Music: {allcanada} Canadiens top Senators 3-1; series tied

Friday, May 3, 2013

{allcanada} Canadiens top Senators 3-1; series tied

MONTREAL (AP) -- Ryan White started a three-goal second period and goalie Carey Price was back in top form with 29 saves and the Montreal Canadiens downed the Ottawa Senators 3-1 to even their playoff series on Friday.

The best-of-seven Eastern Conference quarterfinal is tied 1-1 heading into Game 3 on Sunday in Ottawa.

Brendan Gallagher and Michael Ryder also scored for Montreal. Milan Michalek scored for Ottawa, which was let down by a power play that went 0-for-4.

There was anticipation of rough play after Eric Gryba's hit that saw Montreal's Lars Eller carried off the Bell Centre ice on a stretcher with a concussion and some missing teeth in Ottawa's 4-2 win in the series opener on Thursday night. Eller spent the night in hospital and was released Friday morning.

Gryba served the first of a two-game suspension for his Game 1 hit on Eller and was replaced by Andre Benoit.

Price was criticized for two goals that went between his pads in the opener, but he was sharp throughout Game 2 as Montreal outshot the Senators 34-30 and found ways to get pucks past Craig Anderson, who was coming off a 48-save effort in the opener.

Montreal got two quick goals early in the second period.

White skated hard into the Ottawa zone and was there to bat Erik Karlsson's backhand pass out of the air and between Anderson's pads at 3:20.

Just 53 seconds later, Alex Galchenyuk took the rebound of a Francis Bouillon shot and slipped it across to Gallagher for the rookie's second goal of the series.

Ottawa had an extra man on for a delayed penalty call when Michalek scored at 8:16.

A sliding pad save by Price during an Ottawa power play proved to be big, as Montreal killed it off and then scored as Rene Bourque slid the puck through a scramble to Ryder for a shot into an open side at 18:57.

Price went to the bench after apparently losing a tooth in a collision in front of his net. In Game 1, Anderson lost a tooth when hit in the mask by a Bourque shot.

Notes: Matt Kassian replaced Cory Conacher and started the game on a rugged line with Chris Neil and Zach Smith for Ottawa. ... With Eller as well as Max Pacioretty and Brian Gionta (upper body injuries) out, Jeff Halpern, Colby Armstrong and Gabriel Dumont suited up for Montreal. ... The Canadiens were 7-1-1 in the second game of back-to-backs this season.