Nearly perfect this season, the shorthanded remained one of the few concerns among Canadian Michel Therrien. But this unit was perfect on five occasions, Monday at the Bell Centre, while the attack was necessary to obtain a 4-1 win at the expense of the Carolina Hurricanes.
Max Pacioretty, with its 10th and 11th goals, the second into an empty net late in the game, Andrei Markov, his seventh, and Jeff Halpern, his first of the season and his first in four games since he back with the Canadiens scored for the Habs.
The Montreal club has swept the three-game series against the Canes this season, in addition to three-point lead in the Northeast Division of the Boston Bruins, Monday inactive. They will receive the Ottawa Senators on Tuesday.
Nathan Beaulieu has an assist, his first point in his second game in the NHL. PK Subban has continued to maintain the height of the struggle among the best scorers in the NHL among defensemen.
Jordan Staal with his ninth, scored the only goal of the Hurricanes, a team that garnered only three points in the standings in its last nine outings, while yet fight for the eighth and final playoff spot in the Eastern Conference.
Carey Price made 18 saves in his 300th career game in the regular season. He scored his 142nd victory. Justin Peters faced 28 shots before being replaced in vain for a sixth attacker late in the game.
Colby Armstrong injured his leg, knee, perhaps, when accidental contact with Patrick Dwyer, Hurricanes early in the third period. He did not return to the game
The Habs continue this week Wednesday in Philadelphia against the Flyers, before receiving the Winnipeg Jets and Bruins at the Bell Centre, Thursday and Saturday respectively.
A loss of power quickly corrected
The trio of Tomas Plekanec has allowed Habs to a good start the game, but a loss of power has finally opened the door and the Hurricanes Staal scored at 3:38 of the first period. It took effort Dwyer, who has pioneered between Markov and Alexei Emelin.
The Montreal players quickly regained the initiative and it worked given two successive power plays. Markov tied the score early in the second powerplay when, at 15:03, he took a shot from the blue line. Brendan Gallagher led the Canadian to control the puck at the faceoff and handed it to Subban, who relayed the other side to Markov.
The Canadian has not played his best hockey in the second, yet, but he still donned the sole purpose of the engagement. Halpern, at 1:46, then grabbed a loose puck in the crease after Beaulieu has fired the first shot blocked defense.
Involved in several trials of strength along the boards, Subban was penalized twice in the second period, but without damage.
Without taking unnecessary chances in attack, the Canadian is applied to control the game in the third. David Desharnais missed great opportunities when twice he got the insurance goal on the blade of his stick, courtesy of Pacioretty, but the latter is ultimately responsible, first at 10:58 when he Dwyer got around to the right wing and taken back his own shot, then in the last minute, when he went clearance recovered in the offensive zone.
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