Power-play lets down Habs in loss to Leafs

If Saturday’s game between the Canadiens and the Maple Leafs was a preview of the playoffs, we can look forward to some entertaining hockey in April.

An overtime goal by John Tavares was the difference as the teams battled on even terms for most of the night.

There was disappointment in the Canadiens’ room, but coach Claude Julien tried to put the result in perspective as Montreal completed a five-game homestand with a 3-0-2 record.

“I think it’s great that the guys are mad, but we picked up eight of 10 points and if we can do that for the rest of the season, we’ll be in good shape,” Julien said.

The single point for overtime left the Canadiens in third place in the Atlantic Division, with 69 points. They are one point ahead of Boston, but the Bruins hold a game in hand. If the current standings hold, the Canadiens and the Leafs would meet in the first round of the playoffs.

There was a playoff atmosphere at the Bell Centre, with a vocal contingent of Toronto fans showing their support for the Leafs.

“There was playoff intensity,” Julien said. “You talk about Winnipeg, but tonight there was a lot of emotion and the guys were really into it. We have a lot of guys who haven’t been there, and it was a good sample of what you see in the playoffs.”

The difference in the game was the failure of the Canadiens to capitalize on two power-play opportunities.

The first came in the opening period when Tavares was assessed a double minor for high-sticking Jordie Benn. What followed was four minutes of frustration. The Canadiens were able to set up only once during the advantage, and that one moment of competence produced the lone shot by Joel Armia.

The second opportunity came in overtime. A delay-of-game penalty to Nikita Zaitsev late in regulation meant the Canadiens started the overtime with a 4-on-3 advantage for 1:29.

The Canadiens didn’t get a shot on goal in the overtime and lost all three faceoffs.

Carey Price expressed disappointment at the loss. While he cited the failure of the power play in overtime, he also noted he should have stopped William Nylander on the tying goal in the third period.

One major plus for the Canadiens was the return of Andrew Shaw after missing 15 games with a neck injury. He scored a goal and displayed a lot of pent-up energy.

“(The legs) felt pretty good,” said Shaw, who played close to 18 minutes and had three shots on goal. phickey@postmedia.com