Late goal lifts Canadiens over Blackhawks

[December 10, 2018]  Carey Price made 37 saves and Tomas Tatar scored the winning goal with 1:17 remaining in the third period as the Montreal Canadiens overcame numerous trips to the penalty box Sunday night and recorded a 3-2 victory over the host Chicago Blackhawks, whose losing streak reached seven games.

Price was forced to make numerous timely saves as Montreal allowed five of its season-high eight power plays in the third period. Six of those saves were during a four-minute high sticking call to Jordie Benn on Dylan Strome with 16:02 remaining.

Price helped the Canadiens get a third straight win by making 17 saves in the final 20 minutes but Montreal did not clinch it until the final minutes.

The Canadiens scored the tiebreaking goal when the Blackhawks were unable to clear the offensive zone after Corey Crawford stopped Shea Weber's long wrist shot from the point. The puck caromed to Jesperi Kotkaniemi, who whipped a pass to Jeff Petry near the right point.

Petry then fired a rising shot through a maze of traffic and Tatar lifted his stick in time for the deflection from right in front of the crease to put it by Crawford.

Max Domi and Weber scored in a span of 91 seconds during the first period for Montreal but Patrick Kane scored twice to keep the game tied until Tatar's 12th goal.

Kane entered the game with one goal in his previous 14 contests but recorded his fourth two-goal game of the season.

The Blackhawks had a season-high eight power plays but most of their shots with the man advantage were from the perimeter as Chicago did not crash the net and constantly had shots blocked.

Blackhawks left wing Andreas Martinsen (29) controls the puck against Montreal Canadiens left wing Tomas Tatar (90) and right wing Brendan Gallagher (11) during the first period at United Center. Mandatory Credit: Patrick Gorski-USA TODAY Sports

Crawford made 25 saves and took his eighth straight loss.

Domi scored his 14th goal 6:05 into the game by lifting a rebound from the right side by Crawford, then Weber scored by putting a slap shot from above the left circle into the net following a Chicago turnover behind the net.

The Blackhawks made it a one-goal game when Kane used a screen to get a wrist shot from the right circle with 59 seconds left in the first. Kane tied it late in the second when he one-timed Dominik Kahun's cross-ice pass from one knee inside the right faceoff circle over Price's head while falling to the ice.

--Field Level Media

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