Rookie shines in Habs win over Cup champs

Montreal 2, Detroit 1

DAVE STUBBS, CANWEST NEWS SERVICE

PUBLISHED: TUESDAY, SEPTEMBER 30, 2008

MONTREAL - Conventional wisdom has Montreal Canadiens rookie left-winger Max Pacioretty starting the season on the farm in Hamilton.

But there seems little doubt that this impressive, popular bulldog will be one quick phone call from joining the NHL club.

Pacioretty, 19, scored two nifty backhand goals, one in the second period and another in the shootout, and earned the game's first star in lifting the Canadiens to a 2-1 pre-season win over the Detroit Red Wings Tuesday night at the Bell Centre.

Montreal improved to 5-2-0 in the pre-season, with their final two exhibition games at home Wednesday against Boston and Saturday against Minnesota.

Goaltender Carey Price was brilliant in his second consecutive shootout victory, his 28 saves including a couple of dazzling stops late in the game and in overtime, then two more in the shootout.