Penguins fall to Montreal, 3-2, in shootout
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Montreal Canadiens right wing Erik Cole has his shot stopped by Penguins goalie Marc-Andre Fleury during the second period tonight's game in Montreal.
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MONTREAL -- Rene Bourque, Lars Eller and Tomas Plekanec scored during a eight-round shootout to give Montreal a 3-2 victory over the Penguins at the Bell Centre tonight.
It was the third loss in the past four games for the Penguins (30-19-5), who are tied with New Jersey for fifth place in the Eastern Conference.
The Penguins played without forwards Tyler Kennedy and Richard Park. Kennedy had returned to Pittsburgh to have an unspecified injury he sustained Sunday in New Jersey evaluated, while there was no immediate explanation for Park's absence.
Their spots were filled by Colin McDonald and Jason Williams, the latter of whom was recalled from the Penguins' farm team earlier in the day.
Neither team scored during the first period. Louis Leblanc of Montreal had the best chance when he broke down the right side of the slot unchecked, but Penguins goalie Marc-Andre Fleury stopped him at 13:02.
The Penguins got the first power play of the game when Lars Eller of Montreal was sent off for interfering with Fleury at 2:33 of the second, but it was the Canadiens who got all of the prime scoring chances while he was in the box.
Fleury had to deny Tomas Plekanec during a three-on-one break after Penguins defenseman Kris Letang fell to the ice at the other end, then rejected Rene Bourque on the rebound. Shortly thereafter, Fleury used his right skate to thwart Plekanec from inside the right circle.
The Penguins got another chance with the extra man when Plekanec was sent off for slashing at 7:19, but couldn't get a puck past Canadiens goalie Carey Price.
Their best chance came as the penalty was expiring and Price got caught out of the net, but defenseman P.K. Subban blocked a shot headed for the empty net and play went the other way, resulting in a Pleekanec breakaway that Fleury was able to stop.
First Published February 7, 2012 10:24 pm
