Blackhawks take division lead with 4-2 victory
MONTREAL -- Patrick Kane scored a goal and an assist to help the Chicago Blackhawks to a 4-2 win over the Montreal Canadiens on Tuesday night at the Bell Centre.
Corey Crawford, who has never lost in regulation to Montreal, made 34 saves for Chicago (44-20-5). Carey Price, playing in his 500th NHL game, stopped 20 shots for the Canadiens.
Jonathan Toews, Johnny Oduya and Artemi Panarin also scored for the Blackhawks, who took over first place in the Central Division. Paul Byron and Shea Weber replied for Montreal (39-23-8).
The Canadiens were in control in the opening period, outshooting the Blackhawks 4-1 and 7-2 through the first half but couldn't get one by Crawford.
Kane opened the scoring with his 16th goal in 17 games since Feb. 1. Artem Anisimov beat out Alexei Emelin before feeding Kane, who fired a wrister from the right circle that beat Price stick side at 12:23 of the first period.
While up on the scoreboard after one, Chicago found itself down a player when Anisimov hobbled off at the end of the period after getting tangled up with Alexander Radulov. Anisimov did not return.
Oduya doubled the Blackhawks' lead at 10:49 of the second period. After Jeff Petry blocked a shot on a two-on-one, Oduya picked up the loose puck at the blue line and blasted a shot that appeared to catch Price by surprise.
Panarin made it 3-0 for the visitors 47 seconds into the third period. Nick Schmaltz, replacing Anisimov on the line, found Panarin alone in the slot and Panarin skated in alone on Price.
Byron got Montreal on the board with his fifth goal in the past six games when he took a shot-pass feed from Brendan Gallagher at 12:42. Weber got the crowd roaring less than four minutes later when he brought the Canadiens to within one when he blasted one from the point.
Toews capped the scoring with an empty-net goal.
NOTES: Montreal D Brandon Davidson returned to the lineup and D Nathan Beaulieu was a healthy scratch along with RW Michael McCarron, LW Andreas Martinsen and D Nikita Nesterov. ... Chicago scratched C Andrew Desjardins, C John Hayden, RW Tomas Jurco, D Michal Roszival and D Michal Kempny. ... Montreal D Andrei Markov played in his 979th career NHL game, moving him past Maurice Richard for sixth place on the franchise's career games played list. ... Before the game, the Canadiens honored the CWHL's Les Canadiennes, Montreal's professional women's hockey team, for winning the Clarkson Cup on Sunday, March 5.