Galchenyuk scores in OT to lift Canadiens past Red Wings
DETROIT -- Alex Galchenyuk's goal 3:37 into overtime gave the Montreal Canadiens a 2-1 over the Detroit Red Wings on Saturday night at Joe Louis Arena.
Brendan Gallagher also scored for Montreal (16-4-2), which has the best record in the NHL. Carey Price stopped 32 shots.
Justin Abdelkader scored for Detroit (10-10-2) and Petr Mrazek made 22 saves. Galchenyuk finished off a 2-on-1 by one-timing a pass from Alexander Radulov past Mrazek from the bottom of the left circle for the game winner. It was Galchenyuk's ninth goal.
Gallagher tied the game 1-1, with 8:05 left in the third period when he tipped in a shot by Tomas Plekanec. It was Gallagher's fifth goal and his first in 16 games.
Price made a pad save on Henrik Zetterberg's one-timer from the bottom of the right circle 7:47 into the third period.
Abdelkader got the game's first goal 3:20 into the third period. He beat Price high on the glove side with a wrist shot from the high slot, that deflected off the stick of Canadiens defenseman Greg Pateryn, off the rush. It was Abdelkader's fourth goal.
Two Red Wings players were helped to the dressing room in the second period and neither returned.
Defenseman Brendan Smith got his legs tangled up with the Canadiens' Phillip Danault along the boards in the Detroit zone and limped off with 8:01 left in the second.
Forward Tyler Bertuzzi made it off the ice by himself, but on one leg, with 3:13 remaining in the middle period after a low hit in the corner along the boards from Montreal defenseman Alexei Emelin.
Price made a nice save on a tip by Luke Glendening in the middle of the second period.
Detroit outshot Montreal 15-5 in the second period.
Mrazek made a spectacular glove save on Arturi Lehkonen 5:01 into the game. Lehkonen, stationed to the right of the net, one-timed a cross-crease pass but Mrazek reached across and caught it.
The Canadiens outshot the Red Wings 10-5 in a scoreless first period.
NOTES: Detroit recalled G Jared Corveau from Grand Rapids of the American Hockey League because G Jimmy Howard suffered a groin injury in Friday night's 5-4 overtime win in New Jersey. Howard is expected to be out a week or so. Petr Mrazek started for the Red Wings. ... Montreal F Charles Hudon sustained an upper-body injury during practice Friday morning and did not make the trip as a precaution. ... D Xavier Oullet and F Drew Miller replaced D Niklas Kronwall and F Steve Ott in the lineup for Detroit. ... Canadiens RW Alexander Radulov returned after missing two games because of illness.