Hurricanes 5, Canadiens 4
RALEIGH, N.C. -- Right winger Alexander Semin turned and fired a shot for the winning goal in overtime as the Carolina Hurricanes defeated the Montreal Canadiens 5-4 after a four-goal rally in the third period Tuesday night at PNC Arena.
The Hurricanes scored four third-period goals to erase a three-goal deficit, but Montreal defenseman P.K. Subban scored to tie the game.
Carolina's five-game losing streak ended.
Semin scored with 1:33 to play in overtime.
Hurricanes left winger Jeff Skinner scored two power-play goals in a 37-second span early in the third period and then center Eric Staal tied the game just 4:07 into the period.
Carolina's go-ahead goal from center Manny Malhotra came with 11:44 remaining before Subban tied the game at 4 two minutes later.
Carolina had to kill the last 3:56 of regulation.
Staal's goal was his first in six games, capping a three-goal burst in less than 2 1/2 minutes for the Hurricanes. Then came Malhotra's second goal of the season.
Montreal left winger Max Pacioretty scored twice after center Lars Eller opened the scoring.
Canadiens goaltender Carey Price stopped 37 shots, including all 25 shots through two periods.
Carolina goalie Cam Ward, appearing in back-to-back games for the first time this month, made 21 saves.
Eight of Pacioretty's team-high 17 goals came in December. Those came after a two-goal outing on the last day of November to give him seven in that month.
The Canadiens scored in just 80 seconds, with Eller sending the puck under Ward's stretched-out leg for his first goal in 12 games. Five of his last six goals have come in road games.
Montreal nearly scored again less than three minutes later when defenseman Andrei Markov's power-play shot hit the post.
But just 7:46 into the game, the Canadiens had their first power-play goal in a five-game span on Pacioretty's first tally.
Ward stopped right winger Brendan Gallagher breakaway attempt near the midway mark of the second period.
Markov's assist on Pacioretty's goal was his first since Dec. 7, though he's second on the Montreal team with 18.
Montreal center David Desharnais had two assists.
NOTES: Hurricanes D Tim Gleason was scratched, fueling trade speculation. ... Hurricanes G Anton Khudobin was recalled from a conditioning stint with the AHL's Charlotte Checkers. He was scratched Tuesday night. ... C Daniel Briere sat out for the second time in five games for Montreal. ... Hurricanes C Riley Nash was ruled out for the rest of the game after sustaining a lower-body injury in the first period. ... Hurricanes C Eric Staal played in his 730th career game (all with the Hurricanes), and that is one more than former player Glen Wesley for the franchise's all-time lead since the relocation from Hartford, Conn. Only Ron Francis and Wesley have played more across all the franchise's games. ... The Hurricanes played their first game since trading enforcer RW Kevin Westgarth to the Calgary Flames for C Greg Nemisz, who was assigned to Charlotte. ... The Canadiens complete a six-game road stretch Thursday at Dallas. They haven't played at home since Dec. 17. ... The Hurricanes play three of their next four games on the road, beginning Thursday night at Washington.
