Chicago,  IL  (SportsNetwork.com) -  Peter Budaj  misplayed a harmless Patrick 
Sharp  shot and turned it into the game  winner at  43 seconds of  overtime, giving the Chicago 
Blackhawks  a  come-from-behind 3-2 victory  against the Montreal Canadiens at 
United Center. 

Marian  Hossa  tied the game inside  the final minute with the extra attacker, 
then  Sharp  won it when his  contested, rolling shot from between the circles 
rolled  up Budaj's stick. Instead of trapping it, the Habs' netminder tried to 
shake it away, and the puck was propelled backwards and over the line. 

"I  think we were  due. It was the first time all season we managed to get one 
in  overtime," said Blackhawks head  coach Joel  Quenneville, about  his club 
failing to score in 22 overtime periods prior to Wednesday. "To take this long 
to get it is certainly a relief and a huge two points." 

Jeremy  Morin  also tallied and  Corey Crawford came up  with 28 saves for the 
Blackhawks, who moved two points back of idle Colorado for second place in the 
Central Division. 

Dale Weise and Francis Bouillon scored for the Canadiens, while Budaj took the 
loss  despite 25  stops. Montreal moved three  points up on idle Tampa Bay for 
second in the Atlantic, but the two clubs are assured a first-round matchup. 

"We  were  in a  position to  get two  points, but  I really  liked the way we 
played,"  Montreal head coach Michel Therrien said. "On the last two goals, it 
was  some  bad coverage in  front of the  net. I'm sure  on the last goal, the 
winning  goal, [Budaj]  certainly would like to see that shot again, but those 
things  happen.  This is not an  easy place to  play, but our effort was there 
again." 

The  first  40 minutes  passed without  a goal. Crawford  stopped 23 shots and 
Budaj was equal to 17. 

Montreal snapped the scoreless deadlock as Weise was open on the right side to 
tap  in  a bouncing  puck off  a shot  from Josh  Gorges at  7:31 of the third 
period. 

Chicago  fought back to tie with 9:26 left in regulation on Morin's quick shot 
from the right circle. 

Bouillon's  point  drive, from a  left-circle faceoff win by David Desharnais, 
eluded Crawford only 22 seconds later and the Habs led 2-1. 

Chicago  went with an  extra skater as the clock ticked down to a minute left, 
and  Hossa was inside  the crease when he redirected a centering feed by Sharp 
with 47.7 seconds to play. 

"I  like  that responsibility he's shown,"  Quenneville said of Sharp, who has 
been  leaned  on in the  absence of captain  Jonathan Toews and fellow forward 
Patrick  Kane.  "I thought in a  game like this, he  took charge at the end. I 
think he's stepped up to the plate here and responded in the right fashion." 

Crawford  then made  a  diving stop  to  his right  on a  hard  shot from  Max 
Pacioretty ticketed for the near post to keep the tie intact. 

                                   Game Notes 

The Blackhawks improved to 3-0-2 in the last five meetings with the Canadiens 
since October of 2009 ... Chicago begins a season-ending two-game road trip at 
Washington  on Friday, while Montreal hosts the Islanders on Thursday ... Habs 
forward Alex Galchenyuk did not return after the first intermission, diagnosed 
with  a lower-body  injury ... Canadiens defenseman Ryan White suffered a hand 
injury and did not return following the second intermission.