Petry plays hero for Habs again
TORONTO — The Montreal Canadiens weren’t even supposed to be here.
All but eliminated from playoff contention, they’d shipped out key veterans at the trade deadline and were already squarely focused on next season when COVID-19 forced the NHL shutdown in mid-March.
The league’s 24-team restart gave Montreal a second life, and a roster not given much of a chance in this tournament is now one win from adding an incredible chapter to an unbelievable year.
Jeff Petry scored the winner in the third period as the Canadiens fought back from a 3-1 deficit to down the Pittsburgh Penguins 4-3 on Wednesday and grab a 2-1 lead in their best-of-five qualifying round series.
“We’ve just done it by working hard,” said Montreal head coach Claude Julien, who shook up his lines in the second period with his team down two. “At the end of the day, we know where the experience is. The only way we can counter that is with our work ethic and our commitment and desire.
“We lack experience compared to the other team, but we’re trying to make it up with our compete level.”
Shea Weber added a goal and two assists for Montreal, while Paul Byron, with a goal and an assist, and Jonathan Drouin provided the rest of the offence.
Carey Price stopped 30 shots for the Canadiens — the 12th seed in the Eastern Conference as part of the NHL’s restart to its pandemic-delayed season — who will look to close out a stunning upset Friday in Game 4 and advance to the normal 16-slot playoff bracket.
Patric Hornqvist, Jason Zucker and Teddy Blueger replied for No. 5 Pittsburgh, which got 27 saves from Matt Murray.
“We just made a few mistakes,” Penguins captain Sidney Crosby said. “This time of year, those mistakes are magnified. They’re opportunistic. They’re waiting for those mistakes and they capitalized on them.
“We might have been guilty of getting a little too loose there with the lead, and that changed pretty quick.”
Canadiens winger Brendan Gallagher suited up after briefly leaving the Penguins’ 3-1 victory in Game 2, but battled through despite clearly labouring at times with an undisclosed lower-body injury.
“As long as you can help the team, you’re going to be out there,” Gallagher said. “I would never put myself in a situation where I’m gonna hurt the team.”
Tied 3-3 through 40 minutes Wednesday, Montreal’s power play that was 0-for-9 in the series came agonizingly close when Joel Armia’s one-timer pinballed around the crease.
But the Canadiens kept up the pressure, and Petry, who provided the overtime winner in Game 1, roofed a shot past Murray’s ear from a sharp angle at 5:33 of the third shortly after the man advantage expired.
“There’s no bad shot and at this time of the year,” Petry said. “I was able to pick my spot.”
Pittsburgh, which had the seventh-best record in the NHL when the season was halted, went on the power play with 3:32 left in regulation, but Price handled Crosby’s one-timer comfortably without giving up a rebound on the only shot against.