01-09-2020, 02:47 AM
DETROIT -- The Montreal Canadiens started fast and finished strong to overcome a rough patch in between. Max Pacioretty broke a third-period tie, Tomas Plekanec scored twice and Montreal beat the Detroit Red Wings 5-4 Thursday night. The Canadiens jumped out to a 2-0 lead in the first period and led 3-1 going into the third. But Detroits Tomas Tatar scored twice during a span of 3:06 early in the third period to tie it. Pacioretty restored the Canadiens lead 5:48 into the third and Thomas Vanek added a goal with 8:45 left. "The second and third periods werent good at all. We got lucky that we found a way to win," Plekanec said. Vanek added two assists and David Desharnais had a goal and an assist for Montreal. P.K. Subban had two assists and Carey Price made 26 saves. "It doesnt matter if you win 1-0 or 10-9 at this point. It all adds up the same," Price said. Canadiens coach Michel Therrien praised the line of Desharnais between Vanek and Pacioretty. "They were true leaders the way they played. They were playing all over the ice, they were hungry and did the right things." Tatars goals were his 17th and 18th. Riley Sheahan added a goal and an assist, and Johan Franzen also scored for Detroit. Jimmy Howard stopped 24 shots. "From the start. We werent very good in the first period, starting with myself. We were turning the pucks over all over the ice, we werent skating and we werent working," Red Wings defenceman Niklas Kronwall said. "But in saying that, we were still in the game somehow. Howie (Howard) kept us in there, gave us a chance. "We make it 3-3, then they go up 4-3, 5-3 and we score right away again and its still a game, but all in all we have to be better than this." Franzen brought the Red Wings to within one, 21 seconds after Vaneks goal. It was Franzens 16th goal and broke a nine-game goal-scoring drought. "I thought we played good and had lots of opportunity as far as offensively. We were just poor in our own zone on sort outs, on face-offs, which is just an easy thing to do. So for whatever reason we didnt get that done," Detroit coach Mike Babcock said. "But my big thing here today is just, as we said earlier, catch-up hockey is losing hockey. Youve got to get prepared, youve got to play right and you have to do it for 60 minutes and be patient. When you start chasing the game like we were tonight anything can happen. Its entertaining and all that for the fans but its not a recipe for success whatsoever." Sheahan put the Red Wings on the board and cut the Canadiens lead to 2-1 with his sixth goal 1:28 into the second period. Desharnais restored Montreals two-goal lead with 8:57 remaining in the middle period on his 14th goal. Plekanecs two goals gave Montreal a 2-0 lead in the first period. He opened the scoring 7:49 into the game, then got his 20th goal with 5:49 left in the opening period. NOTE: Detroit RW Tomas Jurco returned after missing seven games with a broken rib. ... Montreal LW Travis Moen missed his second game with a concussion. ... Red Wings C Pavel Datsyuk, who has missed 13 games with a sore knee, is skating but theres no timetable for his return. ... Detroit C Henrik Zetterberg, who had back surgery on Feb. 21, wont be cleared for contact until April 18-19. ... Pacioretty played college hockey at the University of Michigan. ... Montreal D Mike Weaver played college hockey at Michigan State. ... Canadiens RW Dale Weise missed his second game with an upper-body injury. Anaheim Ducks Gear . Matt Carkner got back into the Ottawa lineup, and made his presence felt right away by settling his clubs score in a one-sided fight with Rangers forward Brian Boyle. Jakob Silfverberg Jersey . His Brazilian opponents said he produced miracles. There is no doubt that Mexico goalkeeper Guillermo Ochoa was the one responsible for spoiling Brazils hopes of another World Cup victory at its home tournament. https://www.cheapducks.com/477c-ruslan-s...ducks.html . His big 2-minute outburst in the fourth quarter Tuesday night is all that really mattered for the Dallas Mavericks. Max Comtois Jersey . -- Andrew Wiggins is from Canada, Wayne Selden from Massachusetts and Joel Embiid from the African nation of Cameroon. Devin Shore Jersey . The Union looked to have grabbed a big win in the 88th minute when Amobi Okugo finally put the hosts in front. But a terrible giveaway by Union goalkeeper Rais Mbolhi handed Earnshaw the equalizer in the second minute of stoppage time, keeping