Canadiens 4, Senators 3 (SO)
Canadiens 4, Senators 3 (SO): Lars Eller opened the scoring in the first period and had the deciding goal in the third round of the shootout as host Montreal won its fourth straight game.
Defenseman P.K. Subban had a goal and an assist and rookie Brendan Gallagher also tallied for the Canadiens, who improved to 12-1-3 in their last 16 contests. Carey Price made 29 saves for his third straight victory
Mika Zibanejad and captain Daniel Alfredsson scored power-play goals and rookie defenseman Patrick Wiercioch tallied to forge a 3-3 tie for Ottawa, which rallied from a two-goal deficit but lost in Montreal for the second time in 2013. Robin Lehner stopped 42 shots in the loss.
After Canadiens rookie Alex Galchenyuk and Senators rookie Jakob Silfverberg scored in the opening two rounds of the bonus format, Eller skated in wide and faked to his backhand while cutting through the slot before flipping a shot past a sliding Lehner. Price stopped Kyle Turris on the next attempt to seal the victory.
Down 3-1 late in the second period, the Senators came back to level the contest. Alfredsson’s power-play goal with two seconds remaining in the period cut the deficit to one after he faked Price off the near post and beat him with a high wrist shot. Wiercioch skated into the slot before putting a shot between Price’s pads 1:50 into the third.
GAME NOTEBOOK: UFC welterweight champion and Montreal native Georges St-Pierre received a prolonged standing ovation when he dropped the ceremonial first puck. St-Pierre will attempt to defend his title on Saturday when he faces Nick Diaz at Bell Centre in UFC 158. … Ottawa, which has one win in its last seven games (1-2-4), allowed more than one power-play goal in a game for the first time. … Subban has 12 points in his last eight games. Gallagher has seven points in seven contests this month.