Two disputed goals allowed the Montreal Canadiens to defeat the Ottawa Senators on Saturday in a nationally televised game that had mouths agape and tongues wagging.
Montreal trailed 4-1 with less than four minutes left in the third period and it looked like Montreal goalie Carey Price's return from injury would be a losing one.
Lars Eller made it 4-2 at 16:38; Brian Gionta made it 4-3 at 17:56 and collars tightened. David Desharnais scored with less than a second left in regulation to tie the game, a goal disputed by Senators goalie Robin Lehner, likely complaining that he was interfered with briefly in the crease. A gorgeous, patient pass by P.K. Subban found Desharnais alone in front with Lehner scrambling to back in position.
Francis Bouillon scored in overtime to complete the comeback on a play the Senators would claim should have been whistled dead. Lehner appeared to have the puck frozen, although replays showed it mostly uncovered by his right toe. A referee on the post appeared to be able to see the puck alive. The Canadiens dug at it until it came loose to Bouillon who was drifting in from the point.
I don't believe what I just saw. #Sens are livid. #Habs win in OT.
- Stephen Whyno (@SWhyno) March 16, 2014
Amazing comeback by the Habs but totally with Sens on OT goal; should have been whistled before that. What a game though...
- Pierre LeBrun (@Real_ESPNLeBrun) March 16, 2014
As for the winner, yeah, that could have been whistled down.
- Bruce Arthur (@bruce_arthur) March 16, 2014
#Sens MacLean says when spezza asked officials about gwg the response was 'it was too loud' @hockeynight
- David Amber (@DavidAmber) March 16, 2014
The win expectancy, as calculated by ExtraSkater.com, was approaching 100% for the Senators just before Eller's goal.
Until tonight, no team up by 3 with less than 10 mins to go went on to lose the game (regular season, since 2010-11)
- Extra Skater (@ExtraSkater) March 16, 2014
Bobby Ryan received a misconduct at the end of the game for arguing with the referees about the final goal.
Daniel Briere scored Montreal's other goal in the first minute of the game.
Price made 29 saves in his first NHL game since the Olympic break. After the game, Montreal coach Michel Therrien announced that Price would not travel to Buffalo for Sunday's game against the Sabres.
The Canadiens were 3-4-1 and conceded 28 goals without Price, who was out with a lower-body injury.
With the win, Montreal ended a three-game slide. Ottawa has now lost five of its last seven games.
Jason Spezza, Zack Smith, Ales Hemsky and Clarke MacArthur scored for Ottawa (28-25-13), while Lehner made 43 saves.
The Canadiens came flying out of the gate, putting one past Lehner on their third shot, 38 seconds into the first period. Following a Tomas Plekanec face off win, Briere took advantage of lax defending by Erik Karlsson to walk to the front of the net and fire home his 12th of the year.
Spezza equalized against the run of play on the Sens' first shot of the game at 3:08, beating Price with a rocket of a slap shot into the top corner of the net. Spezza now has nine points (three goals, six assists) in his last six games.
Coming off back-to-back shutouts at the Sochi Games, the goal allowed was Price's first in more than 167 minutes of hockey.
The Canadiens outshot the Senators 17-4 in the first period.
Minutes after seeing one of its goals disallowed, Ottawa took a 2-1 lead at 17:10 of the second period when Smith scored his 11th of the year on a breakaway. Smith took a long stretch pass from Karlsson at the blue line, was stopped by Price, but scored on his own rebound.
Hemsky doubled their lead at 1:54 of the third, beating Price under the blocker for his seventh point in four games since being traded to the Senators. MacArthur made it 4-1 three minutes later.
Eller made a game of it late, scoring his first goal in his last 25 games at 16:38. Gionta added another less than minute later to keep the score close before Desharnais tied it up. - With files from The Canadian Press
Post By http://sports.nationalpost.com/2014/03/15/montreal-canadiens-complete-miracle-comeback-against-ottawa-senators-with-two-disputed-goals/
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