the Union two points back of fifth-place Red Bull New York for the final playoff spot in the Eastern Conference.AUGUSTA, Ga. -- A quick stroll across the manicured landscape of Augusta National afforded a glimpse of why this Masters is so hard to figure out. On the putting green in a quiet moment of practice was 20-year-old Jordan Spieth, one of a record 24 newcomers who has every reason to believe he can win. On the golf course for the final day of practice was Webb Simpson, a former U.S. Open champion and one of 21 players who have captured the last 24 majors. And under the oak tree outside the clubhouse was Miguel Angel Jimenez, the 50-year-old Spaniard trying to make sense of it all. He recalled his first Masters in 1995, when Seve Ballesteros and Jose Maria Olazabal shared secrets to Augusta National, such as keeping the ball in the right spots on the green and "to realize here that the target is not the hole." "The more you play, the more you like, no?" Jimenez said as he leaned against his golf bag, looking relaxed as ever behind his aviator sunglasses. But as he considered the rookies -- Spieth and Patrick Reed, Harris English and Jimmy Walker -- he dismissed the notion that experience was required for a green jacket. "There are 24 guys here for the first time," he said. "But theres a reason they are here, no?" Nowhere to be found, of course, was Tiger Woods. Out of golf until the summer because of back surgery, out of the Masters for the first time in his career, the show goes on. "Well, we miss Tiger, as does the entire golf world," Masters chairman Billy Payne said. "He is always a threat to make a run and do well and win here at Augusta National. ... Nevertheless, this is the Masters. This is what we hope is the best tournament in the world, one of the greatest sporting events. And I think we will have a very impressive audience and have another great champion to crown this year." The course closed for practice Wednesday afternoon, and a stream of fans made their way over to the Par 3 Tournament, where occasional cheers broke the silence. It was a precursor of what was sure to follow over the next four days at a major that rarely fails to deliver drama. Even without Woods. "Its probably the most anticipated week of the year," Rory McIlroy said..dddddddddddd. "Its been eight months since weve had a major. Its Augusta. ... Theres a lot of guys that seem like once they drive up Magnolia Lane here, something lights up inside them." That could be Phil Mickelson, who last year won the British Open at age 42 and now has a chance to join Woods and Arnold Palmer with a fourth green jacket. It could be Adam Scott, trying to join Woods, Nick Faldo and Jack Nicklaus as the only back-to-back winners. Considering how this year has gone, it could be anybody. Jason Day, Sergio Garcia and former Masters champion Zach Johnson are the only players from the top 10 who have won anywhere in the world. Only one of the last seven winners on the PGA Tour was ranked in the top 75. "I think if youre outside the top 50 in the world this week, youve got a great chance," U.S. Open champion Justin Rose said with a laugh. Rose, however, falls on the side of experience -- knowing where to miss, knowing where you cant afford to miss, where the hole locations tend to be on the contoured greens and using the slope to get the ball close. "Always you can have the unknowns," he said. "But I would say 15 guys are pretty strong favourites." Woods has become a polarizing figure in golf, especially at the Masters. Since he last won a green jacket in 2005, only once has Woods finished out of the top six. Thats what made him so compelling at Augusta. He always seems to be there. And thats why this Masters seems to lack definition. No one is dominating golf at the moment. Walker has the most PGA Tour wins (three) this season, but this is his first Masters. Scott had a chance to go to No. 1 in the world three weeks ago at Bay Hill, but he lost a three-shot lead in the final round to Matt Every, who had never won in his career. Never has there been this much chatter about Masters rookies. Then again, there has never been this many. And theyre not bashful about their chances. "Doesnt matter if youve played here once or if youve played here 50 times," Reed said. "When it comes down to it, its just going to be that whoever is playing the best is going to walk away with the trophy." So maybe its not that hard to figure out, after all. ' ' '