VANCOUVER — Daniel Sedin scored on a power play at 2:45 of overtime Thursday as the Vancouver Canucks defeated the Montreal Canadiens 3-2.
Sedin took a sweet feed from his brother Henrik off the rush and beat Carey Price for his third of the season after the Canucks blew a 2-0 third-period lead.
Nick Bonino and Brad Richardson scored for Vancouver (7-3-0), which got 28 saves from Ryan Miller.
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Alex Galchenyuk and Max Pacioretty scored for Montreal (8-2-1), while Carey Price stopped 22 shots.
Up 1-0 after two periods, Richardson stretched Vancouver’s lead to two at 2:17 of the third off the rush, ripping a shot over Price’s glove shortside. Richardson’s goal came a few minutes after Alexandre Burrows hit the post behind the Montreal goaltender.
Canucks defenceman Luca Sbisa swiped a puck out of midair that looked to be going in behind Miller moments before Richardson buried his third of the campaign.
Montreal cut the deficit to 2-1 at 12:11 when Galchenyuk tipped home is fourth of the season past Miller off a shot from P.K. Subban. The Canucks argued to the referees that Miller — who knows the Canadiens well from his time with the Buffalo Sabres — had been interfered with by Montreal’s Brendan Gallagher in the crease, but the goal stood.
The goal came much to the delight of the boisterous Canadiens fans in attendance, who were enjoying their team’s only visit to Vancouver this season and were in full voice for most of the night.
Montreal kept pushing and got its tying goal with 2:33 remaining when former Canucks forward Dale Weise made a nice pass to Max Pacioretty, who made no mistake from the slot for his fourth of his season.
After a scoreless first, the Canucks grabbed the lead at 8:29 of the second on a play that left the Canadiens fuming.
Montreal defenceman Alexie Emelin made a pass up the middle that was intercepted by Bonino to create a 2-on-1 the other way with Derek Dorsett. Burrows drilled an off-balance Emelin with a high check after he released the puck, appearing to make contact with his head.
There was no penalty on the play and as Emelin lay on the ice, Bonino fed Dorsett, who returned to the favour as Bonino scored his fourth of the season behind a helpless Price.
Emelin went to the locker-room for the rest of the period but returned in the third.
Vancouver’s Shawn Matthias rang a shot off the post behind Price earlier in the period before Miller made a great save off Gallagher on a power play.
After the Canucks took the lead, Rene Bourque was also stopped by Miller before Lars Eller missed the net on two straight chances in front of the Vancouver goal.
The Canadiens were coming off a 2-1 shootout victory over the Calgary Flames on Tuesday, and Price had to be sharp to keep the deficit at just one in the dying seconds of the period, shooting out an arm to deflect a quick shot from Bonino out of play.
Montreal recorded the game’s first three shots, but it was Vancouver that had the first real chance when Dorsett cut in off the wing on a partial breakaway, only to lose control at the critical moment in front of Price.
Weise, who was acquired in a trade with Vancouver last season, nearly had a dream return four minutes in on another break, but couldn’t get a shot away after taking a slash from Canucks defenceman Kevin Bieska.
Vancouver’s Jannik Hansen saw his shot on a 2-on-1 stopped by Price at the other end moments later, but the Canadiens’ goaltender saved his best work for the final flurry of the first period.
Chris Higgins fed Bonino right in front of Price, who had to stretch to stop the Canucks forward and was sharp again on Dan Hamhuis’ buzzer-beater shot from the point.
That brought chants of “Carey! Carey!” from the Montreal fans who dotted the stands and drowned out their Canucks’ counterparts with three raucous “Go Habs Go” chants in the opening 20 minutes alone.
Notes: Vancouver visits the Edmonton Oilers on Saturday before hosting the Nashville Predators on Sunday. … Montreal welcomes Calgary on Sunday. … The Canadiens host the Canucks on Dec. 9 in the clubs’ only other meeting this season.