MONTREAL – Bobby Ryan scored in the shootout, Jonas Hiller stopped all three Montreal shooters and the Anaheim Ducks recovered for a 4-3 win over the Canadiens on Saturday night in Saku Koivu's emotional return to the Bell Centre.
Ryan, who gave Anaheim a 2-1 lead in the second period, shot past Carey Price on Anaheim's second attempt for the only goal of the tie-breaker.
Montreal's Max Pacioretty scored his second power-play goal of the game with 12.6 seconds remaining in regulation to send the game to overtime.
Koivu, who was in the penalty box for both of Pacioretty's goals, was called for three penalties in his return to Montreal, including a tripping call late in the third that led to the tying goal with Canadiens goalie Carey Price pulled for an extra attacker.
Mathieu Darche scored with 3:40 left to pull Montreal to 3-2. Pacioretty tucked a rebound of Tomas Plekanec's shot from the right corner past Jonas Hiller, setting off a huge ovation from the sold-out crowd of 21,273.
Ryan and Corey Perry scored 3:17 apart late in the second to give Anaheim a 3-1 lead. Cam Fowler scored the first of Anaheim's two power-play goals in the game in the first.
Hiller made 37 saves for the Ducks, who have won three of four.
Mathieu Darche scored with 3:40 left in the third to draw Montreal within one. Pacioretty scored a power-play goal earlier in the second for Montreal, which is 3-0-2 in its last five games, including a 7-1 win in Ottawa on Friday night. Price stopped 22 shots.
The crowd began a 90-second ovation for Koivu prior to the opening faceoff when images were shown on the video scoreboard during the final bars of the Canadian national anthem.
The Finnish veteran, who overcame a battle against cancer late in the 2001-02 season, patted his heart with his glove and raised his stick to the crowd as he skated alone while his Ducks teammates looked on from the boards and the bench.
Anaheim regained its one-goal lead at 2-1 16:26 into the second when Ryan tipped Joffrey Lupul's shot past Price.
Teemu Selanne got his second assist of the game at 19:33 when Perry put home a rebound of Koivu's shot from the slot for the Ducks' second power-play goal.
Fowler opened the scoring with his fourth goal with 5 minutes left in the first. The rookie defenseman's point shot struck a pair of Montreal sticks on its way past Price.
Notes: Koivu faced the Canadiens for the first time last season in a 4-3 loss to Montreal in Anaheim on March 7. ... C Kyle Chichura, D Paul Mara and D Sheldon Brookbank did not dress for the Ducks. ... Canadiens C Jeff Halpern missed his second straight game because of an upper-body injury.
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