Kovalchuk, Canadiens survive Devils in shootout

Ilya Kovalchuk scored the game-winning goal in the second round of the shootout, as the Montreal Canadiens overcame a three-goal deficit and bounced back from allowing the tying goal in the final seconds of regulation to edge the New Jersey Devils, 5-4, Tuesday night in Newark, N.J. Kyle Palmieri scored the tying goal on a rebound during a scramble in front of the net with 19.4 seconds remaining on a 6-on-4 power play, after Montreal was called for having too many men on the ice.

In the shootout, Kovalchuk gave Montreal its seventh win in 10 games when he made a quick move and lifted a wrist shot over goaltender Louis Domingue's blocker. Goaltender Charlie Lindgren filled in for Carey Price (flu), who did not make the trip, and stopped 20 saves in the first 65 minutes. He then stopped Nikita Gusev, Palmieri and Jack Hughes in the shootout.

Defenseman Christian Folin gave Montreal a 4-3 lead with 10:25 remaining with the team's fourth consecutive goal. His wrist shot from the right point deflected off New Jersey's Travis Zajac and Mirco Mueller. Folin's first goal in nearly two years occurred 2:13 after Nick Cousins scored the tying marker, converting a centering pass from Brett Kulak when he chipped the puck over Domingue's glove.

Joel Armia started Montreal's comeback by scoring on a short-handed breakaway with 6:52 remaining in the second period. Nate Thompson made it a one-goal game entering the third by switching from his backhand to the forehand while parked at the right side of the crease with 2:54 remaining. Miles Wood scored in the first period for New Jersey, which lost its third straight game (all after regulation) and fell to 11-3-4 when leading after two periods. Palmieri and Jesper Bratt scored in the second period, on a night when P.K. Subban (stomach virus) and Nico Hischier (undisclosed) sat out.

Domingue finished with 32 saves. Wood made it 1-0 with 10:43 remaining when he warded off a check from Folin and put a wrist shot from the left circle under Lindgren.

Palmieri made it 2-0 1:51 into the second on a power play, taking a long cross-ice pass from Damon Severson and lifting a wrist shot from the right circle over Lindgren. Bratt made it 3-0 nearly five minutes later by getting the puck to trickle into the vacated right side of the net after fanning on his shot. 

(This story has not been edited by Devdiscourse staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.)