Buffalo, NY (SportsNetwork.com) – P.A. Parenteau scored the deciding
goal of the shootout to lead the Montreal Canadiens to a 2-1 victory over the
Buffalo Sabres on Wednesday.
Buffalo’s Brian Gionta and the Canadiens’ Alex Galchenyuk were both successful
in the first round of the shootout. Parenteau, the third shooter for
Montreal, skated up the middle, fooled Michal Neuvirth with a head fake and
ended the game with a quick wrister into the top of the net.
Parenteau also lit the lamp in regulation and Dustin Tokarski made 31 saves
for Montreal, which snapped a three-game skid.
Drew Stafford provided Buffalo’s lone offense and Neuvirth made 31 saves in
defeat.
“The effort tonight was really good. We’ve been getting good goaltending and I
liked how we battled back,” Sabres coach Ted Nolan said.
Parenteau broke the scoreless deadlock 19 seconds into the third after
depositing the rebound of P.K. Subban’s blast from the point into the net.
Stafford answered back for Buffalo less than three minutes later on the power
play by tipping in Tyler Myers’ pass from the top of the crease.
Neuvirth went post to post to make an outstanding toe save on Max Pacioretty
with under two minutes left in overtime and Tokarski stuck out his blocker to
stop Zemgus Girgensons at the buzzer to send the game to a shootout.
Montreal had two power plays in the first, but were unable to find the back of
the net.
Midway through the second, Tokarski denied Chris Stewart of a tip-in
opportunity from the side of the net with a quick toe save to keep the game
scoreless.
Game Notes
Sabres forward Tyler Ennis registered his 100th career assist … Montreal
extended its winning streak against Buffalo to six games … Canadiens forward
Lars Eller played in his 300th career game.
