About Last Night: The Canadiens have found a new energy line

Rafaël Harvey-Pinard, Michael Pezzetta and Alex Belzile combined for three goals and seven points in Montreal's 4-3 OT loss to the Red Wings.

The Detroit Red Wings spoiled Jake Allen’s return to action in a 4-3 overtime loss for the Montreal Canadiens Thursday night at the Bell Centre.

Allen made 38 saves in his first game back after missing eight with an upper-body injury. Rafaël Harvey-Pinard scored twice and added an assist, while his linemates on Montreal’s newfound energy line, Michael Pezzetta and Alex Belzile, each had two points.

The Habs once again rolled 11 forwards and seven defencemen, with Chris Wideman replacing Johnathan Kovacevic. The team lost Joel Edmundson early in the game due to a lower-body injury, and he did not return.

It was tied 1-1 after the first. Michael Rasmussen opened the scoring by entering the offensive zone on a solo effort and the beating Allen glove side.

Then Pezzetta got Montreal on the board after former Hab Ben Chiarot failed to clear the zone.

Christian Dvorak also left for the dressing room in the first and wasn’t on the bench to start the second, but he would return later on. On the opening draw of the second, Kirby Dach and Andrew Copp dropped the gloves, and it wasn’t even close.

Jonathan Berggren on the doorstep kicked off a four-goal second period with a power play goal.

Then it was Harvey-Pinard with a short-handed goal on a saucer pass from Dach. Wings coach Derek Lalonde was livid because a high-stick on the draw by Mike Matheson on Lucas Raymond led to the play down the ice, but it occurred on Matheson’s follow through.

The Wings kept getting bodies to the net and it paid off with Oskar Sundqvist getting a piece of Dominik Kubalik’s shot in front. It could’ve been considered goalie interference, but Martin St. Louis elected not to challenge, and it didn’t appear conclusive on the replay.

Harvey-Pinard ended an exciting second period with a backhand shot under the bar and in to tie it up 3-3. He’s the first Hab to score four goals in his first nine games since Brendan Gallagher.

Montreal had a chance to take the lead late when Rasmussen went to the box for high-sticking with 1:04 left in regulation, but they failed to capitalize on the power play.

In overtime, Rem Pitlick was stopped on a breakaway by Ville Husso, only to have Detroit take the puck the other way. Moritz Seider got the puck to Rasmussen, who sent the puck across to Robby Fabbri in front for the tap-in winner.

Like the game against the Bruins on Tuesday, this was another feel-good loss for the Liveblog commenters, if you can call it that. Despite the injuries, the Habs aren’t folding early like they did during their holiday losing streak. These dog days of winter games could always use a jolt, and commenters found it in the goaltending and the new fourth line of Harvey-Pinard, Belzile and Pezzetta. Harvey-Pinard even got a shift in overtime on the power play and nearly scored his hat trick if not for a glove save by Husso.

If the injured veterans start to come back, the commenters would like to see the call-ups get rewarded with more time on the big club.

3. “Certainly can’t complain about the goaltending. Another game where the Habs are in it with the shots being 2 – 1.” -Ballen Munson

2. “… And THAT’S why I subscribe to the Rocket games! Dirt cheap and so much fun to see how the kids are doing. They’re not even necessarily our “best” prospects, but still fun to see some of them get a chance. Kent let a lot of our best Rocket players go last year … basically everyone whose contract was expiring. Jesse is up with the Habs, not because he was Laval’s best player, but because Kent needs to make a decision on whether we’re keeping him or letting him go. What does everyone think? Are we keeping him?” -Carin Latzel

1. “Will someone please destroy those ugly blue jerseys.” -Dennis Graf {"_id":"","type":"raw_html","shortcode_tag":"related_links","shortcode":"[related_links \/]","content":"