The Montreal Canadiens needed a win to avenge a blowout loss on Tuesday and prevent a four-game winless streak from extending another game. The Canadiens picked up a 5-2 victory over the St. Louis Blues on Saturday thanks to a team effort.
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Montreal got goals from five players, and Sam Montembeaul returned to form with 29 saves. Despite blowing a 2-0 lead, the league’s second-youngest team rallied and stayed composed to roar back with three unanswered goals to secure their third win.
Related: Canadiens: Dach Attack Finally Back
A Night of First Goals
The Canadiens would never get out of the basement of the Atlantic Division with just Cole Caufield and Nick Suzuki carrying the offense. Even though Caufield got his team-leading seventh goal, it wasn’t the lamplighter the team needed to get back into the game; the tally was instead the cherry on top.
Instead, the superstars took a backseat to a handful of skaters who desperately needed to get in the goal column. Jake Evans, Kirby Dach, and Joel Armia collected their first goals to spread out the Canadiens attack for the first time in a while.
Additionally, Montreal picked up their first Saturday night win in almost a full calendar year, last defeating the New York Rangers on Jan. 6.
Considering this contest with the Blues is just the first of a back-to-back set, the Canadiens can confidently board the plane to Philadelphia and dig in again on Sunday against another club in the same category, a fringe playoff team at best.
Canadiens Blow Comfortable Lead and Survive
It wasn’t the first time the Canadiens jumped out to an early lead, and it wasn’t the first time they blew that lead. Realistically, it won’t be the last since it’s professional hockey and will be an every-game occurrence.
But, when Montreal gave up that lead on Saturday night, they didn’t put their heads down. If they had, they would have been hustling after a puck or looking at their feet to keep the battles alive in the corner.
After several days off to put that ugly loss to the Rangers behind them, it felt like the entire team put forth the effort to win against the Blues. Montembeault made the saves, Josh Anderson put his body on the line to block shots, and players who needed to light the lamp did.
A handful of times this season, the Canadiens have given up a goal and let it ruin the rest of their night. Yet, on Saturday, they showed a little resiliency to snap a skid.
Montreal Can Hang With and Defeat Fringe Playoff Teams
When a team is young and rebuilding, like the Canadiens, the measuring stick for success is not comparing them to the reigning Presidents’ Trophy winners, the Rangers.
Instead, the best way to see if they are making any progress is to look at the teams that are always in playoff contention, like the Blues, whether or not they make it into the postseason.
Although no one projects St. Louis to climb the Central Division standings, they are always in the mix for a wildcard spot, the same place the Canadiens strive to be.
On Saturday, Montreal jumped out to an early lead and weathered St. Louis’ comeback to pull away and secure a convincing three-goal victory. Ultimately, this game was a solid bounce-back performance for a team that got dominated in their last outing and needed to snap a four-game winless streak.
Related: ESPN Ranks Canadiens Demidov As Top Prospect
Canadiens & Rangers Trivia Answers
How did you score in our Game Day Trivia quiz? Here are the answers.
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1968 & 1969
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Guy Lafleur
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Christian Dvorak
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Michel Larocque & Jacques Plante
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Joel Edmundson & Jake Allen
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Dickie Moore
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Glenn Hall
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Scotty Bowman
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Ken Dryden
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Chris Wideman
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