Canadiens 5, Wild 4 (SO)
CANADIENS 5, WILD 4 (SO): David Desharnais had a goal and two assists in regulation and added the shootout winner as host Montreal halted a five-game losing skid with a thrilling - and bizarre - victory over Minnesota.
After both team's opening shooters misfired in the sudden death, Desharnais gave Montreal the lead with a nifty backhander after narrowly missing a poke check from Minnesota netminder Josh Harding.
Carey Price turned away Dany Heatley on Minnesota's second attempt, and Wild forward Devin Setoguchi squandered a chance to extend the shootout after he lost control of the puck and fell down on his way to the Montreal net.
Trailing 4-1 with less than four minutes remaining in regulation, Minnesota stormed back to tie the game and stun the Bell Centre crowd. Matt Kassian's second goal of the game - and second of his NHL career - trimmed the deficit at 16:07, and Heatley finished off a goalmouth scramble with his 20th goal of the season just over two minutes later.
Moments after the Canadiens failed to put the puck into the empty net, Minnesota drew even with 9.8 seconds remaining when Setoguchi whiffed on a centering pass from the edge of the crease but still managed to slide it past Price.
Max Pacioretty, P.K. Subban and Lars Eller had the other regulation goals for the Canadiens.
Minnesota lost starting netminder Niklas Backstrom early in the first period after he suffered an apparent leg injury on Subban's power-play goal.
GAME NOTEBOOK: Montreal scored a season-high three power-play goals. ... Minnesota's Stephane Veilleux and Montreal's Ryan White were involved in a pair of tussles. They scrapped 10 seconds into the game, then clashed again later in the period after Veilleux slashed Price; he earned a double-minor while White incurred an instigator minor, a fighting major and a misconduct for attacking Veilleux following the slash. ... Pacioretty needs four more goals to become the first Canadiens player since Alex Kovalev in 2007-08 to reach the 30-goal plateau. ... Desharnais has 26 points in 26 games so far in 2012.