Tampa, FL – Brendan Gallagher scored the game winner with just under eight minutes left in the third, as the Montreal Canadiens used a three-goal final frame to post a 4-3 triumph over the Tampa Bay Lightning on Saturday at Tampa Bay Times Forum.
Brian Gionta added a goal and an assist, while Tomas Plekanec and Alexei Emelin each scored once for the Canadiens, who have won two straight to improve to 3-1 on a five-game road trip.
"It's nice that we rallied late in the game, but we can't allow ourselves to get in those holes in the first place," said Gionta.
Carey Price posted 20 saves in the victory.
Steven Stamkos scored his league-leading 19th goal of the season to go with an assist, while Sami Salo and Ryan Malone also lit the lamp in the setback, Tampa Bay's second in a row and seventh in its last eight games.
"We've got a big hill to climb, but we've got to believe," said Stamkos. "We have to have the mentality of being hungry to win."
Cedrick Desjardins allowed all four goals on 29 shots in defeat.
Stamkos, Salo and Malone each scored in the second stanza to help the Lightning build a 3-1 lead after 40 minutes, but Montreal erupted for three goals in the third to take control.
The first came just under four minutes in when Desjardins appeared to cover up a point blast from Michael Ryder, but the puck squirted free and Gionta was there to pound home the rebound to make it 3-2 at the 3:49 mark.
Then, just under four minutes later, Emelin blasted a one-timer from the high slot off a nice feed from Gionta that snuck past the right pad of Desjardins to knot the game at 3-3 at the 7:33 mark.
Gallagher then provided the go-ahead goal at 12:03 when he found his way to the front of the net and took a feed from Max Pacioretty behind the net before pounding the disc past Desjardins to make it 4-3.
Price wasn't tested much in the third, but turned away the only two shots he faced in the frame to help the Canadiens complete the come-from-behind win.
After a scoreless first frame, Stamkos opened the scoring at the 5:30 mark of the second when he took a nice feed in the slot from Martin St. Louis and rifled a quick shot past Price.
Plekanec answered just over two minutes later when Andrei Markov came up with a steal in the Tampa Bay zone and fed the Montreal center for a one-timer, but Salo's point blast found its way through a screen and past Price just 37 seconds later to put the Lightning back in front.
Malone's tip-in tally at the 12:20 mark sent the Lightning into the third holding a seemingly comfortable 3-1 lead.
Game Notes
Montreal improved to 8-2-2 on the road this season, while Tampa Bay fell to 6-6-1 as the host ... Montreal has taken both meetings with Tampa Bay this season ... Tampa Bay finished 1-for-2 on the power play, while Montreal failed on all three of its chances with the man advantage ... St. Louis finished with two assists for the Lightning.
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