Late Buffalo goal sinks Canadiens
BUFFALO, N.Y. Matt Moulson’s tiebreaking power-play goal with 1:18 left lifted the Buffalo Sabres to a 2-1 victory over the Montreal Canadiens on Friday night.
Tyler Ennis added a highlightreel goal, and Jhonas Enroth made 30 saves as Buffalo rebounded from a home loss to Winnipeg on Wednesday.
P.A. Parenteau’s third-period, power-play goal ended Montreal’s scoring slump at 132 minutes, 36 seconds, but it wasn’t enough for the Canadiens to avoid their second-straight loss.
Ennis skated through the right circle and around defenceman Alexei Emelin, but had to leap over goalie Carey Price in the crease. Falling with his back to the net, Ennis found the moving puck and flipped in a backhanded shot from the bottom of the left circle.
Tyson Strachan then sent a twoline pass to send Torrey Mitchell in on a breakaway, but the Sabres centre put a low shot wide of the left post.
Sabres right wing Drew Stafford was injured in the first period and didn’t return.
Enroth was challenged by a series of shots during a scrum in the crease about eight minutes into the second period, but was saved by a whistle with the loose puck in between a swarm skates at the edge of the crease.
Moulson nearly made it 2-0 midway through the second, but his shot went off the butt end of Price’s goal stick and wide of the net.
The Canadiens had a chance on the power play just 55 seconds into third period, and they needed just 40 seconds to tie the game on a disputed goal.
Enroth had the puck under his skate for multiple seconds when Parenteau jammed it free and into the net. The play wasn’t reviewable.
Montreal carried the period, and Enroth made several tough saves including a chest stop on Max Pacioretty with 15 minutes gone.
Emelin elbowed former teammate Gionta in the head at the 18:06, starting a skirmish and sending Buffalo to a late power play.
Ennis’ late dump-in took a wild bounce off the end boards to Moulson, who had skated hard into the slot.
He was left with an empty net to score the winning goal.