Devils Fall to Canadiens 3-1

Shea Weber and Max Pacioretty each scored a power-play goal during a major penalty early in the third period, and the Montreal Canadiens snapped a two-game skid Friday night with a 3-1 victory over the Devils.

Alex Galchenyuk added a goal and two assists, and Alexander Radulov had three assists as Montreal ended the Devils' three-game winning streak. Canadiens goalie Al Montoya made 15 saves as New Jersey was limited to a season-low 17 shots in its return home from a four-game road trip.

Rookie defenseman Steven Santini gave the Devils an early 1-0 lead, but the Canadiens dominated after that, scoring all their goals on the power play (3 of 7) against Keith Kinkaid, who faced 26 shots

Montoya had nothing to do for long stretches. New Jersey was held without a shot for more than 12 minutes after Santini scored, and it needed 13 minutes to get one in the second period

Even with that, the game was tied 1-all early in the third period when defenseman Karl Stollery was called for a major boarding penalty against Canadiens defenseman Nathan Beaulieu in the corner to the left of Kinkaid.

Torrey Mitchell of Montreal got whistled for roughing on the play, but that still left the Canadiens with a three-minute power play after the teams played 4-on-4 for two minutes.

Weber scored his 11th of the season on a drive from the blue line at 3:01 that was set up by Radulov. Pacioretty got his 21st at 4:23 with a shot that deflected off the skate of Devils forward Adam Henrique.

Devils coach John Hynes screamed at the officials after the boarding call, perhaps in large part because he lost defenseman John Moore to a concussion Jan. 2 when he was boarded. No penalty was called on that play.

Santini put New Jersey ahead when he flipped a shot from just inside the blue line that floated into the top corner of the net.

Galchenyuk tied the game 74 seconds later with a shot from the left circle with Devils forward Miles Wood in the penalty box for slashing. The tally came 28 seconds after the penalty and on Montreal's first shot with the man advantage.

NOTES: After playing the previous four games, Canadiens G Carey Price got the night off. He is scheduled to be in net against the Sabres on Saturday night. ... G Cory Schneider was ill Thursday and did not practice, so Hynes started Kinkaid. ... Phillip Danault, playing in his 100th NHL game, was moved to center on the Canadiens' top line with Pacioretty and Radulov. ... Galchenyuk, who just returned from a knee injury, was dropped to the third line but skated on the first-line power-play unit and made the most of it. ... The Devils' previous low for shots in a game this season was 18.

UP NEXT

Canadiens: Host the Buffalo Sabres on Saturday night.

Devils: At the Philadelphia Flyers on Saturday night.

Copyright AP - Associated Press
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