Alex Galchenyuk, Max Pacioretty reach milestones in Canadiens' final game
Forwards score 2 goals each vs. Lightning to reach 30 for season
If there was a bright spot to a disappointing season for the Montreal Canadiens, it was the emergence of Alex Galchenyuk as a top-line centre.
The third overall pick from the 2012 NHL draft scored two goals to reach the 30-goal mark for the first time as the hometown Canadiens ended their regular season with a 5-2 win over the Tampa Bay Lightning on Saturday night.
His linemate Max Pacioretty also scored two and also hit the 30-goal mark, while Tomas Plekanec had the other goal for Montreal (38-38-6), which missed the playoffs for only the second time in nine years.
"He's always had the skill," Pacioretty said of Galchenyuk. "As far as improving his game and being a No. 1 centre, it was a matter of mindset and playing the right way.
"He really started to show that and impress all of us, a lot."
Galchenyuk has been brought along slowly by head coach Michel Therrien, playing mostly on left wing in his first three NHL campaigns. But placed at centre with Pacioretty and Brendan Gallagher late in the season, the slick playmaker and shooter blossomed.
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At 22, Galchenyuk is the third-youngest Canadien to score 30 in a season after Bernard Geoffrion in 1951-52 and Stephane Richer in 1987-88.
"It's a good thing I didn't know about that," he said. "I didn't want any extra things in my head."
Jonathan Drouin scored his second in as many games since returning from a hiatus and Ondrej Palat also scored for the Lightning, who had already clinched a post-season spot. They open the playoffs Wednesday at home against Detroit.
Lightning coach Jon Cooper, already missing Steven Stamkos, Anton Stralman and others to injuries, was livid at a play that may have cost him another top player in the first period when centre Tyler Johnson was helped off the ice after crashing headfirst into the boards.
The one thing about this game and why we all love this game is there's honour and respect. That kid had a blatant disregard for both.- Lightning head coach Jon Cooper on a hit by the Canadiens' Greg Pateryn on Tampa's Tyler Johnson
Johnson was given a shove by Greg Pateryn, lost his footing and fell into the boards. He did not return because of an upper body injury. Pateryn got a major and a game misconduct for boarding.
"The one thing about this game and why we all love this game is there's honour and respect," said Cooper. "That kid [Pateryn] had a blatant disregard for both.
"That was egregious, what happened, and there's no place for it. Hopefully [Johnson] is going to be OK. I'm not sure how this is going to end up or how hurt he is, I haven't been in the trainer's room. But those are season-ending, those could be career-ending the way that went down."
He said Johnson was not able to return to the game.
Montreal outshot Tampa Bay 29-22.
The game was short on star power, with Montreal goalie Carey Price, star defenceman P.K. Subban and others out with injuries. Tampa Bay was missing Stamkos, Victor Hedman, Ryan Callahan, Stralman and Nikita Kucherov.