MONTREAL (AP) The Montreal Canadiens showed their mettle after their worst performance of the season.
Jeff Petry scored twice as the Canadiens defeated the Carolina Hurricanes 6-4 on Thursday night.
Matthew Peca, Brendan Gallagher, Artturi Lehkonen and Andrew Shaw also scored for the Canadiens, who have won four of their last five games. Phillip Danault and Kenny Agostino each had two assists.
The Canadiens were coming off a season-worst 7-1 loss to the Minnesota Wild on Tuesday.
”We definitely knew we needed to bounce back after our effort in Minnesota and I thought we came out and played a pretty solid game,” said Carey Price, who made 27 saves for his fourth straight victory.
”The game’s all about momentum and it seemed like it shifted throughout the course of that third period.”
Andrei Svechnikov had two goals, and Jaccob Slavin and Sebastian Aho also scored for the Hurricanes. Petr Mrazek made 34 saves in place of injured Curtis McElhinney.
The teams combined for seven goals in a back-and-forth third period.
”It was a bit wild,” Petry said. ”Not the ideal way you want to approach a third period. Good to get the points here. Big game tonight to kick off a three-game homestand.
”We had a solid effort and played pretty well.”
Down 2-1, Carolina tied it up 23 seconds into the third period. Svechnikov, with his second of the game, scored off his own rebound and notched the first multi-goal game of his NHL career.
Gallagher restored the one-goal lead 22 seconds later when he cut hard to the net and slid the puck between Mrazek’s pads his 14th goal of the year. He is tied with Max Domi with 14 goals.
Lehkonen made it 4-2 at 4:22 before Slavin got one back for the Hurricanes at 10:51.
The Canadiens went up 5-3 when Shaw scored his ninth of the season on a breakaway at 12:24. That score was his ninth of the season and extended his points streak to six games.
”We have to stay right on them,” Slavin said about conceding goals shortly after scoring. ”We have to keep our foot on the gas. We can’t take a breath. Roddy (coach Rod Brind’Amour) talks about that all the time. You can’t take breaths right after you score.”
Carolina cut the deficit again when Aho beat Price with 4:22 remaining.
Petry sealed the win with an empty-net goal with 1:59 left. He has five goals in his last six games.
Svechnikov broke a scoreless deadlock with a 4-on-4 goal at 2:53 of the second period. With a burst of speed from center ice, Svechnikov blew past Shea Weber before backhanding the puck high into the net.
Peca, a healthy scratch for the last two games, tied the score with his second of the season and first goal since Nov. 8. Following a bad giveaway by Haydn Fleury in Carolina’s zone, Peca spun around and fired a no-look shot over Mrazek’s left shoulder at 13:51.
The Canadiens took the lead three minutes later when Petry, after a soft clearing attempt by the Hurricanes, skated into the slot and fired a wrist shot past Mrazek.
”This is where I have to be careful because I’m not happy,” said Brind’Amour. ”We needed much more out of certain guys and didn’t get it tonight, so that’s frustrating. Especially after we fought to get back.”
NOTES: The game was the second of three meetings between the Canadiens and `Canes this season. … The Hurricanes lead the league in shots per game, but managed just four in a first period dominated by Montreal.
UP NEXT
Hurricanes: Home against Washington on Friday.
Canadiens: Home against Ottawa on Saturday.
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