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 Gallagher, center David Desharnais and left winger Max Pacioretty
combined for eight points to lead Montreal to a 6-4 victory over the
Boston Bruins on Thursday night at the Bell Centre. The diminutive
winger scored twice -- including the game-winner -- and added an
assist, Pacioretty had a goal and an assist, and Desharnais
contributed with a pair of helpers.
"Lines are going to change," Gallagher said. "As a player, it's your
job to go out there and play with whoever you're playing with.
Certainly it's a lot of fun playing with those two guys and if we
continue to have success, should be no reason to change it but
that's up to us.".
Rookie left winger Jiri Sekac and right winger Pierre-Alexandre
Parenteau (two goals) also scored for Montreal (4-1-0), which was
facing the Bruins for the first time since eliminating their
long-time rival from the playoffs last spring.
Defenseman Zdeno Chara, center Carl Soderberg and left wingers Loui
Eriksson and Simon Gagne provided the offense for Boston.
Chara got things started for the Bruins at 9:03 of the first period
when he deflected center David Krejci's point shot from the blue
line on the power play. It was his first goal and first point in six
games this season.
The Canadiens' struggling power play replied two-and-a-half minutes
later to tie the game at 1. Desharnais' shot from the ice hit Bruins
defenseman Adam McQuaid and found its way to Pacioretty's skate and
past Rask. The goal snapped an 0-for-14 drought that plagued
Montreal through its first four games.
Shortly after an apparent Montreal go-ahead goal was waved off, the
Canadiens got one that counted, with Gallagher potting his second of
the season at 7:43. Pacioretty's shot from the right circle went
through Rask's legs and Desharnais got a piece of it before
Gallagher tapped the loose puck from the left side into the back of
the net.
It was back to square one less than a minute later when Soderberg
fired one from the slot to tie it at 2.
Defenseman Torey Krug took advantage of a battle in front the net to
restore the Bruins' lead midway through the second period. With
Montreal center Tomas Plekanec and Eriksson by the goal crease, Krug
outwaited Canadiens defenseman Mike Weaver, who went down to block
the shot, and banked one in off Eriksson's skate.
Sekac's first NHL strike knotted the score at 3 when the puck
bounced out of the crease to the 22-year-old's stick in the right
circle at 18:11 of the middle frame.
A Plekanec pass to Parenteau in the high slot gave the Gatineau,
Que., native his first in a Habs' uniform and his new club a 4-3
lead at 19:36.
"I had a few chances on the road trip that didn't go in so it felt
great tonight to finally get one, get one past Rask," said
Parenteau.
The Bruins (2-4-0) scored three goals for just the second time in
the young season. And while on the tail end of a back-to-back set
after playing in Detroit on Wednesday, they were pleased with their
game with just some corrections to take care of.
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"The effort was good. We definitely have to be a little smarter in
our zone and even on breakouts, making the easy play and not forcing
plays because that's when we put ourselves in trouble and gave them
too many good opportunities," Bruins center Patrice Bergeron said.
"We just have to be a little smarter."
Goalie Tuukka Rask, in his second start in as many nights, made 18
saves for the Bruins (2-4-0) before being chased midway through the
third period. Back-up netminder Niklas Svedberg stopped the two
shots he faced in relief.
"I don't know. I've got to do something about it," Rask said of his
now 3-11-3 career record against Montreal. "We started good. I felt
good in the first, then you get that one bounce and say okay, we'll
battle through it. Then there's another one and say okay, it doesn't
matter. Then a third one and you're kind of like, it's one of those
nights again. If I had an answer, we'd probably win more games
here."
Gallagher scored his second when Pacioretty tipped defenseman Alexei
Emelin's point shot and the puck deflected off the forward into the
net at 7:17 of the third period. The goal chased Rask from the
Bruins net.
Gagne cut the Canadiens' lead to one when he poked a loose puck to
the right of goaltender Carey Price past the goal line at 14:11.
Parenteau sealed it with an empty-netter on the power-play at 19:40.
Price stopped 25 shots for Montreal.
NOTES: The Canadiens played their 3,200th home game in franchise
history (NHA and NHL). ... The Bruins played their league-high sixth
game of the season, and four of them were part of a back-to-back
set. ... Canadiens LW Travis Moen returned to the lineup after
sitting the previous two games as a healthy scratch. Montreal D
Alexei Emelin also returned after missing two games with an
upper-body injury. RW Dale Weise and D Nathan Beaulieu were healthy
scratches. ... Bruins D Matt Bartkowski was scratched for the second
night in a row. ... LW Simon Gagne played his second game for Boston
after signing a one-year deal with the club on Tuesday.
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