Canadiens use third-period power plays to top Canucks

VANCOUVER-- Tomas Tatar and Shea Weber scored power-play goals 1:34 apart in the third period, and the Montreal Canadiens defeated the Vancouver Canucks 3-1 at Rogers Arena on Tuesday.

Carey Price made 38 saves for his 335th NHL win, passing Cam Ward for 23rd place and helping Montreal (16-12-6) win for the fourth time in its past five games after it was 1-6-3 in the previous 10.
"I was a big fan of Wardo, played against him for a year Junior," Price said of Ward, who won the Stanley Cup with the Carolina Hurricanes in 2006 and retired Aug. 28. "I look up to Wardo. He had a great career, and I'm still looking for something that he's done."
WATCH: [All Canadiens vs. Canucks highlights]
Adam Gaudette scored, and Jacob Markstrom made 27 saves for Vancouver (16-15-4), which has lost three in a row and four of its past five.
"I don't mind frustration setting in, our team should be," Canucks coach Travis Green said. "We got 39 shots and one goal and didn't win a game they really wanted to win. We were pretty good, but it wasn't good enough. At times like this you have to raise your game, every person."

Montreal took a 2-1 lead at 1:51 of the third period after Phillip Danault made a cross-ice pass while being knocked to the ice to send Tatar in alone from the hash mark. He faked to the middle, cut back, and lifted the puck to score.
"Guys made a nice play and I was open in front of the net," said Tatar, who has scored in four straight games. "I tried that move and it worked, so I was fortunate to put it in."
Tanner Pearson was penalized for tripping Danault, and Weber made it 3-1 at 3:25 after a cross-crease pass from Joel Armia gave Weber an open net. Montreal was 2-for-2 on the power play.
"That's the difference in the game, right?" Canadiens forward Nick Cousins said. "We were just waiting to get our first power play. We didn't seem to get any in the first two periods, and you've got to make the most of them and we did."
Gaudette gave the Canucks a 1-0 lead with a power-play goal at 18:21 with a wrist shot from above the left face-off dot.

Cousins tied it 1-1 at 8:05 of the second period, scoring off a 3-on-2 pass from Max Domi between the legs of defenseman Oscar Fantenberg.
Gaudette scored on a rebound 45 seconds later, but the goal was disallowed after Montreal challenged and replays showed Josh Leivo was offside.
Vancouver was 1-for-4 on the power play and is 2-for-16 in the past five games.
"Obviously, special teams was the difference in the game tonight," Canucks captain Bo Horvat said. "They capitalized on their chances and we have to be better in that area."

Price is 4-1-0 with a .952 save percentage in his past five starts and has won seven in a row against the Canucks, including four straight in his home province of British Columbia.
"Well it's fun to play here," said Price, who is from Anahim Lake, a small town located 500 miles north of Vancouver. "Obviously, got a lot of people coming from up north to watch the game, and it's always special to play in front of family."

They said it

"That's a gutsy, character win for sure on the road. Young team with a lot of skill, a lot of speed, well-coached, and they had some opportunities on the power play and our [penalty kill] was great, and we capitalized on our power plays, so overall it was a gutsy effort and we grinded it out, and it's a great way to start a road trip." -- Canadiens forward Max Domi
"It's frustrating. It's been way too many games we are in, it's close and we are playing good but we're not getting any points out of it. We have to try to stop the bleeding some way and stick together as a team." -- Canucks goalie Jacob Markstrom

Need to know

Montreal defenseman Mike Reilly played 10:59 and was plus-1 in his first game after being a healthy scratch the previous eight. ... Weber's goal was his 214th in the NHL; he passed Brad Park for 18th place among defensemen. ... Canadiens forward Jesperi Kotkaniemi (concussion) missed a fifth game, and defenseman Victor Mete (ankle) missed an eighth. Each could return on the seven-game road trip. ... Price is 335-235-71.

What's next

Canadiens: At the Calgary Flames on Thursday (9 p.m. ET; SNW, TSN2, RDS, NHL.TV)
Canucks: Host the Vegas Golden Knights on Thursday (10 p.m. ET; SNP, ATTSN-RM, NHL.TV)