MONTREAL — P.K. Subban knew he had to do something to make up for being ejected from the opening game of the Montreal Canadiens first-round playoff series.
The Canadiens star defenceman, drawing inspiration from a vote of confidence from legend Jean Beliveau’s wife Elise, responded with a goal and a solid 29:06 of ice time as Montreal downed the Ottawa Senators 3-2 in Game 2. Alex Galchenyuk scored the winner 3:40 into overtime.
Montreal retained home-ice advantage by winning its first two home games of the best-of-seven series. Ottawa will try to do the same in Game 3 on Sunday and Game 4 on Wednesday at the Canadian Tire Centre.
“I didn’t play the whole first game and I wanted to be better,” said Subban.“I had to be.
“I don’t think I did a good enough job of setting an example (to his teammates) in the first game.”
Subban was tossed from the opener, a 4-3 Montreal win, in the second period with a slashing major and a game misconduct for a two-handed chop to the wrist of Senators scoring leader Mark Stone.
As he was standing around outside the dressing room after the ejection, Elise Beliveau passed by and told him not to worry, that he would be better in Game 2.
After the win, he said Mrs. Beliveau, whose husband’s death in December was honoured with a state funeral, stood up in her seat behind the Canadiens bench and showed she was wearing a Subban No. 76 jersey.
“It’s one of the cutest things I’ve ever seen,”said Subban. “It’s good to know I have that support.
“You know what Jean Beliveau means to this organization — what he means to Canada.”
Max Pacioretty returned after missing three games with a concussion to score Montreal’s first goal.
Stone, diagnosed with a microfracture, responded by assisting on Ottawa’s goals by Clarke MacArthur and Patrick Wiercioch despite limited use of his right wrist.
Ottawa goalie Andrew Hammond, shaky in the opener, bounced back with a solid effort as Montreal outshot the Senators 42-31.
“The reality is we’re down two games and we have to find a way to win,” said Ottawa coach Dave Cameron, whose team crept into the playoffs by going 22-4-4 down the stretch. “During our streak, we didn’t look at how far we were back. We won. That’s the focus now. To find a way to win.”
He didn’t blame the game-winner on Hammond, who was beaten when Ottawa failed to clear the puck and Galchenyuk jumped on it.
“It’s great to get an OT goal,” said Galchenyuk, who plowed over an official as he rushed to embrace Subban after it went in. “It’s always nice to get one. But I don’t sit around and think about that. Time will tell when you can rate those kinds of goals.”
But this game, it was Subban who went in feeling the pressure, although neither team was looking for any more nasty incidents.
“I think of myself as a player who steps up in big games and makes a difference,” said Subban. “I always felt that the more pressure people put on me the better I’ll play. I wanted to be better tonight for my teammates.”
The Senators came out hitting, throwing 21 checks in the first period alone, and got the lead.
Stone was in on the opening goal with a pass on a rush that saw MacArthur beat Carey Price with a dipping shot from the slot at 18:42.
The Canadiens adjusted to the Senators forechecking and caught them playing some loose hockey to turn the tables in the second, outshooting Ottawa 14-3, and taking the lead.
Pacioretty was parked in front to take a pass from David Desharnais and beat Hammond with low shot between the pads on a power play at 7:18.
Subban took a pass from Devante Smith-Pelly and blasted a rocket past Hammond at 16:30.
Stone made the pass again as Weircioch went to the net and got a shot between Price’s pads on a power play at 13:25 of the third.
CANUCKS 4, FLAMES 1
Fans cheer as Vancouver Canucks right wing Derek Dorsett (51) and Dan Hamhuis (2) fight with Calgary Flames defenseman Deryk Engelland (29) during the third period of game 2 of their first round playoff hockey series in Vancouver Friday. (THE CANADIAN PRESS)
VANCOUVER — The Vancouver Canucks and Calgary Flames have had some memorable playoff encounters over the years.
The 2015 edition wrote another bruising chapter on Friday night.
Daniel Sedin and Chris Higgins snapped long post-season goal droughts and Eddie Lack made 22 saves as the Canucks downed the Flames 4-1 to even their Western Conference quarter-final at a game apiece.
But afterwards most of the talk revolved around a line brawl late in the third period that resulted in 132 minutes in penalties, including six game misconducts — three of which went to Calgary’s Deryk Engelland.
“It was pretty intense tonight,” said Canucks rookie Bo Horvat. “The hard-hitting, the stuff at the end, it was like old-time hockey and it was fun to be a part of.”
