Josh Gorges’ Overtime Goal Lifts Canadiens Over Maple Leafs 4-3

TORONTO — Even though a few of the
newest Montreal Canadiens provided optimism on opening night, it was a
standout performance by a much-maligned holdover that had everyone
raving.

Carey Price delivered a strong
statement after enduring an offseason of questions about his play,
stopping 43 shots in Montreal's 4-3 overtime victory over the Toronto
Maple Leafs on Thursday night.

The last time Canadiens fans saw the
young goalie in a meaningful game, he gestured to them while getting
booed at home during a first-round playoff loss to Boston. Price was
the biggest reason why Montreal pulled out an unlikely opening-night
victory.

"He was unbelievable," said
defenseman Josh Gorges, who scored with 12.8 seconds showing on the
overtime clock. "He held us in there when the game could have got out
of hand."

The Canadiens were badly outshot and
thoroughly outplayed through two periods, but found a way to hang
around. They got some help from former teammate Mike Komisarek, who was
in the penalty box for two Montreal goals.

"Carey stood on his head," forward
Mike Cammalleri said. "I just talked to him and said, 'We've got to be
better for you and we will.' The truth is that we expect him to do that
from time to time because that's how good he is.

"He won us the game."

Brian Gionta and Travis Moen scored
in their debuts for Montreal, and fourth-line forward Glen Metropolit
tied the game during a late power play. He was surprised to be on the
ice to tip a shot from Gorges behind Vesa Toskala at 15:50 of the third
period.

"It's just one of those things,"
Metropolit said. "I couldn't believe I was on the power play, so I'm
like, 'Where do I go?' So I said, 'Why not go to the front of the
net?'"

That is the same place Gorges went
on the winner, batting a rebound over Toskala after Cammalleri took the
puck hard to the net. It was his sixth NHL goal in 247 career games.

"That's a great way to start the season," Gorges said. "I don't score many goals."

Matt Stajan had two goals, and Alexei Ponikarovsky added one for Toronto.

"I think we were the better team
tonight, and fell short," said Komisarek. "We didn't get two points.
Next time, we'll find a way to win and get the two points.

"Good start, could have been better, but we'll take the point and take the positive out of it."

The Canadiens-Maple Leafs rivalry
runs deeper than just history, with three fights, several scrums after
the whistle and plenty of jawing back and forth. Much of it centered on
Komisarek, the Leafs defenseman who left Montreal over the summer to
sign a $22.5-million, five-year deal.

Before the game, Maple Leafs coach
Ron Wilson expressed concern that Komisarek might get a little too
worked up while facing his former team. He received a double
high-sticking penalty in the first period for cutting open new
Canadiens forward Scott Gomez.

"Mike answered the bell, and he'll
continue to do so," Wilson said. "We need more of our defensemen to
respond as aggressively and quickly as Mike did."

Canadiens defenseman Andrei Markov
left early in the third period after getting tangled up with Price and
sustaining an unspecified injury. Montreal coach Jacques Martin said
Markov will be re-evaluated on Friday.

Price is looking to rebound from a
tough end to last season and couldn't be faulted for either of the
first two goals. He was plenty busy, too — when the horn sounded to end
the second period, Toronto was outshooting Montreal 30-13.

In the third period, the Canadiens
were called for a pair of goaltender interference penalties and Stajan
put the Leafs ahead for the first time while Moen was serving the
second. He had a wide-open net at 9:09 after Jason Blake made a nifty
move to kick the puck up to his stick and slid it in front.

The Maple Leafs appeared to have the
game in hand until Komisarek took a late elbowing penalty — his fifth
minor of the night to go with a fighting major. On the power play,
Metropolit tipped in a point shot at 15:50 that appeared to go in and
out of Toskala's glove.

Notes
Roman Hamrlik and Gregory
Stewart were scratched for Montreal. … Jeff Finger (oblique), Jamal
Mayers (head injury) and Nikolai Kulemin sat out for the Leafs. …
Pittsburgh Penguins owner Mario Lemieux was among six former Team
Canada members to perform the ceremonial faceoff.