Canadiens hang on for win against Oilers

EDMONTON -- Josh Anderson scored two goals, and the Montreal Canadiens hung on for a 4-3 win against the Edmonton Oilers at Rogers Place on Wednesday.

Tomas Tatar and Jeff Petry each had two assists, and Jake Allen made 22 saves for the Canadiens (20-15-9), who lost 4-1 here Monday in the first of the two-game set.
"I think we have to look back on this game and continue to build on that performance," Anderson said. "I thought we played a solid game, I thought everybody was engaged, and all four lines were rolling. Jake back there was a wall for us and gave us a really good shot at winning tonight."
Connor McDavid had a goal and two assists, and Ryan Nugent-Hopkins scored in his return from an upper-body injury for the Oilers (27-16-2), who lost at home for the first time in nine games. Mike Smith made 27 saves.
Nugent-Hopkins and Jesse Puljujarvi scored 1:01 apart late in the third period with Smith pulled for the extra skater to get Edmonton within one.
"They didn't give up a whole lot all night, through the neutral zone or the [offensive] zone," said Nugent-Hopkins, who missed the previous four games. "As the game went on, I thought we started breaking them down better. That was a tight-checking game on both sides, and they capitalized on a couple of opportunities they had, and we did at the end too, but we were just a little short at the end. It's a hard-fought game, that's the way all the games are going to be down the stretch, and obviously in the [Stanley Cup] Playoffs, the same mindset."
The Oilers are in third place in the seven-team Scotia North Division, one point behind the second-place Winnipeg Jets. The Canadiens are in fourth, eight points ahead of the Calgary Flames. The top four teams will qualify for the playoffs.
Artturi Lehkonen scored on a backhand from in close with 29 seconds remaining in the first period to give Montreal a 1-0 lead.
McDavid scored on a breakaway at 3:09 of the second period to tie it 1-1, but Anderson scored 11 seconds later to put the Canadiens ahead 2-1 at 3:20.
"McDavid can get behind the D pretty quick," Montreal coach Dominique Ducharme said. "We were changing, and it was not a bad change because we had the puck in the [offensive] zone. The way we reacted and [Anderson's] goal right after, I think it was just the mindset of our team tonight. It felt right for the guys, and obviously it brought some positives."

Tyler Toffoli scored on the power play at 8:10 of the third period to give the Canadiens a 3-1 lead.
Anderson made it 4-1 at 15:03 with a backhand from the bottom of the right face-off circle. Oilers coach Dave Tippett challenged for goaltender interference because Smith had his stick kicked out of his hand prior to the goal, but the call on the ice was upheld after video review, and Edmonton was assessed a minor penalty for delay of game.
"I think, when [Anderson's] feet are moving all the time, about how good he is," Allen said. "You see his legs going. He might not be as fast as McDavid, but he's right up there in that upper-echelon category of skaters in the League once he gets his big frame moving. Good luck stopping that guy coming down the wing, he's 230 pounds of muscle. He's a game-changer when he gets his feet going and playing hard and heavy like that. If he keeps playing like that, he's going to be tough to stop."

Nugent-Hopkins got the Oilers within 4-2 at 17:48 when scored from the slot off a drop pass from McDavid on a power play.
Puljujarvi scored to make it 4-3 at 18:49 when he redirected McDavid's shot from the point.
"I thought we probably weren't as good for bigger parts of the game tonight as we were the other night," Tippett said. "But they're hard-fought games. You have to fight for every bit of ice. There were parts of this game I thought we were behind, we weren't making plays and winning enough battles that would allow us to play in the offensive zone more."
Oilers forward Zack Kassian left the game at 3:22 of the first period after he sustained a leg injury attempting to check Canadiens defenseman Shea Weber behind the Montreal net. Kassian had to be helped to the dressing room. Tippett did not have an update.