NEWARK — Alex Galchenyuk scored the game-winning goal overtime, finishing off a Devils collapse for a 4-3 win on Monday at the Prudential Center.
The Devils let two two-goal leads quickly disappear in the third period, and the Canadiens made them pay when they tied the game with 52 seconds left in regulation. Max Pacioretty sent a shot through Devils goalie Cory Schneider that barely crossed the goal line before the Devils could clear it.
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After a scoreless second period, both offenses erupted in the third.
The Devils took at 2-0 lead when defenseman John Moore blasted a shot from the center of the blue line. The puck deflected off a Canadien defenseman in traffic before beating Montoya under his pads at 2:38 in the third period.
But the two-goal advantage was short lived. The Canadiens promptly responded with a Alexander Radulov goal 11 seconds later when he skated into the high slot and sent a shot past Schneider, inside the left post.
The Devils made it a two-goal game again when forward Travis Zajac planted a goal in the back of the net six seconds into a power play, but the Canadiens answered with a Max Pacioretty goal 43 seconds later to make it 3-2 at 8:37.
Kyle Palmieri opened the scoring in the closing seconds of the first period when he took a Travis Zajac feed in the slot. Palmieri had to fight through two defensemen to get the shot off and past Canadiens goalie Al Montoya with 18.8 seconds left in the frame.
Pride Night: The Devils hosted Pride Night on Monday at the Prudential Center, starting a week of partnership between the NHL and You Can Play. The event raised awareness for issues within the LBGTQ community and raised funds during the game.
As a part of the night, the Devils auctioned off pride-taped sticks used by players in warmups, and they had t-shirts available to benefit Newark Gay Pride.
Injuries: Forward Pavel Zacha skated on Monday for the first time since sustaining a concussion on Tuesday, Feb. 21. Zacha was placed on injured reserve on Monday, but he would be eligible to return Thursday against the Washington Capitals if he clears the concussion protocol.
Forward Jacob Josefson left Monday’s game during the first period with an upper body injury. The Devils called him questionable to return in the second period, but he did not play the rest of the game.
Next up: The Devils don’t play again until Thursday when they visit the Washington Capitals. But they could have a busy two days leading up to Wednesday’s 3 p.m. trade deadline.
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