Jansen Harkins scores winner as Penguins outlast Canadiens in 12-round shootout

The Penguins worked overtime and then some Wednesday in their 4-3 shootout victory over the Montreal Canadiens at the Bell Centre in Montreal.

Goals by defenseman Kris Letang and forwards Sidney Crosby, Lars Eller and Jansen Harkins in a 12-round shootout provided a hard-earned victory.

It was the longest shootout in franchise history for the Penguins and the eighth longest in league history.

Harkins, who logged a game-low 4:24 of ice time on seven shifts in regulation, scored the winning goal on goaltender Sam Montembeault.

“I don’t know if (Harkins) taken a penalty shot before, let alone scored a goal,” Penguins defenseman Erik Karlsson said to the Canadian Press in Montreal. “So it’s a big moment for him.”

Penguins goaltender Alex Nedeljkovic stopped nine of the 12 shots he faced, allowing goals to forwards Nick Suzuki, Cole Caufield and Sean Monahan.

Canadiens defenseman David Savard opened the scoring 6:24 into regulation with his first goal of the season.

Corralling a puck off his own end boards, Karlsson fired an off-target pass intended for Penguins forward Drew O’Connor which was intercepted by Savard at the right point. Accepting the charity, Savard chugged his way to the top of the left circle and sniped a wrister to the far side under Nedeljkovic’s glove. There were no assists.

Rookie defenseman Jayden Struble’s second goal put the Canadiens up by two scores at 12:21 of the first period.

After gaining the Penguins’ zone with a strong entry up the middle of the ice, Struble offloaded the puck to the left wing for Canadiens forward Jesse Ylonen. Pushing play deep on the left wing against Penguins rookie defenseman John Ludvig, Ylonen backhanded the puck to the top of the crease, where Struble jabbed at it, only to be blocked by the stick of Penguins defenseman P.O Joseph. After the puck struck off the left of Canadiens forward Michael Pezzetta, it slid to the right of the blue paint, where Ylonen buried a forehand shot on the near side behind Nedeljkovic’s glove. Pezzetta and Ylonen had assists.

The Penguins got on the scoreboard at 13:48 of the opening frame via Crosby’s 16th goal.

Waiting for a line change to unfold, Canadiens defenseman Kaiden Guhle controlled the puck behind his own net. Applying pressure with a forecheck from the left wing, Crosby flushed Guhle out, causing him to inadvertently play the puck into the left leg of goaltender Sam Montembeault. Crosby claimed the loose puck below the left circle and dished a backhand pass to O’Connor, who fired a forehand shot from the inner rim of the left circle. Guhle partially blocked the shot, but Montembeault was still forced to make a save with his right leg. The ensuing rebound bounced around at the left of the crease, where Crosby was able to locate it through the chaos and used a lob wedge to put a gentle wrister by Montembeault’s right shoulder on the near side. The lone assist went to O’Connor.

A power-play score by Monahan – his ninth - put the hosts up 3-1 at 15:2o of the first period.

From the left point of the offensive zone, former Penguins defenseman Mike Matheson lobbed a wrister toward the cage. Battling for position to the right of the crease with Penguins defenseman Ryan Graves, Suzuki had the puck glance off his body and carom into Nedeljkovic. While the initial save was made by Nedeljkovic, the puck leaked through behind him into the crease where Monahan cleaned it up from the right of the blue paint with a forehand jab. Suzuki and Matheson tallied assists.

The Penguins scored a power-play goal for the second consecutive game when forward Jake Guentzel found his 13th 5:36 into the second period.

Digging the puck out of a massive eight-man scrum in the Canadiens’ right corner, Crosby snapped a pass to the top of the right circle for Guentzel. Surveying the scene, Guentzel waited for Crosby to maneuver to the left of the cage and dished the puck back to him. After Canadiens forward Joel Armia deflected the puck a bit, Crosby moved the puck back to Guentzel in the high slot. A bit off-balance, Guentzel whacked a one-timer by Montembeault’s blocker. Crosby and Karlsson claimed assists.

Another power-play goal by Crosby tied the game 3-3 at 11:02 of the second frame.

From the center point of the offensive zone, Karlsson dealt the puck to Crosby above the left circle. Curling to the high slot, Crosby considered his options and wired a wrister. Stationed between the hashmarks, Matheson appeared to have the puck glance off of his left arm and deflect by Montembeault’s blocker. Crosby was ultimately credited with the goal off assists by Karlsson and forward Evgeni Malkin.

The Penguins scored two power-play goals for the second consecutive game, going 2 for 4 with the man advantage. In a 4-2 home win against the Arizona Coyotes, they were 2 for 6.

Before Tuesday, they had gone 13 consecutive games without a power-play goal, a franchise record.

Nedeljkovic made 39 saves on 42 shots in regulation and overtime as his record improved to 3-2-1.

In overtime alone, Nedeljkovic was forced to make nine saves as the Penguins turned away a power-play opportunity for the Canadiens.

In the shootout, it went:

• Suzuki – Goal

• Letang – Goal

• Caufield – Goal

• Crosby – Goal

• Ylonen – Miss

• Guentzel – Miss

• Canadiens forward Juraj Slafkovsky – Save

• Malkin – Save

• Armia – Miss

• Penguins forward Reilly Smith – Save

• Canadiens forward Christian Dvorak – Miss

• Karlsson – Save

• Monahan – Goal

• Eller – goal

• Matheson – Save

• Penguins forward Jeff Carter – Save

• Pezzetta – Save

• Penguins rookie forward Valtteri Puustinen – Miss

• Canadiens forward Jake Evans – Save

• Penguins forward Radim Zohorna – Save

• Canadiens forward Brendan Gallagher -Save

• Penguins forward Vinnie Hinostroza – Save

• Canadiens forward Jake Anderson – Save

• Harkins – Goal

“It’s always fun once it starts going, guys on the bench are starting to panic a little bit and hoping for a goal so they don’t get picked,” Karlsson said. “But at the same time it’s one of those things that guys get opportunities to take a penalty shot that otherwise they might have not, and (Harkins) scored a goal for us.”

Notes:

• Crosby’s regulation offense gave him 1,533 points and moved him into a tie with former Penguins forward Mark Recchi for 13th place on the NHL’s career scoring list. He also surpassed former Penguins defenseman Paul Coffey (1,531) on the list.

“I know the type of career (Recchi) had and how good he was, how consistent he was,” Crosby said to the Canadian Press. “Definitely a compliment to be in company with him.”

• The Penguins’ previous record for longest shootout was a nine-round affair in a 3-2 home loss to the New York Islanders on Nov. 14, 2005 (the first season the NHL instituted shootouts).

• The Penguins’ scratches were forwards Marc Johnstone (healthy), Bryan Rust (undisclosed injury) and defenseman Ryan Shea (healthy).