Gaudette ties game late in third, Canucks defeat Canadiens in shootout

VANCOUVER -- Adam Gaudette tied the game with 41 seconds left in the third period, and the Vancouver Canucks defeated the Montreal Canadiens 2-1 in a shootout at Rogers Arena on Monday.

Gaudette scored his first goal in 16 games with goalie Thatcher Demko pulled for an extra attacker to tie the game 1-1, taking a cross-ice pass from Bo Horvat and sending a slap shot from the right face-off dot over Carey Price's blocker.
"I knew if I just stuck with it and did the right things it would go in eventually," Gaudette said. "So it finally went in. It felt great, and I can't take my foot off the gas. I've got to keep doing what I've been doing on and off the ice."
Horvat scored the only goal of the shootout, beating Price with a quick shot just over the pad on the blocker side in the third round.
Demko made 29 saves and stopped all three shootout attempts for the Canucks (12-15-2), who have won three straight games for the first time since winning four in a row from Jan. 25-30. They've done it despite playing each game without center Elias Pettersson, who is day to day with an upper-body injury.
It was Vancouver's first win this season when the other team scores first (1-13-0) and came one game after their first comeback when trailing after two periods this season (1-13-1) in a 4-2 win against the Toronto Maple Leafs on Saturday.
"It gives our group confidence," Horvat said. "We know we can do it and beat every team. It took us a little bit to figure that out and figure out to stick with the process and stick with our game. Obviously we'd like to play with the lead instead of chasing, but to stick it out and do it again definitely shows the character."

Jeff Petry scored, and Price made 28 saves for Montreal (11-6-7), which is 2-1-3 since coach Claude Julien was fired Feb. 24 and replaced by Dominique Ducharme. Montreal has a five-game point streak (2-0-3) and is 4-0-2 against Vancouver this season. They will play again here Wednesday.
"We're getting better and better," Ducharme said. "I don't think we gave them much. I think we gave ourselves enough chances to score goals, but we've got to finish. Defensively without the puck, the way we're coming back and applying pressure and forcing plays and creating turnovers, we're doing a good job. So, a lot of good things."
Montreal went ahead 1-0 at 4:37 of the first period on Petry's power-play point shot past Demko, who was being screened by Corey Perry. The Canadiens were 1-for-2 on the power play and are 5-for-11 (45.5 percent) in six games since Ducharme took over after failing to score on 10 chances in the previous six games.
"I think it's the compete level," Petry said of the power play, which is run by new assistant coach Alexandre Burrows. "We have to have that five-on-five mentality that if the puck is loose we have to outnumber them and hound the puck and work hard to get the puck back, and I think that has been ingrained in us since he's come in and we're executing it."
Price came into the game with an .898 save percentage, the lowest of his 14 seasons in the NHL, but has given up one goal in each of his past three starts while stopping 82 of 85 shots for a .965 save percentage.
"Just playing better. I'm not going to give you my technical secrets," Price said. "The guys are playing solid hockey in front of me and letting me see the puck."
Demko, who has allowed four goals while winning his past four starts with a .969 save percentage, stopped Joel Armia on a breakaway at 10:15 of the second period.
"It looked like Carey was playing really well, and when he's on his game he's tough to beat," Demko said. "So if they get another one, it's tougher to come back."
NOTES: Canucks defenseman Jordie Benn left 47 seconds into the third period after blocking a shot, but there was no update after the game. … Vancouver defenseman Quinn Hughes played a game- and NHL career-high 30:21. … Montreal is 0-4 in overtime and 0-3 in the shootout this season. … Canadiens equipment manager Pierre Gervais worked his 3,000th NHL game.