HABS COME FROM BEHIND BUT LOSE IN THE SHOOTOUT

(27-20-4) Anaheim Ducks 4-3 Montreal Canadiens (27-17-5)
                                         Final SO

Last night in Montreal, it was a memorable night for Saku Koivu, as he made his return to Montreal. The players from both teams left the ice at the start of the game so Koivu can enjoy his standing ovation with the fans. He raised his stick high over his head. You could see the emotion in his face. He was happy to be back."For some reason I was so nervous before the game that physically I didn't feel well," Koivu said. "But I got my legs going as the game went on.It was maybe the toughest game I've ever played." Koivu was the second longest captain in team history with 9 years. It was good that he got that standing ovation.

But there was a game to be played and it was a good one. It was a faced past game to start and the Ducks got the first goal on the powerplay from Fowler (his 4th) to make it 1-0 after 1. Then in the second, Koivu took a 2 minute penalty for interference, so the Habs went on the powerplay. Paciorety would score from the side of the net to tie the game. But 5 minutes after that Ryan would give the Ducks the lead on a rebound shot that beat Carey Price. Then in the final minute of the second with the Ducks on the powerplay, Koivu's shot was stopped but  Perry would put home the rebound to make it 3-1 after 2.


But in the third with under 7 minutes to go, Darche would score to cut the lead to 1. Then with 15 seconds to play Paciorety would tie the game on a rebound on the powerplay with Koivu in the box once again. So were off to overtime. Overtime solved nothing so were off to a shootout. There was only one goal in the shootout and that goal came from Perry as the Ducks won this game in Koivu's return.

Koivu was given his second standing ovation of the game when he was voted second star by the fans."It didn't go the way we planned with the late goal and getting called for three penalties, but the reaction I got from the fans -- there's no words to describe how I felt at the end," Koivu said. "I'll remember that the rest of my life."

Shootout
Benoit Pouliot	MTL	Save
Corey Perry	ANA	Save
Andrei Kostitsyn	MTL	Save
Bobby Ryan	ANA	Goal
Brian Gionta	MTL	Miss

Written By Andrew Di Pardo