The Montreal Canadiens clinched the Atlantic Division title as they escaped 4-3 shootout winners against the Toronto Maple Leafs at the Air Canada Centre on Saturday night in both team's season finale.
Entering the day two points ahead of second placed Tampa Bay Lighting for the division title, the Canadiens needed just one point from their season finale to secure their crown. As the games panned out through the day, it was determined that Montreal would play the Ottawa Senators in the first round of the Stanley Cup playoffs.
Phil Kessel opened the scoring, putting the Leafs ahead early in the game. Kessel was an 11-game drought without a goal, and finally broke the goose on a wraparound to put it past goalie Carey Price for his 25th of the season.
The Canadiens responded just 16 seconds later to tie things up. Leafs goaltender Jonathan Bernier took too long on the puck behind the net and passed to right down the middle to an unsuspecting Nazem Kadri who gave it away to David Desharnais, having an open net to shoot at.
Forward Casey Bailey put the Leafs back in front at the mid way point of the period after he tipped home a Dion Phaneuf shot from the point. That was the first NHL goal of Bailey’s young career.
Montreal tied things again in the second period after the Canadiens broke out on a 4-on-1 with Tomas Plekanec finishing the break, putting it past a helpless Bernier.
The Leafs got back in the lead for the third time in the game after James van Riemsdyk set up his line-mate Tyler Bozak nicely from behind the net.
Bernier again was caught out in the second period after he went to retrieve the puck from behind his net, only to pass it to defender Jake Gardiner who lost the puck and ended up on the stick of Jacob De La Rose - another easy finish for the Canadiens into a gapping net.
Montreal had a goal disallowed after Brendan Gallagher finished a scramble in Bernier’s crease. The referees called it back for goaltender interference, however.
After a scoreless overtime period, the game went into a shootout. Alex Galchenyuk scored the winning goal after two Leafs players failed to score past Price.
