Canadiens, Lindgren stop Golden Knights
MONTREAL -- Brendan Gallagher, Jordie Benn and Max Pacioretty scored as the Montreal Canadiens defeated the Vegas Golden Knights 3-2 on Tuesday.
Charlie Lindgren made 29 saves in improving to 5-0-0 in five NHL starts for Montreal (7-8-1), which won its third straight game. Maxime Lagace stopped 25 shots for Vegas (9-4-1) in a matchup of rookie goaltenders.
It took nearly five minutes for the Golden Knights, who were playing their second game in as many nights, to get their first shot on Lindgren. The Canadiens' netminder was forced to drop to the ice to make a sprawling save, much to the delight of the Bell Centre crowd, who erupted into "Charlie! Charlie!" cheers.
At 8:24, after rushing up ice to avoid an icing call, center Tomas Plekanec fed the puck to Gallagher, who was waiting on the doorstep. Gallagher beat Lagace for his seventh goal of the season. Benn also picked up an assist.
After managing to sustain some offensive zone pressure, Victor Mete made an excellent play to keep the puck in the Vegas zone, passing the puck to Benn. The defenseman fired a low slap shot from the blue line to score his first of the season, putting the Habs up 2-0 at 10:55.
Pierre-Edouard Bellemare cut the deficit in half when he snuck one past Lindgren from the hashmarks at 17:41. Derek Engelland picked up the assist.
Pacioretty gave Montreal a 3-1 lead 3:31 into the second when he scored his sixth goal of the season, tipping in a Jeff Petry shot from the circle. Andrew Shaw added another helper, bringing his season tally to five assists.
Montreal's Jonathan Drouin did not come out onto the ice to start the third period. The Canadiens later announced that he would not return, citing an upper-body injury as the reason.
Golden Knights coach Gerard Gallant pulled Lagace with just over two minutes to play in the third. With 1:37 to go, and the extra attacker on the ice, Jonathan Marchessault saucered a beautiful pass to Erika Haula, who closed the gap to 3-2.
NOTES: Montreal G Carey Price missed his third straight game with a lower-body injury. ... Canadiens D Jeff Petry's assist Tuesday night puts him within five of 100 for his career. ... G Maxime Lagace is the fourth goaltender to wear a Golden Knights uniform this season. ... LW James Neal, who was held off the scoresheet Tuesday, leads Vegas with 12 points in 14 games. ... The Canadiens continue their homestand Thursday night when they play Minnesota. ... The Golden Knights return home to face Winnipeg on Friday.