MONTREAL — Determined to snap a six-game losing skid, the Montreal Canadiens fought tooth and nail during an intense third period to earn a 5-4 win against the St. Louis Blue on Saturday.
The Habs and Blues scored five goals in the final frame but Josh Anderson netted the game winner by tapping in a backhand from Jonathan Drouin past the goal line at 11:30.
The Blues (19-18-3) only managed to get one shot on net after Anderson’s goal while Montreal (16-21-3) blocked six shots, including five in the final two minutes, to hold on for the win.
“I think it’s the Saturday night energy,” said Habs coach Martin St. Louis. “You knew there would be energy in the building tonight and we built our game as it went on.
“Our special teams were good tonight and as the game went on, the guys knew we were playing well, and when you’re in the game in the third it’s easier to have passion.”
“It shows a lot of resilience on our side,” Drouin added. “We knew we were going to get chances with the way we were playing this whole game and it was huge to get that tying goal from Joel and another one after.”
Joel Armia scored two goals. Kirby Dach and Cole Caufield also scored. Jake Allen made 18 saves and allowed four goals as he swept the season series against his former team.
After being a healthy scratched in Montreal’s 6-3 loss to the Nashville Predators on Jan. 3, Armia has scored in consecutive games.
“I don’t feel like I played that well,” said Armia of his play before getting scratched. “You just need to sometimes look in the mirror and demand better, better of yourself.”
“I had many discussions (with Armia) since the start of the season but they can only bring him so far,” said St. Louis. “He needs to reflect and get himself out of it. I’m happy for Army.”
The Blues were helped by their fourth line. Alexey Torpochenko scored while Nikita Alexandrov netted his first NHL goal. Brandon Saad and Pavel Buchnevic added goals.
Jordan Binnington gave up five goals and made 22 saves.
“We just lost coverage around our net on a couple of plays. One play, we don’t get it out of the blue line and it comes back at us,” said Blues coach Craig Berube. “Mistakes, too many penalties. Eight minutes in penalties tonight.”
Christian Dvorak tried to rekindle the magic from the last Canadiens-Blues encounter, where he recorded a hat trick in a 7-4 win. Late in the first period, Dvorak found his way between Blues defencemen Calle Rosen and Justin Faulk but Binnington denied the centre’s effort to score the first goal.
Seconds later, the Blues broke the ice on the counter attack. Brayden Schenn passed over to Saad on a two-on-one down the ice giving the visitors a 1-0 lead by the first intermission.
Armia levelled the score for Montreal in the second period. The winger made Jack Neighbours fall by spinning and winding up a wrist shot that beat Binnington.
St. Louis regained their lead when former Hab Tyler Pitlick found Torpochenko, who scored his second goal of the campaign.
Montreal had a golden opportunity to tie the game at 2-2 after Ivan Barbachev took a four-minute high-sticking call. After three minutes of sustained pressure, it seemed as though the Blues would escape from their lengthy penalty but Dach equalized from the high slot.
“It’s definitely something we’ve all been working on,” Drouin said. “If you’re not scoring on the power play, at least you want to be generating chances and making the other team work for their PK and I thought we did that tonight. There’s a lot of good movements, a lot of shots coming from a lot of areas and it’s just great to capitalize on one.”
The Canadiens took their first lead of the game 36 seconds into the third period. Nick Suzuki sent a high pass for Caufield from behind the net and the winger surprised Binnington for his 23rd goal of the season.
The Blues tied the game less than two minutes later when Alexandrov hopped on Allen’s rebound to score his first NHL goal.
St. Louis made it a 4-3 game on the power play after former Blue Joel Edmundsson’s weak clearance ended up on Buchnevic’s stick in the slot.
The Habs tied the game yet again when Jake Evans hit the post but Armia grabbed the rebound and netted his second of the night.
The Canadiens took their second lead of the game when Drouin’s backhand slid under Binnington and Anderson tapped the puck past the goal line.
“It’s huge for us,” said David Savard. “It was a tough month, we were going on a tough stretch right now and to finally get a win at home, it doesn’t matter how you get it.
“There was a lot of momentum swinging in that game and we handled it pretty well. We kept forechecking, creating stuff and we finally get a win at home.”
NOTES
Blues defenceman Robert Bortuzzo suffered a lower-body injury in the first period and did not return to the game.
DEFENCEMEN REACH MILESTONES
Canadiens defenceman David Savard skated in his 700th NHL game. The Ste. Hyacithe, Que., native split his 12-year NHL career between the Canadiens, Columbus Blue Jackets and Tampa Bay Lightning and collected 191 points (45 goals, 146 assists) along the way.
