Max Pacioretty breaks tie, Canadiens beat Hurricanes 2-1

MONTREAL (AP) - The Montreal Canadiens slowed down the streaking Carolina Hurricanes.

Max Pacioretty broke a tie 14 seconds into the third period and the NHL-leading Canadiens beat Carolina 2-1 on Thursday night to end the Hurricanes' winning streak at five games.

Carey Price made 31 saves, and Andrew Shaw also scored for Montreal. The Canadiens improved to 15-4-2 and avenged a 3-2 loss last week in Carolina with backup Al Montoya in goal.

"We played solid defensively against a hot Hurricanes team," Shaw said. "Everyone was contributing at both ends. They'd won five in a row and we knew they'd be flying."

Elias Lindholm scored for Carolina, and Cam Ward stopped 21 shots.

"You're not going to win every game," Hurricanes forward Jeff Skinner said. "Some games you get the bounces and others you don't, but we have to believe in the system. There's a lot of positive things in our game."

The Hurricanes dropped to 8-7-4.

"We were up against a team that's playing really well," Montreal coach Michel Therrien said. "It wasn't by luck that they won five in a row."

The Canadiens will play their next five on the road.

"This trip comes at a good time," Therrien. "It's a big challenge against good teams. I'm anxious to see how we play. We're playing with confidence, which is important."

Pacioretty put Montreal ahead early the third when he took the rebound of Tomas Plekanec's shot off the end boards and banked it in off Ward. Carolina coach Bill Peters challenged that Plekanec was offside on the play but the goal stood up to video review.

The Hurricanes opened the scoring at 10:32 of the first period after a bounce put Lindholm in alone on the right side for a perfect wrist shot to the top corner.

Shaw tied it at 12:08, fighting off a check to jam in a feed from behind the net by Charles Hudon.

NOTES: The Hurricanes lead the NHL in penalty killing. They stopped both Montreal power plays and have not allowed a short-handed goal in 11 games (0 for 24). ... Carolina outscored opponents 14-5 during its five-game winning streak.

UP NEXT

Hurricanes: Complete three-game Canadian trip at Ottawa on Saturday night.

Canadiens: Open five-game trip in Detroit on Saturday night. They also will face Anaheim, San Jose, Los Angeles and St. Louis.