats Sundin 12
(Jason Blake, Nik Antropov),19:42 (with extra attacker). Penalties: M
Dandenault, Mon (interference), 1:50; C Kilger, Tor (tripping), 7:53;
C Higgins, Mon (tripping), 14:08.

OVERTIME -- Scoring: None.

SHOOTOUT -- Montreal, Alexei Kovalev (goal), Tomas
Plekanec (saved), Saku Koivu (saved), Chris Higgins (saved), Andrei
Kostitsyn (goal). Toronto, Kyle Wellwood (saved), Mats Sundin (goal),
Nik Antropov (saved), Darcy Tucker (missed), Jason Blake (saved).

Shots on goal:
---------------------------------------------
MONTREAL 6 15 6 3 --30
TORONTO 17 13 15 1 --46
---------------------------------------------

Power-play Conversions: MON - 2 of 5, TOR - 0 of 4. Goalies :
Montreal, Carey Price (46 shots, 43 saves; record: 6-2-1). Toronto,
Vesa Toskala (30 shots, 27 saves; record: 6-8-3). A: 19,608.
Referees: Dean Warren, Gord Dwyer. Linesmen: Andy Mcelman, Greg
Devorski.

INDIVIDUAL PLAYER STATISTICS

MONTREAL TORONTO
G A +/- Shots G A +/- Shots
S Koivu 0 1 even 4 A Steen 0 0 -1 1
T Plekanec 0 0 even 1 M Sundin 1 0 +1 7
B Smolinski 0 1 -1 0 M Stajan 0 0 -1 3
C Higgins 0 1 +1 3 T Kaberle 0 0 +2 2
S Begin 0 0 -1 2 D Tucker 1 0 +2 5
M Dandenault 0 0 -1 1 C Kilger 1 0 +1 1
A Kovalev 2 0 even 2 J Pohl 0 1 +2 0
K Chipchura 0 0 -2 2 B Devereaux 0 0 -1 1
M Streit 0 1 -1 1 B McCabe 0 1 +2 5
R Hamrlik 0 0 even 2 H Gill 0 0 -1 1
A Kostitsyn 0 0 even 0 W Belak 0 0 +1 0
F Bouillon 0 0 even 0 K Wellwood 0 0 even 2
T Kostopoulos 0 0 -1 2 J Blake 0 2 +2 8
P Brisebois 0 0 even 2 A Wozniewski 0 1 +1 1
M Ryder 0 0 -2 3 I White 0 0 -1 1
A Markov 0 2 -1 2 N Antropov 0 1 +1 4
M Komisarek 0 0 -2 1 M Bell 0 0 even 4
G Latendresse 1 0 +1 2 S Kronwall 0 0 +1 0
J Gorges HEALTHY B Battaglia HEALTHY
M Grabovski HEALTHY A Ponikarovsky ANKLE INJURY
J Tlusty HEALTHY</div>

 

TORONTO (Ticker) -- Unfortunately for the Toronto Maple Leafs,this will not likely be the last time they face Carey Price.

The 20-year-old rookie made a career-high 43 saves in regulationand then made some critical stops in the shootout to lift theMontreal Canadiens to a 4-3 triumph over the Maple Leafs onTuesday night in a battle of "Original Six" rivals.

Andrei Kostitsyn scored the decisive goal in the fifth round,unleashing a wrist shot between the pads of goaltender VesaToskala. Price, then, made a right-pad save on Jason Blake'schance to secure the win.


"I'm just trying to get out there and challenge, make the guysee a big target," Price said.


Toronto, which is just 7-17 in the bonus format all-time, hasnow lost four in a row and seven of its last eight contests.

Alexei Kovalev, who scored two power-play goals in regulation,got the Canadiens off to a great start in the shootout, beatingToskala with a wrist shot to the glove side.


"A goal is a goal - we're not producing much 5-on-5 - I'm gladthe power-play is going in," Kovalev said.


Mats Sundin answered in the second round, firing a snap shotover the glove of Price.


"I didn't give him much to shoot at and he hit the spot, kudosto him," Price said of Sundin.


Kovalev gave Montreal the lead early in the third period,tallying his eighth power-play goal of the season. BryanSmolinski sent a cross-ice pass to the dangerous sniper andKovalev snapped a shot past a diving Toskala just 69 secondsinto the session to take a 3-2 advantage.


A milestone goal from Sundin tied the game at 3-3 with just 18seconds remaining in regulation. Sundin, who became the firstplayer to score 400 goals in a Maple Leafs' uniform, poked thepuck past Price during a scramble in front of the goal.

Sundin has 535 career goals in 1,256 career games with theQuebec Nordiques and Maple Leafs.


Montreal likely would not even been in the game had it not beenfor the effort of the Price. The rookie netminder is off to agreat start, posting a 6-2-1 record so far.


Price turned aside all 17 shots he faced in the first period, 11more in the second, 14 in the third, and one in the overtime.

"Facing the shootout, it seems he has the patience to wait untilthe player makes his first move," Saku Koivu said of Prince."Considering his age, there's a lot of things that he's doing asif he's played in the league for 10-15 years - it's fun towatch."


On the other end of the rink, Toskala stopped 27 shots.

"I thought he played well tonight, I thought he was very good,"Toronto coach Paul Maurice said of Toskala. "He made saves inthe shootout against a team that is very good on the shootout."

After a scoreless opening period, the offenses exploded early inthe second.


The Maple Leafs opened the scoring at 2:50 when Darcy Tuckernotched his third tally of the season. After defenseman JohnPohl's shot from the left point was blocked, Tucker corralledthe loose puck and fired a turn-around wrist shot past Price.

Montreal answered exactly two minutes later with Kovalev andblue-liner Andrei Markov executing a give-and-go on the powerplay. After receiving a cross-ice pass from Kovalev, Markovfaked the slap shot and sent a pass back across to Kovalev, whoblasted a one-timer past Toskala.


An excellent effort by former Canadien Chad Kilger helped theMaple Leafs regain the lead at 6:35 of the middle session.Kilger accepted a pass from defenseman Andy Wozniewski and splitthe Montreal defenders before lifting the puck over Price'sglove.


"It's good to get a little more positive spin in the room, guysare frustrated," Kilger said. "We had a very tough road trip,we didn't get results. We played a lot better today, wesimplified our game and got a lot more shots and guys were goingto the net."


Guillaume Latendresse tied the score at 2-2 just 33 secondslater when he capitalized on a scramble in front of the netduring a delayed penalty, slapping the puck past Toskala.