Suzuki has 2 objectives, help, Primeau makes 13 saves for Montreal
Recap: Anaheim Geese @ Montreal Canadiens 2.13.24
MONTREAL — Juraj Slafkovsky had a objective and two assists for his first three-point recreation within the NHL, and the Montreal Canadiens defeated the Anaheim Geese 5-0 at Bell Centre on Tuesday.
Slafkovsky, the No. 1 decide within the 2022 NHL Draft, was taking part in in his 92nd profession recreation and had his father watching from the stands.
“It’s nice that he’s right here and he received to see this,” Slafkovsky stated. “I simply can’t wait to see him and speak to him.”
ANA@MTL: Slafkovsky fires in PPG to increase the lead
Nick Suzuki had two objectives and an help, and Cayden Primeau made 13 saves for his first NHL shutout for the Canadiens (22-23-8), who had been 2-5-1 of their earlier eight video games.
It was Primeau’s twenty eighth profession begin, and first since Jan. 18.
“The blokes performed so nicely tonight, I needed to get that shutout for them,” Primeau stated.
ANA@MTL: Primeau tallies first profession shutout
Lukas Dostal made 33 saves for the Geese (18-32-2), who misplaced their second recreation in a row after successful three of 4.
“They had been the sooner staff,” Anaheim defenseman Cam Fowler stated. “They put us on our heels all night time. We took penalties, gave them odd-man rushes, all of the issues you can’t do towards a staff that has some high-end talent and a few quickness. Credit score to them, they did an important job, however we made issues rather a lot tougher on ourselves than we would have liked to.”
Geese defenseman Pavel Mintyukov performed 16:03 and completed minus-2 with one shot on objective in his first recreation since Jan. 9. The 20-year-old rookie, who was chosen No. 10 within the 2022 NHL Draft, missed 11 video games with a separated shoulder.
Jake Evans gave Montreal a 1-0 lead at 1:43 of the second interval along with his first objective since Dec. 10 (24 video games), a backhand over Dostal’s proper pad.
Suzuki made it 2-0 at 9:37, driving to the web to redirect in Slafkovsky’s move from the left facet previous Dostal. He prolonged his objective streak to 4 video games and his level streak to eight (seven objectives, seven assists).
“I believe they did an excellent job of breaking pucks out,” Fowler stated. “You must give credit score to them, they performed an important recreation and so they had been clearly upset about what occurred the sport earlier than (a 7-2 loss to the St. Louis Blues on Sunday), and so they confirmed it.”
Suzuki pushed it to 3-0 at 17:00 with a power-play objective, one-timing Slafkovsky’s cross-ice move from the left face-off circle.
“Stunning passes. Didn’t actually must do an excessive amount of on them,” Suzuki stated.
ANA@MTL: Suzuki snaps it house for PPG
Slafkovsky prolonged it to 4-0 on the ability play at 7:26 of the third, scoring from the correct circle off Suzuki’s move from the left facet of the web.
“He’s a menace all over the place on the ice,” Canadiens ahead Cole Caufield stated about Slafkovsky. “He’s transferring the puck, he’s skating, he’s defending the puck. It’s enjoyable to observe.”
Brandon Gignac scored his first NHL objective to make it 5-0 at 17:15. He shot over Dostal’s blocker off a move from Kaiden Guhle on a 2-on-0.
“It wasn’t the best night time, however clearly as a goaltender, you’ve received to be ready for the whole lot,” Dostal stated. “I felt the 5 objectives. I most likely didn’t assist the staff a lot and I’ve received to have a look at the video and simply see what I can do higher subsequent time.”
NOTES: Geese ahead Mason McTavish was minus-one in 15:24 of ice time after sustaining an upper-body damage throughout Anaheim’s 5-3 loss to the Edmonton Oilers on Friday. … Suzuki and Cole Caufield (11-game level streak from Jan. 11-Feb. 10) are the primary Canadiens teammates to every have some extent streak of at the least eight video games in a season since 1995-96, when Vincent Damphousse had a 10-game streak, and Martin Rucinsky, Benoit Brunet, Mark Recchi (twice) and Pierre Turgeon every had an eight-game level streak. … Slafkovsky, 19, who prolonged his level streak to 6 video games (5 objectives, 4 assists), which is tied for the longest by a young person in Canadiens historical past. Doug Wickenheiser had a six-game level streak in 1980-81. Slafkovsky is the tenth teenager to have a three-point recreation for Montreal, and the primary since Alex Galchenyuk on Nov. 10, 2013.