Canadiens 4, Lightning 2
MONTREAL -- Tomas Plekanec scored twice to lift the Montreal Canadiens to a 4-2 win over the Tampa Bay Lightning on Tuesday night at the Bell Centre.
Right wingers Brendan Gallagher and Devante Smith-Pelly also scored for Montreal, which has now won three in a row for the first time since Nov. 22-27.
Center Valteri Filppula and defenseman Victor Hedman scored for the Lightning, which has given up nine goals in its last two games after allowing just four in the three previous games.
Goaltender Ben Scrivens, making his third straight start, stopped 37 shots for the Canadiens (27-24-4) while Ben Bishop made 23 saves for Tampa Bay (29-19-4).
Gallagher's 14th of the season got the scoring started at 5:56 of the first period. After intercepting a Lightning pass in the Canadiens' end, Gallagher dished off to Plekanec at the Montreal blue line before the center quickly returned it at center ice on a three-on-one. Gallagher held on along the right side before firing far side on Bishop to give the Canadiens the lead.
The ice was barely dry when Filppula tied the game at 1. Victor Hedman stopped fellow defenseman P.K. Subban's clearing attempt before sending a cross-ice feed to Filppula, who skated into the top of the right circle and wristed one through traffic 40 seconds into the middle frame.
Plekanec put Montreal ahead with his first of the night six minutes later. Defenseman Mark Barberio kept the puck in at the blue line and tossed a soft shot toward the net that hit Gallagher's stick. Bishop made the save, but Plekanec was in front to tuck in the rebound.
Smith-Pelly made it 3-1 with eight seconds left in the period. Subban took a Smith-Pelly feed at the blue line before skating down low, evading Alex Killorn at the goal line and moving toward the inner hashmarks and sending a backhander in off Smith-Pelly's skate in front of Bishop.
Plekanec's patience paid off to extend the Canadiens' lead at 6:17 of the third period. Alex Galchenyuk spotted his center streaking into the Lightning zone before sending a perfect pass his way. Plekanec held on and pulled Bishop out of position to net his third goal in as many games.
Hedman pulled Tampa to within a pair at 9:03 when he took advantage of Scrivens' inability to get back to his left after a save on a Ryan Callahan shot that forced the goaltender out of position.
Left winger Brian Flynn and defenseman Nathan Beaulieu left the game with five minutes left in the second period after both suffering lower-body injuries on the same shift and did not return.
NOTES: The Lightning made one change to their line-up from Monday's loss, inserting C Jonathan Marchessault and scratching RW Erik Condra. ... Tampa Bay D Jason Garrison missed the game after sustaining a lower-body injury against Ottawa on Monday, paving the way for D Matt Carle to return after sitting the last four games as a healthy scratch. ... Montreal D Jeff Petry did not play, sidelined by a lower-body injury. ... Scratched the last two games, Canadiens D Nathan Beaulieu replaced Petry in the line-up, leaving D Greg Pateryn as the club's only healthy scratch. ... Members of Team Canada's 1972 Summit Series team was in town to promote the "'72 Summit Series Tour.",They were recognized before the anthems.