CAR@MTL: Responding to adversity

MONTREAL - The Hurricanes held on right until the end on Thursday, but Claude Julien's troops showed resilience to earn a 6-4 win.

The Habs were expecting strong opposition from a squad which had won just once in their last five games, and that's exactly what they got.
Andrei Svechnikov opened the scoring for the visitors, but Matthew Peca quickly buried the equalizer in a back-and-forth affair which saw both teams combine to light the lamp seven times in the final frame.

Peca addressed the media postgame, sporting the team's 'player of the game' cape.
"I think we played well. It wasn't perfect, but the guys worked hard and it's a big win. We told ourselves after the second to shoot more, and it worked," explained Peca, who picked up his second tally of the season in the win. "It's good to reply quickly after a goal, but we've been doing that regularly this season, and that's what's allowed us to win games."
The Petawawa, ON native likewise gave credit to his teammates.
"They work extremely hard every night. [Michael] Chaput is good at faceoffs, so we have the puck a lot. We want to keep playing well," added the 25-year-old, who also saw Kenny Agostino finish the night with two assists.

Carey Price meanwhile was pleased with the effort, following a tough night against the Wild on Tuesday.
"We wanted to bounce back from that loss in Minnesota, and I think we did that by playing a solid game altogether."
If fatigue was a factor following seven days on the road, it didn't necessarily affect the end result on Thursday.
"I thought we played a good game. We skated well. Things opened up a bit in the third, but you have to keep in mind that the guys have traveled a lot this week. Luckily the effort was there too, and that's what counts."
Petry relishing his new role
With the return of the captain, Jeff Petry continues to stand out for the Habs.
The lessened load has brought the best out of the 31-year-old, who now has seven points in his last six games.

"I was getting tired of hitting posts. Sometimes you can put too much pressure on yourself to produce, but I knew that eventually they would start going in," added the American D-man, who potted two against the Canes, including an impressive empty-netter which traveled the length of the ice. "It wasn't a perfect game, but we came out on top, which is what matters. It was a big win to kick off our homestand."
The Habs will be back at the Bell Centre on Saturday, when they face the Ottawa Senators for the third time in 12 days, for a 7:00 p.m. puck drop.