On the other side of the ice, Blues defenceman Justin Faulk laced up his skates for an 800th NHL game. The 33-year-old also played 12 seasons in the NHL with the Blues and the Carolina Hurricanes totalling 368 points (119 goals, 249 assists).
UP NEXT
The Canadiens end their three-game homestand by hosting the Seattle Kraken on Monday.
The Blues cap off back-to-back road games in Minnesota against the Wild on Sunday.
This report by The Canadian Press was first published Jan. 7, 2023.
TORONTO – Reigning PWHL MVP and scoring champ Natalie Spooner will miss the start of the regular season for the Toronto Sceptres, general manager Gina Kingsbury announced Tuesday on the first day of training camp.
The 33-year-old Spooner had knee surgery on her left anterior cruciate ligament (ACL) after she was checked into the boards by Minnesota’s Grace Zumwinkle in Game 3 of their best-of-five semifinal series on May 13.
She had a goal and an assist in three playoff games but did not finish the series. Toronto was up 2-1 in the semifinal at that time and eventually fell 3-2 in the series.
Spooner led the PWHL with 27 points in 24 games. Her 20 goals, including five game-winners, were nine more than the closest skater.
Kingsbury said there is no timeline, as the team wants the Toronto native at 100 per cent, but added that “she is doing really well” in her recovery.
The Sceptres open the PWHL season on Nov. 30 when they host the Boston Fleet.
This report by The Canadian Press was first published Nov. 12, 2024.
LAHORE, Pakistan (AP) — A top official of the Pakistan Cricket Board declined Friday to confirm media reports that India has decided against playing any games in host Pakistan during next year’s Champions Trophy.
“My view is if there’s any problems, they (India) should tell us in writing,” PCB chairman Mohsin Naqvi told reporters in Lahore. “I’ll share that with the media as well as with the government as soon as I get such a letter.”
Indian media reported Friday that the Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI) has communicated its concerns to all the Champions Trophy stakeholders, including the PCB, over the Feb. 19-March 9 tournament and would not play in arch-rival Pakistan.
The Times of India said that “Dubai is a strong candidate to host the fixtures involving the Men in Blue” for the 50-over tournament.
Such a solution would see Pakistan having to travel to a neutral venue to play India in a group match, with another potential meeting later in the tournament if both teams advanced from their group. The final is scheduled for March 9 in Pakistan with the specific venue not yet decided.
“Our stance is clear,” Naqvi said. “They need to give us in writing any objections they may have. Until now, no discussion of the hybrid model has happened, nor are we prepared to accept one.”
Political tensions have stopped bilateral cricket between the two nations since 2008 and they have competed in only multi-nation tournaments, including ICC World Cups.
“Cricket should be free of politics,” Naqvi said. “Any sport should not be entangled with politics. Our preparations for the Champions Trophy will continue unabated, and this will be a successful event.”
The PCB has already spent millions of dollars on the upgrade of stadiums in Karachi, Lahore and Rawalpindi which are due to host 15 Champions Trophy games. Naqvi hoped all the three stadiums will be ready over the next two months.
“Almost every country wants the Champions Trophy to be played here (in Pakistan),” Naqvi said. “I don’t think anyone should make this a political matter, and I don’t expect they will. I expect the tournament will be held at the home of the official hosts.”
Eight countries – Pakistan, India, Bangladesh, England, Australia, South Africa, New Zealand and Afghanistan – are due to compete in the tournament, the schedule of which is yet to be announced by the International Cricket Council.
“Normally the ICC announces the schedule of any major tournament 100 days before the event, and I hope they will announce it very soon,” Naqvi said.
RIYADH, Saudi Arabia – Ottawa‘s Gabriela Dabrowski and Erin Routliffe of New Zealand are through to the doubles final at the WTA Finals after a 7-6 (7), 6-1 victory over Nicole Melichar-Martinez of the United States and Australia’s Ellen Perez in semifinal action Friday.
Dabrowski and Routliffe won a hard-fought first set against serve when Routliffe’s quick reaction at the net to defend a Perez shot gave the duo set point, causing Perez to throw down her racket in frustration.
The second seeds then cruised through the second set, winning match point on serve when Melichar-Martinez couldn’t handle Routliffe’s shot.
The showdown was a rematch of last year’s semifinal, which Melichar-Martinez and Perez won in a super tiebreak.
Dabrowski and Routliffe will face the winner of a match between Katerina Siniakova and Taylor Townsend, and Hao-Ching Chan and Veronika Kudermetova in the final on Saturday.
Dabrowski is aiming to become the first Canadian to win a WTA Finals title.
This report by The Canadian Press was first published Nov. 8, 2024.
