Canadiens end three-game losing streak with OT win against Devils

MONTREAL-- Tomas Plekanec scored at 1:52 of overtime and the Montreal Canadiens ended a three-game losing streak with a 2-1 win against the New Jersey Devils at Bell Centre on Thursday.

Charles Hudon won a battle along the boards and passed to Plekanec, who scored his first goal in 18 games.
"I was hoping it wasn't going to bounce over my stick when he passed it to me, so then I was just trying to go five-hole," said Plekanec, whose fourth goal of the season was his first since Nov. 4.
Andrew Shaw scored in the first period, and Carey Price made 31 saves in his ninth consecutive start for Montreal (14-14-4).
WATCH: [All Devils vs. Canadiens highlights]
"That's that extra effort, what we need from guys," Shaw said. "[Hudon is] pinned up against the board against two guys and he still happens to get his stick loose and makes a great play and sets up the winner."
The Canadiens next play the Ottawa Senators in the 2017 Scotiabank NHL100 Classic at Lansdowne Park on Saturday in their first of seven consecutive road games.
"It's going to be cold, but it's going to be fun," Shaw said.

Stefan Noesen scored for New Jersey (17-9-5), which has lost three of four. Cory Schneider made 34 saves.
"I thought it was a good game by both teams, really," Devils coach John Hynes said. "They had some strong pushes and we had some strong pushes. We hit a couple of posts and had some really good looks, even on the power play we had some good looks, but it didn't get in the net for us. So I thought we competed hard tonight but we didn't find a way to get that second point."
The Devils were without their leading scorer, forward Taylor Hall, who is day to day with a right knee contusion he sustained in a 5-1 win against the Los Angeles Kings on Tuesday.
"It was about who was in the lineup and we really tried to win this game," said New Jersey forward Nico Hischier, whose backhand on a shorthanded breakaway in the third period was saved by Price. "And we had chances to win this game, but unfortunately it went the other way."

Noesen extended his point streak to five games when he gave the Devils a 1-0 lead with his third goal at 1:21 of the first period. He has two goals and four assists during the streak.
Shaw tied it 1-1 with his eighth goal at 13:31 when he deflected Jordie Benn's shot from the left point from the edge of the crease.
"I think we started a little slow but we tied things up and got going," Shaw said. "And then we got some penalties, but we worked hard, we competed, we blocked shots, we got pucks out when we needed to and found a way to win in overtime."

Goal of the game

Shaw's goal at 13:31 of the first period.

Save of the game

Price's save on Hischier's breakaway at 5:16 of the third period.

Highlight of the game

Plekanec's goal at 1:52 of overtime.

They said it

"I thought we had some really good net traffic tonight. We had lots of tips, we hit two posts, we had all kinds of second chances. I thought he did a good job, I mean, he's an elite goaltender. But yeah, I thought that we had a shot mentality tonight. Unfortunately some of the plays that were in and around that area didn't go in tonight, but we've got to stick with it." -- Devils coach John Hynes
"As the No. 1 guy you've got to be ready to go, back to back, if called upon. So they've kind of gone with Keith [Kinkaid] all year, but if they come back with me, then that's great. I felt good tonight, so if it is me then I've just got to bring the same kind of game [Friday]." -- Devils goalie Cory Schneider on possibly starting against the Dallas Stars
"Our guys responded in a good fashion here tonight by winning those one-on-one battles, especially when it counted." -- Canadiens coach Claude Julien

Need to know

The Devils are 10-1-5 in one-goal games. ... Plekanec had eight assists during his goal drought.

What's next

Devils: Host the Dallas Stars on Friday (7 p.m. ET; MSG+, FS-SW, NHL.TV)
Canadiens: At the Ottawa Senators in the 2017 Scotiabank NHL100 Classic on Saturday (7 p.m. ET; NBCSN, CBC, SN, TVA Sports, NHL.TV)