Columbus, OH (SportsNetwork.com) - Max Pacioretty completed the comeback as the Montreal Canadiens used three unanswered power-play goals in the third period to defeat the Columbus Blue Jackets 3-2 on Wednesday.
Pacioretty scored twice to extend his goal streak to five games, P.K. Subban also lit the lamp and Andrei Markov tallied two assists for the Canadiens, who bounced back from a 2-1 overtime loss to Pittsburgh on Saturday.
"We played a great game," said Pacioretty. "I'm having a lot of fun right now. Everyone is contributing."
Carey Price stopped 14-of-16 shots in the win.
Ryan Johansen and Kevin Connauton supplied the offense for the Blue Jackets, who dropped their third straight game. Sergei Bobrovsky allowed three goals on 31 shots in defeat.
"It's penalties. You take three, two of them were in the offensive zone," Columbus head coach Todd Richards said. "It's just really disappointing."
Midway through the third period, Columbus took advantage of Subban's tripping penalty as it increased its lead to 2-0 on Johansen's short-side wrister over the shoulder of Price from the left circle.
Less than two minutes later, Markov sent a pass from along the left boards to Pacioretty, who turned around and beat Bobrovsky with a wrister from the slot on the power play for a 2-1 game. The hosts' Matt Calvert was in the box for that score.
Montreal went to the power play again when Jared Boll was booked for a high stick, and Subban's one-timer from the high slot tied the game with 5:36 to play.
Brandon Dubinsky then went off for boarding and the Canadiens completed the comeback with 4:37 remaining. Tomas Plekanec skated in from the right boards and Pacioretty redirected his pass over the glove of Bobrovsky for a 3-2 lead.
Connauton opened the scoring for Columbus on a slap shot past a screened Price from the left point 3:31 into the contest.
With five minutes to play in the first period, Brendan Gallagher crashed the net and deflected Plekanec's shot over the pad of Bobrovsky. The puck hit the post and fluttered on top of the goal line before Bobrovsky kicked it out with his skate. After the play was reviewed, it was ruled not to be a goal because never fully crossed the goal line.
The Canadiens threatened on a power play late in the second, but were held off the board despite finishing the frame with a 9-6 shot advantage.
Game Notes
Montreal won its sixth straight road game ... The Canadiens earned their first regulation win after trailing by two-or-more goals in the final stanza while being shut out since a 4-3 game on Oct. 6, 1993 against Hartford ... Johansen extended his point streak to 11 games (7G, 6A), which ranks second in franchise history to his previous best of 16 straight with at least one point ... Blue Jackets forward Nick Foligno was named one of the captains for the upcoming All-Star game, which will take place in Columbus on Jan. 25 ... The two teams will play again on Feb. 21 at Bell Centre.
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