Devante Smith-Pelly and Pierre-Alexandre Parenteau scored their first goals of the postseason to help the Montreal Canadiens edge the Tampa Bay Lightning on Saturday in Game 5 of their second-round series.
The Canadiens never trailed in the contest, which they needed to win to extend their season.
Star Performer: Canadiens goaltender Carey Price was the big difference in the contest, making key saves to preserve Montreal's slim advantage. He stoned Brenden Morrow in the second period, robbed Valtteri Filppula in the third, and was only beat on a rebound opportunity by Steven Stamkos.
Turning Point: Tampa Bay took nearly 50 minutes before finding a way past Price, and Parenteau nullified those efforts with 4:07 remaining in the contest. The Lightning mounted a late push but it wasn't enough after Parenteau's deflating tally.
Goalie Comparison: Price finished with 24 saves. Ben Bishop was the busier of the two netminders, but he likely wants another crack at stopping Parenteau's winner, which was a fluttering one-timer from the high slot.
| Goalie | Shots | GA | Saves | SV% |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Bishop | 29 | 2 | 27 | .931 |
| Price | 25 | 1 | 24 | .960 |
Top Highlight: Price somehow got his glove on this shot by Filppula while falling to the ice, keeping Montreal ahead in the third period. The stop proved vital after Stamkos scored two minutes later.
Stat of the Night: This is the first time in franchise history the Canadiens have forced a Game 6 in a playoff series in which they trailed 3-0.
Series at a glance
Game 1: Lightning 2, Canadiens 1
Game 2: Lightning 6, Canadiens 2
Game 3: Lightning 2, Canadiens 1
Game 4: Canadiens 6, Lightning 2
Game 5: Canadiens 2, Lightning 1
Game 6: Tuesday, May 12 (TBD)
Game 7*: Thursday, May 14 (TBD)
*If necessary
