02-12-2020, 08:51 AM
LOS ANGELES -- After struggling for offense throughout their road trip, the Montreal Canadiens finally found a whole bunch of goals at Staples Center.So did the Los Angeles Kings, which left goalie Carey Price both frustrated and grateful after a high-volume victory.Max Pacioretty had two goals and an assist, and Paul Byron scored the clinching goal in the fourth round of a 5-4 shootout victory over Los Angeles on Sunday.Alexander Radulov and Andrew Shaw also scored for the Atlantic Division-leading Canadiens, who earned just their second victory in seven road games. Montreal had only one win in its previous 11 games in California before scoring three times in the four-round shootout.Before all that, an unusual afternoon home game for the Kings led to a rare goal bonanza: The teams combined eight regulation goals -- including six in a crazy second period -- were the most scored in a game featuring either club in the past month.From my perspective, its not a great way to go about things, said Price, who made 27 saves. But it doesnt matter how we get it done, as long as we get it done. We know we have a lot of skill on this team. We have a lot of guys who can finish.Montreal finally found its scoring touch on the fourth stop of its five-game road trip after managing just five combined goals in the first three games, including losses at Anaheim and San Jose. After Shaws goal early in the third period forced extra time, Radulov put an offensive flourish on the shootout with an exceptional backhand goal moments before Byrons winner.When the whole team is playing hard and we get it going, its hard to play against us, Radulov said. Its always nice to score, but its huge for us to get going and get our confidence back.Pacioretty had a chance to end the shootout in the third round, but Budaj stopped him. Byron then ended it after Tanner Pearson missed for the Kings.Jeff Carter and Drew Doughty had a goal and an assist apiece for the Kings, who lost for only the second time in eight games. Peter Budaj stopped 26 shots, but the Kings have given up 11 goals in three games during their worst defensive stretch since the opening days of the season.We pride ourselves on a hard-checking game, good defensively, Doughty said. We try, at the most, (to) give up two goals a game, and thats why we lost. We gave up four. It wasnt the offense that was the problem. They did a good job today.Nick Short and Trevor Lewis also scored for Los Angeles during that back-and-forth second period.It wasnt my favorite period, Price said.Carter and Shore connected 2:14 apart to start the second. After Pacioretty evened it on a power play for his first multi-goal game of the season, Doughty scored his fourth goal with a slap shot on a power play.Radulov evened it again on the power play, but Lewis put the Kings ahead with a slick move on a rare breakaway. Lewis has just four goals all season, including the late go-ahead goal in the Kings win over Arizona on Thursday.Shaw evened it with his sixth goal early in the third, giving him a point in all three California games.They are a real high-octane team, Los Angeles coach Darryl Sutter said. They havent done it lately, but it was something we addressed the other day. They scored the first goal, and we still found a way to get back and get a point.Game notes Before the game, Los Angeles activated C Andy Andreoff from injured reserve and assigned veteran F Teddy Purcell to its AHL affiliate in Ontario. Purcell has only two assists in 12 games in his return season with the Kings. ... The Canadiens beat the Kings 4-1 in Montreal on Nov. 10. ... Kings captain Anze Kopitar had three assists, giving him five in the past two games after a slow offensive start to the season.UP NEXTCanadiens: The road trip concludes at St. Louis on Tuesday night.Kings: Host Carolina on Thursday night. Khalen Saunders Jersey . Clarkson had been dealing with an elbow injury in early January and will be out of action for at least one week. He has three goals and five assists through 36 games with the Leafs this season. Breeland Speaks Jersey . Marincin has played in two NHL games so far this season with two penalty minutes. The 21-year-old has three goals, four assists and a plus-5 rating in 24 games with the American Hockey Leagues Oklahoma City Barons this season. http://www.prochiefsauthentic.com/Youth-...te-Jersey/ . Ouellette, from Montreal, already has three Olympic gold medals since joining the team in 1999. Cameron Erving Jersey .1 million pounds ($61.2 million) on Saturday, giving the beleaguered English Premier League champions a major lift. Darwin