Demidov Lifts Canadiens Past Senators in Tight 3–2 Win
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By Nemanja Petković
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Summary:
- The Montreal Canadiens defeated the Ottawa Senators 3-2 last night.
- Ivan Demidov scored the game-winning goal with just over seven minutes left and added an assist.
- Drake Batherson scored both goals for Ottawa, while Tim Stützle extended his point streak to 14 games.
The Montreal Canadiens picked up another hard-fought win on Wednesday night in the NHL, edging the Ottawa Senators 3-2 thanks to a late goal from Ivan Demidov.
Good Night for Demidov
The 20-year-old ended a glorious night with one goal and one assist, delivering the decisive moment in the game with just 7:20 left in the third period. Demidov jumped on a rebound from Alex Newhook and slipped the puck past Ottawa goaltender Linus Ullmark to give Montreal the lead for good.
Ullmark made 20 saves in the game but could not stop Demidov’s quick follow-up.
Juraj Slafkovsky and Alexandre Texier also scored for Montreal, while goaltender Jacob Fowler turned aside 32 shots to earn the victory.
The Canadiens, who improved to 36-18-10 with their latest win, had arrived in the game with momentum after beating the Toronto Maple Leafs 3-1 the night before.
Ottawa, now 32-23-9, was led by Drake Batherson, who scored both of the Senators’ goals.
Action Unfolded
Montreal opened the scoring early. Just 1:16 into the game, Slafkovsky finished a pass from Demidov on the power play to give the Canadiens the lead.
Ottawa answered later in the period with a power-play goal of its own. At 16:45, Brady Tkachuk fired a shot toward the net that deflected off Batherson and past Fowler to tie the game.
Batherson struck again near the end of the period. With 1:19 remaining, he tipped a shot from close range to put the Senators ahead 2-1 after the opening 20 minutes.
Ottawa also saw another milestone from one of its stars. With assists on both Batherson goals Tim Stützle recorded his 100th career multi-point game and extended his point streak to 14 games (eight goals, 11 assists).
Montreal eventually pulled even thanks to a chaotic sequence. Slafkovsky first hit the post with a shot that nearly tied the game.
The final minutes were tense, as, with less than a minute remaining, Fowler made a huge save on Claude Giroux to protect the lead and seal the win.
Another small milestone came for Montreal as well. Jake Evans played in his 400th NHL game and extended his point streak to five games with three goals and three assists during that stretch.
Both teams will return to action on Saturday with odds available at selected bookmakers, when Ottawa will host the Anaheim Ducks, and Montreal will welcome the San Jose Sharks.
