Canadiens clinch playoff berth in OT loss to Oilers

MONTREAL -- The Montreal Canadiens clinched the final berth in the Stanley Cup Playoffs in a 4-3 overtime loss to the Edmonton Oilers at Bell Centre on Monday.

Connor McDavid scored on a breakaway with 2:18 remaining in overtime, but Montreal had already clinched the fourth berth in the Scotia North Division when it was guaranteed at least one point at the end of regulation after Artturi Lehkonen scored at 13:04 of the third period to tie it at 3-3.
"We had a tall task tonight, and it was great to see everybody just pushing so hard in the third period to try and get the equalizing goal," Canadiens forward Paul Byron said. "It was a great team effort."
McDavid had an assist for his sixth straight multipoint game for Edmonton (34-18-2), which clinched the No. 2 seed in the North on Saturday. Mikko Koskinen made 25 saves.
"You could definitely get a sense of their desperation," McDavid said. "But that's a great thing for us, to be able to play a team like this with their desperation, with their intensity level tonight. That's how it's going to be moving forward, so that was a good test for us, and good for us to keep our playoff mindset going."
Lehkonen and Jake Evans each had a goal and two assists, and Jake Allen made 31 saves for Montreal (24-21-10), which will make its second straight postseason appearance.
"We were pretty confident we were going to clinch this by either this game or the next game," Lehkonen said. "But now that we're done, we've just got to keep building on toward the end of the season."
Byron, who missed the previous nine games with a lower-body injury, had a goal and an assist, and his line combined for eight points while tasked with defending McDavid, who was on the ice for all three Montreal goals.
"I think all three of us, our line, was pretty excited for the challenge," Evans said. "Our line together has worked well in the past, and I think we like our speed, our grit, and how hard we are on the forecheck. So to get that opportunity, I was excited, I wasn't nervous, and I love those opportunities."

Lehkonen scored earlier in the third but that goal was disallowed when Edmonton coach Dave Tippett successfully challenged for offside on the play.
"I thought as a team, the third period we pushed the pace a lot better than we were in the second and the first, so it was good to see us get rewarded with that goal," Byron said.
The teams play again here Wednesday in the Canadiens' final regular-season game. Edmonton is scheduled to end the regular season against the Vancouver Canucks on Saturday.
Evans gave Montreal a 1-0 lead at 9:32 of the first period when he scored to end a 40-game goal drought dating to Jan. 21.
James Neal scored 20 seconds later to tie it 1-1 at 9:52.
Ryan Nugent-Hopkins put Edmonton up 2-1 at 13:29. Leon Draisaitl got his 80th point with an assist on the play.

Draisaitl and McDavid became the first teammates to reach 80 points in 54 games or fewer in consecutive seasons since Mario Lemieux and Jaromir Jagr with the Pittsburgh Penguins in 1995-96 and 1996-97. McDavid scored four points in a 4-3 win against the Canucks on Saturday to reach 100 in the 53rd game.
Byron tied it 2-2 when he drove the net and scored on a backhand at 5:56 of the second period.
Dominik Kahun scored off a pass from McDavid at 9:26 of the second period to put Edmonton ahead 3-2. McDavid has scored 18 points (five goals, 13 assists) during his streak.
"All in all, we played a fairly solid road game," Tippett said. "We gave up a couple of chances on outnumbered breaks, one of them, the last goal was a tough goal. But we were just trying to get a bunch of guys minutes and play solid, and we were all right."
NOTES: The Canucks and Calgary Flames were eliminated from playoff contention when the Canadiens earned one point. The Toronto Maple Leafs and Winnipeg Jets have the other playoff berths in the North. Toronto has clinched first place. ... It was McDavid's 11th game-winning goal. Only Jari Kurri (13 in 1984-85) and Wayne Gretzky (12 in 1981-82) have scored more in a season for Edmonton. ... McDavid has scored 33 points (10 goals, 23 assists) in his past 12 games. … Draisaitl has scored 14 points (six goals, eight assists) during a six-game point streak. … Oilers goalie Mike Smith was rested and did not dress. Alex Stalock backed up Koskinen. … Edmonton is 3-2 in overtime. The Oilers have not played in a shootout this season. … Montreal is 3-7 in overtime, and 1-3 in the shootout. … The Canadiens have not allowed a goal by Draisaitl, who has five assists in eight games against them.