Canadiens sweep Lightning after 4-3 win
MONTREAL - Max Pacioretty lifted the Montreal Canadiens into the second round of the Stanley Cup playoffs Tuesday night with a power-play goal with 43 seconds remaining for a 4-3 victory and a four-game sweep of Tampa Bay.
The first team to advance this year, the Canadiens also got goals from Daniel Briere, Brendan Gallagher and Lars Eller. Montreal now faces a long wait for the Eastern Conference semifinal against the winner of the Boston-Detroit series.
Ondrej Palat had a goal and an assist for Tampa Bay. Victor Hedman pulled the Lightning within one goal three minutes into the third period, and Tyler Johnson tied the game three minutes later.
Lightning backup goaltender Kristers Gudlevskis replaced Anders Lindback after Gallagher's goal 5:42 into the second period. Lindback gave up three goals on 20 shots, while Gudlevskis stopped 16 of 17 shots in relief.
Pacioretty was parked in front to bang the rebound of Thomas Vanek's shot past Gudlevskis and thrill the 21,273 spectators. A tripping penalty on Cedric Paquette with 2:11 left put Montreal on the power play and Pacioretty got only the Canadiens' second power-play goal of the series.
Montreal posted its first sweep since taking out Buffalo out in four straight in 1993 en route to the last of its record 24 Stanley Cups.
Tampa Bay's rookie-laden lineup could not keep pace with Montreal. The Lightning also played the series without No. 1 goalie Ben Bishop, who has a left arm injury.
For a second straight game, the Bell Centre was at a fever pitch. And while it took Rene Bourque only 11 seconds to score the first goal in Game 3, this time it took 2:24 for Briere to open the scoring.
The Lightning defense abandoned the front of the net and left Briere alone in front to score his first of the series and 51st playoff goal.
The Canadiens had a 15-6 shot advantage in the period and made it 2-0 when Brian Gionta picked Paquette's pocket in the neutral zone and sent Eller in on the left side to blast a low shot past Lindback.
Tampa Bay caught a break while killing a penalty in the second period when Alexei Emelin misplayed a puck behind the net. Palat swept around and pushed the puck in among a pile of players.
But only 1:10 later, Tomas Plekenec sent Gallagher in on the right side to wrist a shot in off the post to restore the two-goal lead. The 21-year-old has five goals in nine career playoff games.
That chased Lindback, who allowed three goals on 20 shots.
The Lightning poured it on in the third and Hedman banked in a shot off Price from behind the net. Three minutes later, J.T. Brown sent a pass in front that went off Montreal defenseman P.K. Subban's skate right to Johnson for a quick shot from close range.
Notes: The Lightning pulled Radko Gudas, who has a suspected lower body injury, and Tom Pyatt from the lineup, and put in Mike Kostka and Keith Aulie. . . . Montreal made no changes. ... The Canadiens last won a playoff series in 2010.