The fisticuffs started with 1:17 left on the clock and were reminiscent of the rumble between the Canucks and Flames off an opening faceoff last season.
“We knew they were going to try something. They’ve tried it before,” said Vancouver captain Henrik Sedin. “I’m sure it’s going to happen again. That’s part of it. We move onto the next game.”
Among the combatants, Vancouver’s Brad Richardson took on Calgary’s Matt Stajan, while Engelland squared off with the Canucks’ Derek Dorsett.
“Intensity’s high. It’s playoff hockey. You expect things to kind of boil over,” said Dorsett. “We stuck up for each other and we took care of things when we had to.”
In terms of the actual game, Vancouver rookie Ronalds Kenins and Radim Vrbata also scored, while Alexandre Burrows and Christopher Tanev added two assists each for the Canucks, who snapped a seven-game losing streak at home in the playoffs dating back to the 2011 Stanley Cup final.
“Regardless of what people are talking about we got a big win,” said Vancouver defenceman Kevin Bieksa. “We got a win where we felt like we outplayed them for the whole game.”
Kris Russell had the goal for the Flames, who got 26 saves from Jonas Hiller. Despite the loss, Calgary still earned a split after winning Wednesday’s opener and will host Game 3 on Sunday.
“They had great momentum during the entire game, it was tough to get a good scoring chance on those guys,” said Flames head coach Bob Hartley. “They deserve the credit.”
In what Daniel Sedin described as a “must-win game” earlier in the day, the Canucks came out flying and grabbed the lead just 2:56 into the first period in front of a raucous and towel-waving crowd at Rogers Arena.
Engelland blew a tire inside his own zone, allowing Henrik Sedin an opening to feed his twin brother, who roofed a shot on Hiller for his first playoff goal since Game 2 of the 2011 Stanley Cup final — a stretch of 13 contests.
The Canucks doubled that advantage at 7:06 on the power play when Higgins snapped a playoff scoring slump of his own by banging home a loose puck from the slot. The goal was his first in the post-season since Game 2 of the 2011 Western Conference semifinal — a span of 20 games — and his first point in 16 playoff contests.
Lack faced just three shots in the first, but had to defend himself in the second after making a save off a scramble in front. Brandon Bollig piled on the Vancouver goalie in a scrum only to see Lack respond with blocker punches in the melee as fans chanted “Eddie! Eddie!”
“The boys battled hard from start to finish,” said Lack, who picked up his first playoff win. “I got run over a couple times, I gave a couple hits too.”
Calgary came from behind to win when trailing after 40 minutes an impressive 10 times this season and accomplished the same feat in Game 1, but Kenins scored his first playoff goal 2:17 into the third before Russell buried his second of the series for Calgary at 16:26 on a power play to cut the lead to 3-1.
Vrbata scored into an empty net with 2:01 remaining before all 10 skaters on the ice dropped their gloves moments later in a brawl that Dorsett said could bring a team closer together.
“Any time guys are sticking up for each other and coming to each other’s aid it’s good team bonding,” he said. “In a playoff game when things get heated up you have to go with the situation and try and handle it as best you can.”
PREDATORS 6, BLACKHAWKS 2
NASHVILLE, Tenn. — Craig Smith scored the first two playoff goals of his career and added an assist, and Nashville beat Chicago to tie the Western Conference opening-round playoff series at a game apiece.
The Predators won for the first time since clinching a post-season berth on March 28. Pekka Rinne made 24 saves for the win and even had an assist.
Filip Forsberg had a goal and an assist, and Colin Wilson, Roman Josi and Mike Santorelli each scored a goal. Nashville lost captain Shea Weber to a lower-body injury nearly midway through the second period.
Patrick Sharp and Patrick Kane scored for Chicago, which hosts Game 3 on Sunday.
CAPITALS 4, ISLANDERS 3
WASHINGTON — Nicklas Backstrom had a goal and two assists, and Alex Ovechkin scored once, leading the Washington Capitals and fill-in goalie Philipp Grubauer past the New York Islanders 4-3 Friday night to even their first-round playoff series at a game apiece.
After Washington’s two stars — Ovechkin led the NHL in goals, Backstrom was No. 1 in assists — were reunited on the top line, both scored to erase a 3-1 deficit. Jason Chimera netted the go-ahead goal with 121/2 minutes left.
It was the first time the Capitals had led in the series, which moves to New York for Game 3 on Sunday.
Grubauer was called up from the minors Friday to replace starting goalie Braden Holtby, who was ill. Grubauer, a 23-year-old from Germany, made 18 saves.
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