MONTREAL — The Canadiens’ special teams made the difference against the Devils.
The Canadiens scored on the power play and added another on the penalty kill in a 2-1 victory over the Devils on Wednesday night.
“When you win the special teams battle, you definitely give yourself a much greater opportunity of winning the game,” said captain Max Pacioretty, who scored Montreal’s first of the game with the man advantage.
With the Devils playing a man down in the first, Pacioretty redirected a pass from Tomas Plekanec between Cory Schneider’s pads at 19:00. With Brendan Gallagher screening him, Schneider never saw the puck.
Devils rookie coach John Hynes used his challenge on the goal, arguing Gallagher had interfered with Schneider on the play. The Canadiens forward, however, was just outside the crease.
“Just having a guy planted on the edge of your crease, once Plekanec moved the puck, I never really saw it again and it found its way in,” said Schneider, who made 23 saves on the day he was named the only Devil on the All-Star team. “That just shows you the value of having someone parked in front of the net like that.”
The goal was only Montreal’s fourth on the power play in its last 16 games (4 for 46).
Torrey Mitchell scored the winner shortly after Canadiens forward David Desharnais missed a penalty shot high and wide in the second period.
Adam Henrique got one back for the Devils just 50 seconds into the third period, deflecting an Andy Greene shot from the point between Mike Condon’s legs.