Thompson Jersey . -- Stanford squashed Oregons national championship hopes again, schooling the Ducks in power football.CINCINNATI, Ohio -- Andrelton Simmons is starting to get noticed for more than those amazing defensive plays. The young shortstop homered twice and drove in a career-high four runs on Monday night, leading the Atlanta Braves to a 7-4 victory that ended the Cincinnati Reds winning streak at three games. The Braves won at a place where theyve had little success lately. They were 0-4 at Great American Ball Park last year and 14-25 overall since it opened for the 2003 season. Simmons led the way on offence, something he hasnt had to do very often. The first multihomer game of his career allowed the Braves to get ahead and pull away. "When all is said and done after this year, were going to be talking about him as one of the best shortstops in baseball," catcher Brian McCann said. Simmons worked on his swing when Saturdays game against the Mets was rained out, trying to keep his bat back a little longer so he could generate more power. The work is quickly paying off. "That rainout really helped," said Simmons, who has four homers. "I feel like Im where I want to be right now." He showed a little more defence, too. His best play came in the seventh, when he caught a hurried throw between his legs and tagged out out Shin-Soo Choo as he tried to steal second base. "Hes pretty acrobatic," manager Fredi Gonzalez said. "I remember someone asking me in spring training: Whats the best defensive play hes made? Its the next one. Its one after another with him." Paul Maholm (4-3) held down an offence thats been all-or-nothing. The left-hander allowed four hits and two runs in 5 2-3 innings. Cincinnati stranded five runners in scoring position overall. Craig Kimbrel gave up a pair of singles in the ninth before fanning Joey Votto, picking up his 10th save in 12 opportunities. Atlanta scored in four of five innings against Bronson Arroyo (2-4), who gave up eight hits, walked two and allowed four runs in his shortest outing of the season. "They have a really powerful lineup with a lot of threats, which makes you be a little more nitpicky," Arroyo said. "You end up throwing a lot more pitches than you normally would. Youd think the only guy you dont worry about hitting home runs is the eighth guy (Simmons), and he ends up taking me deep.dddddddddddd." Simmons had a solo shot and an RBI single off Arroyo. He added a two-run homer in the eighth off Logan Ondrusek, matching his career high for hits. Freddie Freeman also singled and doubled and drove in a run off Arroyo, who needed 98 pitches to get through five innings. Jordan Schafer added his first career pinch-hit homer as the Braves pulled away. The injury-sapped Braves got a little closer to full strength when McCann was activated off the disabled list, completing a comeback from surgery on his throwing shoulder last October. The six-time All-Star catcher started and went 0 for 4 with a walk. "Felt great," McCann said. "The first day couldnt have gone any better." Right fielder Jason Heyward also increased his workout activities while recovering from surgery to remove his appendix on April 22. The Braves will decide by the end of the week whether hes ready to start a rehab assignment in the minors. The Braves made it tough on Arroyo from the outset. Freeman singled home a run in the first inning, but Atlanta left the bases loaded when Dan Uggla struck out. Simmons led off the second inning with a homer down the third-base line. Uggla opened the fourth with his second triple of the season -- a ball into the gap in right-centre field -- and scored on Simmons single off the glove of Zack Cozart in the hole at shortstop for a 3-0 lead. Evan Gattis doubled home a run in the fifth off Arroyo. The Braves pulled away with three runs in the eighth off Ondrusek. Votto doubled home a run in the eighth inning, extending his hitting streak to nine games. NOTES: The Braves optioned utility player Tyler Pastornicky to Triple-A Gwinnett to open a roster spot for McCann. ... Simmons has six multihit games in his last 14. ... Choo was hit by a pitch for the 11th time. ... Alfredo Simon fanned the six Braves he faced, the first Reds pitcher to strike out six in a row since Aaron Harang in 2008. ... Reds RHP Johnny Cueto threw 25 pitches in the bullpen without problem. Cueto has been on the DL since April 15 with a strained muscle in his back. ... NFL receiver and Hall of Fame inductee Cris Carter threw a ceremonial pitch to former NBA player and coach Butch Carter. Judo gold medallist Kayla Harrison took out the lineup card. ' ' '