Habs overcome 2-goal deficit, beat Bolts
{{#rendered}} {{/rendered}}Brendan Gallagher scored the game winner with just under eight minutes left in the third, as the Montreal Canadiens used a three-goal final frame to post a 4-3 triumph over the Tampa Bay Lightning on Saturday at Tampa Bay Times Forum.
Brian Gionta added a goal and an assist, while Tomas Plekanec and Alexei Emelin each scored once for the Canadiens, who have won two straight to improve to 3-1 on a five-game road trip.
"It's nice that we rallied late in the game, but we can't allow ourselves to get in those holes in the first place," said Gionta.
{{#rendered}} {{/rendered}}Carey Price posted 20 saves in the victory.
Steven Stamkos scored his league-leading 19th goal of the season to go with an assist, while Sami Salo and Ryan Malone also lit the lamp in the setback, Tampa Bay's second in a row and seventh in its last eight games.
"We've got a big hill to climb, but we've got to believe," said Stamkos. "We have to have the mentality of being hungry to win."
{{#rendered}} {{/rendered}}Cedrick Desjardins allowed all four goals on 29 shots in defeat.
Stamkos, Salo and Malone each scored in the second stanza to help the Lightning build a 3-1 lead after 40 minutes, but Montreal erupted for three goals in the third to take control.
The first came just under four minutes in when Desjardins appeared to cover up a point blast from Michael Ryder, but the puck squirted free and Gionta was there to pound home the rebound to make it 3-2 at the 3:49 mark.
{{#rendered}} {{/rendered}}Then, just under four minutes later, Emelin blasted a one-timer from the high slot off a nice feed from Gionta that snuck past the right pad of Desjardins to knot the game at 3-3 at the 7:33 mark.
Gallagher then provided the go-ahead goal at 12:03 when he found his way to the front of the net and took a feed from Max Pacioretty behind the net before pounding the disc past Desjardins to make it 4-3.
Price wasn't tested much in the third, but turned away the only two shots he faced in the frame to help the Canadiens complete the come-from-behind win.
{{#rendered}} {{/rendered}}After a scoreless first frame, Stamkos opened the scoring at the 5:30 mark of the second when he took a nice feed in the slot from Martin St. Louis and rifled a quick shot past Price.
Plekanec answered just over two minutes later when Andrei Markov came up with a steal in the Tampa Bay zone and fed the Montreal center for a one-timer, but Salo's point blast found its way through a screen and past Price just 37 seconds later to put the Lightning back in front.
Malone's tip-in tally at the 12:20 mark sent the Lightning into the third holding a seemingly comfortable 3-1 lead.
{{#rendered}} {{/rendered}}Game Notes
Montreal improved to 8-2-2 on the road this season, while Tampa Bay fell to 6-6-1 as the host ... Montreal has taken both meetings with Tampa Bay this season ... Tampa Bay finished 1-for-2 on the power play, while Montreal failed on all three of its chances with the man advantage ... St. Louis finished with two assists for the Lightning.