The Florida Panthers scored three third period goals, including a game-tying score from Radek Dvorak with 1:38 to play, to force overtime at the Bell Centre in Montreal on Sunday afternoon. Defenseman Andrei Markov, one of four Montreal players voted to start in the All-Star game, scored the lone goal in a shootout helping lead the Canadiens to a 6-5 win.

The Panthers jumped out to a 2-0 lead in the first period thanks to goals from Brett McLean and David Booth, only to have Montreal come out in the second period and take over the game, scoring four goals -- including a pair in the first two minutes of the period -- while outshooting the Panthers by a 19-5 margin.

Florida rebounded in the final frame with goals from Dvorak (two) and Jassen Cullimore, sending the game to overtime. .

As long as we're on the subject of the Panthers, Greg Wyshnyski over at Puck Daddy passes along the report (from George Richards of the Miami Herald) that Brett McLean thinks Sidney Crosby is a liar, and that no challenge was ever issued prior to the drop of the puck in Saturday's game. So, basically, it's all coming down to a bunch of he said, she said. Moving on ...

Devils 4, Senators 3:Dainius Zubrus scored a pair of goals for New Jersey, while Brian Rolston scored the game-winner in overtime to help lead the Devils to a 4-3 win over Ottawa. The Senators held a 3-2 lead late in the third period, until Jamie Langenbrunner tied the game with his seventh goal of the season on a power play, forcing overtime. Nick Foligno, Brendan Bell and Chris Kelly provided the scoring for the Senators, while Alex Auld took the loss in net, turning aside 31-of-35 shots. The Devils have now won four of their past five games, while Ottawa has won just four its previous 14.

Lightning 4, Thrashers 1: Mike Smith's fantastic season continued on Sunday afternoon, as he stopped 27-of-28 shots in a 4-1 win in Atlanta. The Thrashers Erik Christensen ended Smith's shutout bid with just 22 seconds to play, scoring his second goal of the season. Martin St. Louis scored a pair of goals for the Lightning, while Steve Eminger and Ryan Malone also potted goals in the win. The victory lifts Tampa Bay out of the cellar in the Southeast Division, putting the Lighting one point ahead of Atlanta in the standings. Announced attendance: 10,750. Yikes.

Blackhawks 5, Flames 2:Nikolai Khabibulin made 32 saves for Chicago on Sunday, while the Blackhawks received five goals from five different players in their 5-2 win over the Calgary Flames. The Blackhawks are now 11-2-1 since the start of December, while the only team to beat them in that stretch has been the Detroit Red Wings. Patrick Kane sat out the game for Chicago with an ankle injury.

Wild 2, Avalanche 0: The Avalanche dropped a 2-0 decision at home on Sunday night, losing their third straight game while scoring only two goals in the process. Niklas Backstrom stopped all 33 shots the Avs threw his way, while Owen Nolan scored both goals for the Wild. The 36-year old Nolan now has nine goals on the season, including four in his past three games.

Ducks 2, Coyotes 0: Playing in their first game withoutCorey Perry, the Ducks pulled out a 2-0 win over visiting Phoenix, thanks to a 2-for-4 effort from their power play unit. Chris Pronger and Bobby Ryan each tallied power play goals in the win, while Jonas Hiller stopped 29 shots for his third shutout of the season.

Stars 3, Canucks 2: Dallas overcame a 2-0 deficit in Vancouver on Sunday night, while James Neal capped off an exciting shootout to give the Stars a 3-2 win. Marty Turco rebounded from a rough start on Saturday night by stopping 33 shots through overtime, and then making three saves in the shootout. Kyle Wellwood and Darcy Hordichuk scored for Vancouver, while Mike Modano and Mike Ribeiro added goals for Dallas. Jason LaBarbera picked up his second win as member of the Canucks, making 34 saves.

Newsmakers in the NHL: Montreal Beats Florida, Brett McLean Thinks Crosby Is Lying originally appeared on NHL FanHouse on Mon, 05 Jan 2009 01:30:00 EST . Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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