Stars Lose To Canadiens
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DALLAS — Left winger Max Pacioretty and defenseman P.K. Subban each had four-point nights for the Montreal Canadiens in a hard-fought 6-4 win against the Dallas Stars at the American Airlines Center on Thursday.
Center David Desharnais also finished with a goal and an assist and goaltender Carey Price stopped 28 shots for the Canadiens.
In a game that was 3-2 at the second intermission, the Canadiens and Stars combined for five goals in the final period with the game-winner coming from Montreal center Lars Eller with 9:21 remaining.
The Canadiens added another when Pacioretty scored an empty-netter with 1:04 remaining for his second goal of the game to go along with two assists. Subban got his third assist of the game on the play to go along with a goal.
Dallas took an early lead when center and captain Jamie Benn scored his 14th goal of the season 6:12 in. Center Tyler Seguin’s pass from the left corner found Benn in the left circle and he finished with a one-timer through Price’s legs.
Montreal answered at 11:00 of the first when Pacioretty beat Stars goaltender Kari Lehtonen with
a wrister from the left circle. Subban got the primary assist after a stellar outlet pass from the Montreal zone.
The Habs took their first lead 1:35 into the second when Desharnais whipped a wrister from the slot over Lehtonen’s blocker. Subban again set the table, this time sending a well-placed backhand from the left circle that found his teammate, who quickly converted.
Dallas tied it at 5:23 of the second when rookie right winger Valeri Nichushkin scored his eighth of the season on a penalty shot. Nichushkin was on a breakaway near the Montreal goal when he was taken down from behind by Canadiens defenseman Josh Gorges.
Nichushkin then got the better of Price on the penalty shot, firing a wrister under Price’s glove that hit both posts before going in.
That lead didn’t last too long as 1:07 later Subban scored his seventh as Montreal regained the lead. Lehtonen denied Pacioretty’s slap shot from the left point and Subban collected the carom in the left corner. Subban then skated through the left circle and the slot before sending a wrister through Lehtonen’s legs during a 4-on-4.
The Canadiens took their first two-goal lead at 3:30 of the third when right winger Brendan Gallagher beat Lehtonen for his 11th with Montreal on the power play. Pacioretty’s slap shot from the slot went wide left and Gallagher was waiting at the far post. He collected the carom and flipped in a backhand off Lehtonen’s right shoulder.
The Stars cut it to 4-3 when Seguin beat Price top shelf with a slap shot from the left point at 7:42 of the third. And Dallas tied it yet again at 8:29 when defenseman Brenden Dillon sent one past Price on the short side also from the left point.
However, that lead again didn’t endure and Eller beat Lehtonen top shelf from the right circle with 9:21 remaining for the eventual game-winner.
