Canadiens halve deficit with late win
Alex Galchenyuk scores 72 seconds into OT to help Montreal beat NY Rangers to win third game of the Conference finals.
Montreal Canadiens centre Alex Galchenyuk stuffed in a rebound 72 seconds into overtime to beat the New York Rangers 3-2 and reduce the Eastern Conference finals series deficit to 2-1.
Galchenyuk ended the pulsating game when he cleaned up after a strong shot from Tomas Plekanec bounced off New York goalie Henrik Lundqvist and silenced the Madison Square Garden crowd.
The Rangers, who were looking to take a 3-0 stranglehold on the best-of-seven series, sent the game into overtime when Chris Kreider levelled the score at 2-2 with a shot off the skate of Montreal defenseman Alexei Emelin with 29 seconds left that produced roars that rocked the Garden.
Kreider’s goal came after Daniel Briere had given Montreal the lead with a shot that caromed in off Rangers defenceman Ryan McDonagh with three minutes remaining in regulation.
Montreal’s rookie goalie Dustin Tokarski, starting in place of injured regular Carey Price, stopped 35 of 37 shots to outduel Lundqvist who allowed three of 28 shots to find the net.
“Dustin Tokarski was phenomenal tonight,” said Canadiens coach Michel Therrien. “Without Tokarskis performance, probably the result would have been different.”
Game Four of the series will return to Madison Square Garden on Sunday.