By Canadian Press

Tatar, Weber power-play goals lift Canadiens to 3-1 victory over Canucks

Dec 18, 2019 | 12:02 AM

VANCOUVER — Tomas Tatar and Shea Weber scored power-play goals 1:34 apart in the third period as the Montreal Canadiens defeated the Vancouver Canucks 3-1 Tuesday night.

Nick Cousins also scored for the Canadiens (16-12-6) who are 4-1-0 in their last five games. Max Domi and Joel Armia had two assists each.

Adam Gaudette scored for the Canucks (16-15-4) who lost their third straight game and fourth in five games.

Canucks goaltender Jacob Markstrom, making his fifth straight start, stopped 27 shots.

Montreal goalie Carey Price made 38 saves.

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The Canadiens went ahead 2-1 just 1:51 into the third period after Jake Virtanen was sent off for slashing. With Montreal buzzing in the Vancouver zone, Phillip Danault was hauled down. As he lay on the ice, he managed to slide the puck to Tatar, who scored his fourth goal in as many games.

Vancouver’s Tanner Pearson was called for tripping on the play. That led to Weber finding a loose puck and scoring his 11th of the season at 3:25 of the third period.

The Canucks came close with under five minutes remaining when an Elias Pettersson shot hit the cross bar, then fell behind Price.

The Canadiens used a turnover to tie the game at 8:05 of the second period. Domi forced Vancouver’s Antoine Roussel to cough up the puck. He carried it into the Canucks zone, then feathered a pass between defenceman Oscar Fantenberg’s legs and onto Cousins’ stick. He scored his fifth of the year with a low shot to the blocker side.

Gaudette opened the scoring at 18:21 of the first period after Tatar was sent off on a questionable tripping call. Defenceman Tyler Myers fed Gaudette the puck and he rifled a shot from the top of the faceoff circle that beat Price short side.

It was Vancouver’s second power-play goal in 14 chances over the last five games.

The goal came not long after Montreal’s Artturi Lehkonen forced a turnover and had a shorthanded breakaway that Markstrom stopped with his blocker.

Both teams had goals disallowed during the second period.

Gaudette looked to have scored his second of the night off the rebound of a Josh Leivo breakaway. The goal was waved off after a video review showed Leivo was offside.

Armia thought he had put the Canadiens ahead a few minutes later but a review showed Lehkonen interfering with Markstrom.

NOTES: The Canucks’ Tim Schaller was a healthy scratch for a second straight game after going 22 matches without a point. … Vancouver has placed forward Sven Baertschi on waivers. Baertschi, who is earning US$3.36 million, continues to play with the AHL Utica Comets. … Montreal’s Victor Mete (ankle) and Jesperi Kotkaniemi (concussion) practiced in non-contact jerseys Monday and Tuesday and remain day to day.

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This report by The Canadian Press was first published Dec. 17, 2019.

Jim Morris, The Canadian Press