Canadiens 4, Maple Leafs 2
TORONTO -- Max Pacioretty scored twice as the Montreal Canadiens doubled up the Toronto Maple Leafs 4-2 Wednesday night at the Air Canada Centre.
With just over five minutes remaining in the third period, Pacioretty picked up his second goal of the night beating Ben Scrivens short side for his sixth of the season.
The win improves Montreal to 7-0-2 since their embarrassing 6-0 home-ice loss to Toronto on Feb. 9. It was the Canadiens first win over the Maple Leafs this season. Montreal is now 1-2-0 against Toronto.
Montreal (13-4-3) took a 2-1 lead early in the second after Mike Brown was assessed a five-minute major and game misconduct for checking from behind on Josh Gorges late in the first period.
With just six seconds remaining on the man advantage, the rebound off a PK Subban shot re-directed off Pacioretty and past Scrivens.
With just over eight minutes remaining in the second period, the Maple Leafs had an excellent chance to pick up the equalizer when Mikhail Grabovski was hauled down on a partial break by Alexei Emelin.
Grabovski was awarded a penalty shot, but could not solve Price.
Toronto (12-9-0) tied the game 2-2 when Clarke MacArthur took a Nazem Kadri feed off his skate and put it past a sprawling Price for his fifth goal of the season.
Kadri now has four assists in his last three games.
Brendan Gallagher gave Montreal a 3-2 lead in the third while Brian Gionta added an empty netter.
Toronto opened the scoring in the first period on Frazer McLearen's second of the season. Montreal responded just over three minutes later as Emelin's point shot beat Scrivens.
Michael Ryder made his return to the Montreal line-up after being acquired by the Canadiens on Tuesday for Erik Cole. Ryder scored a hat trick in his last game against the Maple Leafs in a Canadiens jersey, but on Wednesday he finished minus-1 in just over 14 minutes of ice time
NOTES: Canadiens defenseman Thomas Kaberle was in the lineup for the first time since Feb. 2 replacing Raphael Diaz who missed the game with a concussion. ... Gallagher wore No. 11 for the first time Wednesday after allowing Ryder to take his old No. 73. ... Toronto is 2-0 this season against Montreal out-scoring the Canadiens 8-1 coming in to Wednesday's action. ... The clubs have two more meetings this season. ... Toronto activated James Reimer off injured reserve Wednesday. Reimer missed seven games with a knee injury. ... In a corresponding move, the Leafs assigned Jussi Rynnas to the Marlies of the AHL.
