THE CANADIAN PRESS
MONTREAL — Pavel Datsyuk scored a goal and added the shootout winner as the Detroit Red Wings blew a two-goal third period lead Saturday but still downed the Montreal Canadiens 3-2.
Brad Stuart also scored for the Red Wings (11-6-4), who have won four of their last six games.
Mike Cammalleri scored twice in the third period for the Canadiens (11-11-1), who lost for the first time in nine games this season that went past regulation.
Red Wings defenceman Niklas Kronwall left the game at 8:52 of the first period after taking a knee on knee hit from Habs tough guy Georges Laraque. The Wings, already missing defenceman Andreas Lilja and forwards Johan Franzen, Valtteri Filppula and Jason Williams to injury, watched as Kronwall had to be helped off the ice while putting no weight on his left knee.
Laraque — who was already being called for high-sticking Darren Helm on the same play — received only a tripping minor for the hit on Kronwall in addition to a double-minor for the high stick.
Carey Price made 32 saves in the Canadiens net and allowed only two goals on his fifth straight start. Over his last seven starts, Price has a 4-2-1 record, a .941 save percentage and a 1.94 goals against average.
Andrei Kostitsyn had two assists for the Canadiens, giving him four points in his last three games. Kostitsyn had five points through his first 20 games this season.
Jimmy Howard made 16 saves for the Red Wings and stopped Cammalleri’s shootout attempt before Tomas Plekanec shot one off the post.
Trailing 2-0 entering the third period, Cammalleri quickly got Montreal back in the game.
He took a feed from Kostitsyn and fired a wrister high glove side on Howard for his 10th of the season nine seconds into the third period.
A rare Nicklas Lidstrom turnover led to the tying goal, as Tomas Plekanec picked off the clearing attempt and fed Kostitsyn in the corner. He found Cammalleri alone in front for his 11th at 8:45 of the third to make it 2-2.
With both teams having played and travelled a night earlier, it was the Canadiens who came out of the gate with more jump, controlling the play until Laraque’s three minor penalties opened the door for Detroit.
Stuart scored his second of the season on a long slap shot that eluded Price at 12:41 of the first, just 11 seconds before Laraque’s second minor had expired.
Paul Mara took another penalty for cross-checking Tomas Holmstrom in front of the net, and Datsyuk tipped home a beautiful slap pass from Brian Rafalski for his sixth of the season at 14:42, one second after the two-man advantage ended.
The Canadiens gave Detroit another 5-on-3 power play one minute later, but managed to kill it off to keep the score 2-0 after a period.
The Canadiens managed to stay out of the penalty box in the second, and as a result outshot the Wings 8-7 in the middle frame but failed to get one past Howard.
Notes: The Canadiens played without C Scott Gomez, who suffered a lower body injury in the third period of Friday night’s 3-2 win Washington. He joins defencemen Andrei Markov and Hal Gill and wingers Brian Gionta and Matt D’Agostini on Montreal’s injured listaDefenceman Jay Leach was scratched for Montreal, while Detroit defenceman Derek Meech and winger Brad May were also scratchedaDetroit’s Henrik Zetterberg saw his five-game point streak come to an endaWith just one power play Saturday, the Canadiens have drawn three or fewer in nine straight gamesaThe Red Wings, who entered the game leading the NHL in shots per game with 34.2, have failed to reach the 30-shot mark only five times in 21 games this season.
