Canadiens Edge Penguins 2-1 in Pre-Season Shootout
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By Nemanja Petković
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Summary:
- The Montreal Canadiens defeated the Pittsburgh Penguins 2-1 in the pre-season opener.
- Owen Beck tied the game early in the third while Oliver Kapanen scored the deciding shootout goal in the fifth.
- Goaltenders on both sides stood tall.
The Montreal Canadiens began their NHL pre-season Monday night with an energetic game against the Pittsburgh Penguins that ultimately required a shootout. Oliver Kapanen sealed the 2-1 win in the fifth round.
Things didn’t look good for Montreal at the start of the game following Pittsburgh’s Tristan Broz capitalization of a power play that put his side ahead at 10:26 just past the first period’s midway point. The Penguins held on to the slim lead for more than a period, relying on their strong goaltending skills and disciplined defensive players.
Montreal eventually broke through in the third, when Owen Beck struck at 2:36 and brought the crowd at the Bell Centre to life. His goal evened things up and set the stage for an intense final stretch that carried into overtime and the shootout.
Tempers also flared along the way. Midway through the second period, Canadiens forward Jared Davidson dropped the gloves with Sam Poulin in a spirited bout, a moment that seemed to spark Montreal’s bench and fans alike.
Top Performance From Goaltenders
Both teams leaned heavily on their netminders, with Montreal starter Sam Montembeault turning aside 20 of 21 shots before giving way to Jacob Fowler midway through the second. Fowler was perfect through regulation and overtime, stopping 13 shots, and later held firm in the shootout by denying four of five attempts.
On the other side, Pittsburgh’s Joel Blomqvist was flawless through 30 minutes, managing to stop all 11 shots he faced, followed by Sergei Murashov, who took over and handled 19 of 20, keeping the Penguins in the contest until Oliver Kapanen’s deciding tally in the shootout.
The Canadiens had the upper hand in the physical game, registering 32 hits to Pittsburgh’s 23 and getting in the way of 22 shots compared to the Penguins’ 18. Special teams, however, told a different story, as Montreal went 0-for-5 on the power play, while Pittsburgh managed to convert one of their four chances.
With the pre-season now underway, both teams quickly turn the page. The Penguins will head to Columbus to face the Blue Jackets on Wednesday, while the Canadiens stay home to take on the Philadelphia Flyers on Tuesday night.
