Forward wins it in 1st minute after getting tying goal with 9 seconds left in 3rd
Panthers at Canadiens | Recap
MONTREAL — Nick Suzuki scored 29 seconds into overtime after tying it with nine seconds left in the third period, and the Montreal Canadiens rallied for a 3-2 win against the Florida Panthers at Bell Centre on Tuesday.
Suzuki scored on a wraparound in overtime to win it. His first goal tied it 2-2 in the third by recovering a shot from the left point by Lane Hutson and putting in a backhand inside the right post.
Josh Anderson also scored, and Hutson had three assists for the Canadiens (35-30-9), who won 4-2 at Florida on Sunday in the first game of a home-and-home set after losing five in a row. Sam Montembeault made 25 saves.
Montreal moved two points ahead of the New York Rangers, breaking a tie for the second wild card into the Stanley Cup Playoffs from the Eastern Conference.
Niko Mikkola and Mackie Samoskevich scored, and Vitek Vanecek made 18 saves for the Panthers (44-26-4), who had won three of five.
Florida is one point behind the Tampa Bay Lightning for second place in the Atlantic Division, and two behind the Toronto Maple Leafs for first.
Anderson gave Montreal a 1-0 lead at 4:43 of the first period when he deflected Kaiden Guhle’s shot from the left point past Vanecek.
Mikkola tied it 1-1 at 10:37. His wrist shot from the outside edge of the left face-off circle deflected off Canadiens forward Jake Evans’ stick and got past Montembeault stick side.
A potential Florida goal by A.J. Greer at 12:58 was immediately waved off. Video review confirmed that the Panthers forward used a distinct kicking motion to put the puck in the net.
Samoskevich put the Panthers ahead 2-1 with a power-play goal at 18:47 of the second period when his wrist shot from the top of the left face-off circle went in off Guhle.
Panthers forward Nico Sturm left the game at 3:17 of the first and did not return after colliding with linemate Greer at center ice.
Hutson broke the Canadiens’ record for assists by a rookie defenseman with 57.
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