Mike Cammalleri scored two goals, Jaroslav Halak made 38 saves in a performance much like his series-stealing play during Montreal’s first-round upset of Washington and the Canadiens surprised the Penguins by winning 3-1 yesterday in Pittsburgh.
Former Devil Brian Gionta also scored as Montreal, playing without injured defenseman Andrei Markov, bounced back from a 6-3 loss in Game 1 and an early 1-0 Pittsburgh lead to even the Eastern Conference semifinal series at one game each.
Game 3 is tomorrow night in Montreal, followed by Game 4 on Thursday. The first playoff series between the teams since 1998 returns to Pittsburgh for Game 5 on Saturday.
Halak, pulled after allowing five goals on 20 shots in Game 1, made big save after big save as the Canadiens won despite being outshot 39-21. Sidney Crosby didn’t score for the second successive game, and neither did Evgeni Malkin.
Cammalleri put Montreal ahead 2-1 by scoring on a power play in the second period, then sealed it by stealing the puck from Crosby at mid-ice and beating Marc-Andre Fleury on a breakaway with 2:54 remaining.
Penguins forward Craig Adams, getting more ice time as Jordan Staal sat out with a serious right foot injury, was ejected 30 seconds later for driving Marc-Andre Bergeron into the boards from behind as Bergeron was playing the puck in a corner. Bergeron was helped back to the bench, and it wasn’t immediately certain if he was hurt.
Sharks 4, Red Wings 3
In San Jose, Calif., Joe Thornton scored with 7:23 left, his first goal of the playoffs, and the Sharks took a 2-0 lead in the second-round series.
Joe Pavelski kept up his sizzling postseason for San Jose, scoring twice to push his NHL-high playoff total to nine and setting up Ryane Clowe’s between-the-legs score. Thornton then won it by ending his playoff drought.
Dany Heatley skated up ice on a 3-on-2 break and fired a slap shot at Jimmy Howard. Thornton beat Brian Rafalski to the rebound in the crease and poked in the winner. The series now shifts to Detroit for Games 3 and 4, starting Tuesday night.
Pavel Datsyuk, Tomas Holmstrom and 40-year-old captain Nicklas Lidstrom scored for the Red Wings, who were unable to hold onto a 3-2 lead heading into the third in part because they committed too many penalties.
Pavelski tied it early in the third when he poked in a rebound that was in the crease with the Sharks on a two-man advantage that he had set up. With Todd Bertuzzi already in the box for holding Marc-Edouard Vlasic in the offensive zone, Pavelski drew a tripping call on Niklas Kronwall that gave San Jose the 5-on-3 power play for 1:20.
Pavelski scored what proved to be the winner in the opener on another two-man advantage early in the third period that had Detroit coach Mike Babcock steaming. He figured to be just as upset after this game, when the Sharks had an 10-4 advantage on power plays, including one to end the game.