Price saved by Habs’ comeback
Bouillon’s controversial OT winner caps wild Montreal win over Ottawa
MONTREAL — The Canadiens put together a dramatic comeback that left the Senators speechless.
Down 4-1 to the Senators with three-and-a-half minutes to play on Saturday, Montreal scored three unanswered goals to force overtime — including a David Desharnais buzzer-beater with less than a second on the clock — before Francis Bouillon scored in overtime for the 5-4 victory.
“I don’t really know what to say,” said a visibly perplexed Marc Methot, who was on the ice for Ottawa when the game-tying goal was scored.
“It felt like we were in control, even in the third period. We weren’t playing on our heels, at least for a good amount of it. They got confidence, and they got the crowd back into it.”
Bouillon made for an unlikely overtime hero as he entered the game with no goals in 40 games this season.
Lars Eller got the comeback underway for Montreal (36-257), scoring at 16:38 of the third to reduce the deficit to two. Eller pushed a rebound past a sprawled out Robin Lehner for his first goal in his last 25 games.
Captain Brian Gionta, who assisted Eller’s goal, added another less than minute later as he deflected a P.K. Subban shot to the back of the net to make it 4-3.
With the Habs on the power play, and their net empty for the extra attacker, Montreal sent everybody to the front of Lehner’s net and Desharnais put in the tying goal at 19:59 off a feed from Subban.
“I looked up at the clock to see how much time there was. I saw quickly that there were four seconds left,” said Subban.
“If I had the shot, I’m sure it would have been blocked. I saw (Desharnais) waving at me. Big players score in those big moments.”
The comeback wasn’t without controversy.
On the game-winning goal, Senators (28-25-13) players were convinced Lehner had frozen the puck long before it was poked away by Max Pacioretty onto Bouillon’s stick.
After the game, referees apparently told Ottawa captain Jason Spezza that there was no whistle on the play because the building was too loud.
“I have no idea what that means,” said Sens coach Paul MacLean. “That’s the explanation we got. I’m confused.”
“I’m pretty frustrated,” added Methot.
“It was almost deafening towards the end when they scored. I have to be careful with the words I use. It looked like our goalie had possession of the puck. It’s tough for the refs, I get that. There’s a lot of noise, a lot of distractions.” The game marked the return of Carey Price, who saw his first NHL action since Feb. 8, prior to the Olympic break.
Price was out of the lineup for eight games with a lower-body injury that he sustained in Sochi.
The 26-year-old Price made 29 saves for his 27th win of the year.
After the game, however, head coach Michel Therrien announced Price would not follow the team to Buffalo for their next game, presumably due to the injury.
Montreal, with Peter Budaj and Dustin Tokarski in net, went 3-41 and conceded 28 goals without Price.
Jason Spezza, Zack Smith, Ales Hemsky and Clarke MacArthur scored for Ottawa.
The slumping Senators have now lost five of their last seven games and sit 12th in the Eastern Conference, six points out of a playoff spot.