Game 26: Canadiens 2, Kings 1 (FINAL)

It’s Saturday afternoon hockey at Staples Center, with the Kings hosting the Montreal Canadiens. All the action is on Fox Sports West — plus CBC, for our Canadian friends — and 1150-AM and affiliates, and all of the game updates will be here as well…

THIRD PERIOD
In goal: It’s still Bernier vs. Price.
End of game: Shots were even, 27-27, and the Kings have now scored two or fewer goals in five consecutive games.

SECOND PERIOD
In goal: It’s still Bernier vs. Price.
Canadiens 2, Kings 0: Montreal took a two-goal lead with 9:12 remaining in the second period. Matt Greene attempted to play the puck at the offensive blue line but fell, and the Canadiens started a break. Louis Leblanc pulled up at the Kings’ blue line, then passed to Andrei Kostitsyn. Two quick tap passes, from Kostitsyn to Lars Eller, then back, led to a one-time shot by Kostitsyn and a goal.
Canadiens 2, Kings 1: The Kings pulled within one goal with Dustin Penner’s power-play goal, his first goal of the season, with 6:14 remaining in the second period. Drew Doughty shot from the blue line and Penner, parked in front of the Montreal net, knocked the puck in from close range. Trent Hunter also got an assist.
End of period: The Kings were outshot 13-7 in the period but did manage to pull back within one goal and will be on the power play for the first 23 seconds of the third period.

FIRST PERIOD
In goal: It’s the Kings’ Jonathan Bernier against the Canadiens’ Carey Price.
Canadiens 1, Kings 0: The Kings had five-plus minutes of power-play time early in the period and didn’t score, but the Canadiens scored on their first power play of the game. Bernier saved a point shot but allowed a long rebound, and Tomas Plekanec picked it up near the top of the left circle and beat Bernier with a wrist shot. Andrei Kostitsyn and Yannick Weber got assists as the Canadiens took a 1-0 lead with 1:21 remaining in the period.
End of period: The Kings outshot the Canadiens 14-5 and spent more than a quarter of the period on the power play but did not score.