MONTREAL - The Tampa Bay Lightning were hoping that a bruised and battered Montreal Canadiens club would be exactly what the team needed to get back in the winning ways. The Bolts have not won back to back games since February and coming off Mondays win in Toronoto, the bandaged Habs, missing nine regular players, were ripe for the picking.
Apparently no one told Carey Price.
The Montreal goaltender was sensational again, making 35 saves as well as three stops in the shootout to carry the Canadiens to a 3-2 overtime victory. Dwayne Roloson would make 27 saves of his own, but allowed goals to Nigel Dawes and Michael Cammallieri in the shootout, giving Montreal the win. With the extra point, the sixth place Canadiens move one point closer to the fifth place Lightning in the conference standings.
The big controversy of the game came with 8 seconds left in the first period as center Vincent Lecavalier got in an altercation with Canadiens rookie defensman P.K. Subban. Subban hooked and slashed at Vinnys wrist as he attempted to come out in front of the net for a shot on Price, drawing a penalty, but Lecavalier was heated and retaliated with a baseball swing like slash to Subbans hip. Lecavalier was given a five minute major penalty and a ten minute game misconduct and thrown out of the game, forcing his team to play without him for the next two periods.
The Powerplay was potent for the Bolts, as both Simon Gagne and Teddy Purcell would score for the Lightning on the man advantage. Andrei Kostitsyn and Brian Gionta netted goals for the Canadiens.
The Lightning will now head to Ottawa for a Saturday night rematch of last weeks loss to the Senators at the St. Pete Times Forum.