Predators 2, Canadiens 1
MONTREAL -- Rookie defenseman Seth Jones scored with 1:27 remaining in the third period to give the Nashville Predators a 2-1 win over the Montreal Canadiens on Saturday night at the Bell Centre.
Carey Price made 35 saves in the loss, which snapped a four-game winning streak by Montreal (5-3-0).
Thirteen of those stops came in the first period as the Predators (4-3-1) outshot the Canadiens 14-6 en route to a 1-0 lead.
Pekka Rinne stopped 28 shots for Nashville, which picked up its first road win of the season.
The Predators opened the scoring at the tail end of a two-man advantage at 12:31 of the first. With the first Montreal penalty set to expire, Shea Weber moved up from the point to the right circle and deflected a shot off Canadiens defenseman Josh Gorges and into the net. It was the Predators' first power-play goal on the road this season.
Brendan Gallagher evened things up at 7:02 of the second period. After Canadiens center Lars Eller drove to the net, he and winger Michael Bournival tried to poke the puck past Rinne, but Gallagher cleaned up the mess with a backhander over the Finnish netminder. The tally, his fourth of the season, snapped a three-game goal-less drought for the second-year player.
The Canadiens thought they took the lead early in the final frame when Eller appeared to get the puck just barely by Rinne. Referee Chris Rooney, stationed behind the net, pointed to signify a goal, but the call was overturned after a lengthy video review and discussion among the four officials on the ice.
Jones restored the Predators' lead when he drove the net and fired one behind Price. It was the 19-year-old's second goal of the season.
NOTES: The Canadiens were without LW Max Pacioretty, who is out three weeks with a strained left hamstring. ... Montreal D Nathan Beaulieu was re-assigned to the club's AHL affiliate, the Hamilton Bulldogs, after the warm-up. ... Nashville was without C Mike Fisher (injured) and LW Rich Clune. ... The game was the first at the Bell Centre for Predators LW Gabriel Bourque, a native of Rimouski, Quebec. ... Canadiens RW Daniel Briere left the game in the second period after getting hit by Predators LW Eric Nystrom and did not return.
