Canada

Jeff Petry gives 12th-seeded Canadiens an overtime win over Penguins

Jeff Petry scored at 13:57 of overtime, Carey Price made 39 saves, and the underdog Montreal Canadiens stunned the Pittsburgh Penguins 3-2 on Saturday to open their best-of-five qualifying round series.

Petry picked up a loose puck in the right faceoff circle and ripped a shot through Murray before being mobbed by teammates.

Jesperi Kotkaniemi and Nick Suzuki had the goals in regulation for Montreal, the Eastern Conference’s No. 12 seed in the league’s 24-team resumption of play. Sidney Crosby and Bryan Rust replied for Pittsburgh, the No. 5 seed in the East.

Game 2 is Monday.

Jonathan Drouin had a chance to win it for Montreal earlier in overtime on a penalty shot when he was held on a breakaway, but the puck rolled off the end of his stick and dribbled wide.

Tied 2-2 through 40 minutes, Montreal killed off a 5-on-3 Pittsburgh power play for 1:32 early in the third period despite some sustained pressure. Both teams then failed to connect on 5-on-4 advantages, with Pittsburgh’s Evgeni Malkin coming closest from the slot.

Conor Sheary had a golden opportunity to win it with 3:03 left in regulation for Pittsburgh, but the winger missed the net on a penalty shot after Crosby hit the post. Montreal then came within a whisker at the other end, but a deflected point shot rang off iron behind Pittsburgh goaltender Matt Murray and stayed out.

Saturday marked the first time an NHL post-season game has featured two penalty shots since March 29, 1923.

The youthful Canadiens carried a 1-0 lead after the first thanks to Price’s stellar performance, and doubled that advantage at 6:53 of the second when Suzuki stole the puck from Brian Dumoulin at the Montreal blue line and raced in on a 2-on-1 before ripping a shot upstairs on Murray.

Murray, though, stopped 32 shots, and the Penguins, who still have the core of their Stanley Cup-winning rosters from 2016 and 2017, battled back. Crosby banked a shot in off Price with the netminder caught out of position. Then with Drouin in the box, Rust poked a shot home from the lip of the crease 2:39 later to bring Pittsburgh back level at 2-2.

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