| |
RECAP
|
BOX SCORE
MONTREAL (AP) -- Eric Weinrich wasn't taking his opponents lightly.
|  | | Eric Weinrich, left, scored the game-tying goal for the Canadiens with 6:38 left in the third. |
Weinrich's power-play goal with 6:38 left in the third period lifted Montreal to a 2-2 tie with the expansion Minnesota Wild, allowing the Canadiens to remain unbeaten at home.
"It was a really tough game," Weinrich said. "I've watched
Minnesota play a lot on TV and they're always in the game."
Weinrich's shot went just inside the post behind Minnesota
goalie Jamie McLennan. It was Weinrich's first goal of the season, and the Canadiens' second power-play score of the game.
"They work hard and they're very well-coached," Weinrich said.
"Everybody forgets that these guys are all NHL players. They know
how to shoot the puck and they know how to play the game. They
played well tonight."
The tie gave Montreal a 4-0-1 record at the Molson Centre, the
Canadiens' best start at home since they opened the 1979-80 season
with a 6-0-0 mark at The Forum.
McLennan, who posted the Wild's first shutout in a scoreless tie with Florida two days earlier, extended his team-record shutout streak to 97 minutes, 56 seconds before he was beaten by Dainius Zubrus for a power-play goal at 11:54 of the first.
"I don't really read much into that," McLennan said. "Sometimes you go through little streaks in the season. I think the biggest thing was getting the point."
Wes Walz scored his second goal 15:07 into the first to tie it
at 1-1, and Antti Laaksonen scored his first with 53 seconds left in the second to give Minnesota a 2-1 lead. Jeff Nielsen assisted
on both Wild goals.
McLennan stopped 33 shots for Minnesota (1-5-3), losers of its first three road games.
"Any time you come in and get a point on the road, it's a big
positive," McLennan said. "I think everyone wanted to contribute
and play strong tonight and we did a good job of shutting them
down."
Zubrus scored his sixth goal of the season when he backhanded a shot past McLennan just as the first of two Wild penalties expired.
The game was delayed for several minutes following the goal
because the scoreboard indicated that there was still one second
remaining in Maxim Sushinsky's tripping penalty, which had been
called at 9:54, and 1:17 left on a penalty to Cam Stewart when the
goal was scored.
The referees determined that Sushinsky's penalty had expired, and Stewart was allowed to leave the penalty box as a result of the score.
Jose Theodore replaced Jeff Hackett in goal for Montreal with
7:54 gone in the second, after Hackett bruised a finger on his
right hand after making his eighth stop on nine shots.
"It's not easy, especially when it's a 1-1 hockey game," Theodore said. "But we're professional and there are no excuses -- you have to be ready."
The Canadiens said Hackett has a broken right hand and will be
sidelined 2-4 weeks.
Laaksonen, who signed a free agent contract with Minnesota on July 20, beat Theodore with a second-effort shot in the goalmouth 19:07 into the second to break a 1-1 tie.
Montreal defenseman Christian Laflamme also left the game with a concussion.
Game notes
The game was the only regular-season meeting scheduled
between the two teams. ... Nine Quebec-based Canadian Olympic medalists were introduced prior to the game, including Sebastien Lareau, who won a tennis gold in men's doubles. ... Minnesota didn't get its first shot on goal until 5:38 had gone by in the
first. ... Montreal defenseman Craig Rivet stirred up the crowd with a thundering hipcheck on Nielsen 12 minutes into the second,
and teammate Patrice Brisebois followed up with a hard check on Sushinsky along the boards moments later.
| |
ALSO SEE
NHL Scoreboard
Minnesota Clubhouse
Montreal Clubhouse
RECAPS
San Jose 3
Carolina 2
Philadelphia 5
NY Rangers 4
Minnesota 2
Montreal 2
Vancouver 4
Nashville 4
Phoenix 2
Calgary 2
AUDIO/VIDEO
 Antti Laaksonen shoots the puck past Jeff Hackett.
avi: 784 k
RealVideo: 56.6 | ISDN | T1
|
