Montembeault Shines as Canadiens Secure 3-0 Win Against Oilers
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By Doug Hirdle
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Summary:
- Sam Montembeault stopped 30 shots, leading the Montreal Canadiens to a 3-0 victory over the Edmonton Oilers.
- Montembeault’s strong game followed a 48-save performance in the season opener against Toronto.
- The Canadiens will face the Vegas Golden Knights on Saturday; the Oilers will conclude their road trip against the Ottawa Senators on Tuesday.
Sam Montembeault put on an outstanding performance on Monday night when he stopped 30 shots and helped the Montreal Canadiens secure a 3-0 victory against the Edmonton Oilers.
The shutout was the 28-year-old’s second of the season, building on his impressive 48-save performance against Toronto in the season opener.
Edmonton-born Brendan Gallagher (32), Sherwood Park native Kaiden Guhle (22), and Torontonian Jake Evans (22) took care of the scoring for Montreal (7-10-2).
The Canadiens matched their longest winning streak of the season with their second straight victory.
On Edmonton’s side, 32-year-old Calvin Pickard of Moncton managed 23 saves. However, his performance did not suffice to stop the Oilers (9-8-2) from dropping their second consecutive game.
They had previously lost 4-3 in overtime to Toronto on Saturday.
Gallagher Opened the Scoring
The Canadiens broke the deadlock late in the second period when Gallagher redirected a sharp pass from Pointe-Claire-born Mike Matheson (30) into the top right corner of the net. This happened with just 31 seconds left before intermission.
Gallagher nearly added another goal moments later, but Pickard came up with a crucial pad save on a shot from the slot set up by 28-year-old Christian Dvorak who joined the team in 2021.
Montreal extended their lead early in the third period. At 5:52, Guhle capitalized on a smooth passing sequence involving 23-year-old Cole Caufield the Canadiens’s first-round pick and 15th overall in the 2019 NHL entry draft, and Evans, slipping a shot past Pickard on the short side to make it 2-0.
With just under five minutes left, Edmonton pulled Pickard for an extra skater, but Montreal sealed the win when Evans scored into the empty net with 3:08 remaining.
Power-Play Chances and Struggles
Montreal had a strong defensive effort in the third period, outshooting Edmonton 11-9 and successfully killing off all three of the Oilers’ power-play chances.
Despite Edmonton’s offensive talent, their power-play struggles have continued, placing them in the lower third of the league this season.
Edmonton was missing a key piece on the blue line as defenceman Darnell Nurse (29) was sidelined.
Head coach Kris Knoblauch announced that Nurse would be out for five to ten days following a hit to the head from Toronto’s Ryan Reaves during Saturday’s game.
Next in line, Edmonton will conclude their Eastern Canada road swing with a game against the Ottawa Senators on Tuesday.
The Canadiens are getting ready to host the Vegas Golden Knights on Saturday, will they extend their winning streak? Get the best odds with selected NHL sportsbooks for Canadians.
