MONTREAL, Qc. - Tomas Plekanec lit the lamp late for the Canadiens, who took and held a 3-1 decision over the Vancouver Canucks Tuesday night.
It was an occasion first somber, then joyous, as the team paid tribute to their former captain, Jean Beliveau, who died this week at the age of 83.
Plekanec would give the game-winning puck to Madame Elise Beliveau, the great center's widow, who was in attendance as her husband was honored.
A puck that, minutes before, Plekanec would fire top shelf on Vancouver's Ryan Miller after a development in the neutral zone.
Jiri Sekac and would dart a quick pass in that space to Sven Andrighetto along the far boards in the Canucks zone as the right-winger skated towards Miller.
He would flick a pass over to Plekanec in stride, who streaked through the attacking zone after splitting two defenders and shot good from close range.
It would break a stubborn 1-1 tie that held for most of the final session.
Montreal (18-10-2) returned to the Bell Centre after a wobbly four-game road trip, coming up with a 1-3 record in that time. The Canucks concluded a seven-game road campaign in defeat, returning to Canada's west coast with a 3-3-1 record in that stretch.
After a scoreless opening session, Brendan Gallagher would put the Canadiens on the board, assisted by Max Pacioretty and Tom Gilbert.
Gilbert brought the puck up the boards and dished across the ice to Gallagher, who flung a snap shot over Miller's right shoulder at 6:56.
Montreal had outshot Vancouver 7-0 up to that time in the second, and still held an 8-1 advantage halfway through that period.
But Derek Dorsett would answer for Vancouver (18-9-2) with a man down, cashing in on the Canucks' 6th-best penalty killing group, the only positive mark for the visitors on the evening.
Brad Richardson was sitting two minutes after giving a high stick to Brendan Gallagher, but it would be Dorsett, taking a puck that deflected off the skate of Plekanec deep in the Montreal zone, and firing from the left circle past Carey Price to produce the 1-1 stalemate.
Carey Price saved 15-of-16 shots he faced in net for the Canadiens. He kept the home side from an early deficit, launching himself post-to-post 90 seconds into the contest to stop a quick shot from Canucks center Nick Bonino.
The Habs fired 13 shots on Miller to the Canucks' 5 against Price in the second, and finished the night with a 25-16 shooting advantage. Ryan Miller stopped 22-of-24 for Vancouver.
Max Pacioretty nearly gave the Habs a lead in the middle frame when a sudden 2-on-1 chance developed the right circle, but his wrister clanged off the right post.
He added an empty-netter for his 13th goal this season with 1 second left.
Former Canadiens captain Jean Beliveau was honored in a fifteen minute ceremony before the puck drop Tuesday night.
"It was a little bit emotional before the game," Pacioretty said afterwards. "But I'm glad to be part of this night, and I'm glad we got her (Mrs. Beliveau) a victory."
Beliveau starred for the Habs from 1950 to 1971, winning 10 Stanley Cups, including a stretch from 1956-1960 of five straight titles. He added seven more as an executive, notching 17 Cups to his name, the most of any man in hockey.
Images of his life and hockey career were projected onto the ice for several minutes, followed by a moment of silence. A video tribute was shown as both teams took the ice.
A spotlight was shone on his wife, Elise, and daughter, Helene, to a long standing ovation as they both wept.
The seat beside Madame Beliveau was left open, with Beliveau's number 4 draped over it. The seat, three rows behind the Canadiens bench, was occupied by Beliveau nearly every home game when he served as the team's vice president and public relations director following his retirement as player.
The Canadiens honored their legend and friend the way he had for so many years, in convincing victory.
"We played one of our best games tonight," Habs coach Michel Therrien said of the occasion. "It gave me great satisfaction ending this slump after the commemoration."
Beliveau will be given a public funeral mass Wednesday at Montreal's Mary Queen of the World Cathedral, seat of that city's Archdiocese, two blocks from the Canadiens' home arena.
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