Opinion
Canadiens snap 10-game skid with OT win over Blues
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Cole Caufield pressured extra time with 8.7 seconds left in regulation after which scored the winner in extra time to assist the Montreal Canadiens snap a 10-game skid with a 3-2 victory over the St. Louis Blues on Thursday night time.
Paul Byron additionally scored and Samuel Montembeault stopped 26 pictures for the Canadiens, whose final win got here on Jan. 18 at Dallas.
The victory was the primary for interim coach Martin St. Louis, who was 0-3-0 since taking on for the fired Dominique Ducharme.
“It’s been an enormous week for me,” St. Louis mentioned. “Ten days in the past, I used to be dropping off my youngsters at follow and I used to be on the ice with bantam gamers. Flash ahead to now and I’m 4 video games in as a coach getting my first win.”
Gamers from the Montreal Canadiens rejoice a aim by teammate Cole Caufield (22) in opposition to the St. Louis Blues throughout extra time interval NHL hockey recreation motion in Montreal, Thursday, Feb. 17, 2022.
(Graham Hughes/The Canadian Press by way of AP)
Robert Thomas and Pavel Buchnevich scored for the Blues, and Ville Husso made 27 saves.
With 1:19 to go and the sport tied at 1, Buchnevich powered his strategy to what the successful aim with a slap shot from the suitable faceoff circle.
However Caufield pressured extra time on a one-timer with lower than 9 seconds remaining. The rookie wasn’t performed there, giving Montreal the win off one other one-timer.
The gamers gave the sport puck to their coach.
“It’s a puck that I’ll at all times bear in mind,” St. Louis mentioned. “You may win your first recreation in some ways, however to win it on a comeback with an additional attacker and an extra time winner is particular.”
Caufield mentioned he and his teammates have been “pumped” for St. Louis to get his first victory as coach.
“I feel the thrill across the room is fairly excessive proper now for that purpose,” Caufield mentioned. “It’s clearly huge for our crew, however to get his first beneath his belt, hopefully we will string some collectively now.”
Enjoying in his five hundredth NHL recreation, Byron bought his first aim of the season and gave Montreal a uncommon opening marker this season by scoring on the 7:13 mark of the primary interval.
The Blues tied it on a short-handed effort with 1:34 to go within the first when Thomas and Buchnevich exchanged passes on the push and Thomas beat Montembeault together with his seventh aim of the season.
UP NEXT
St. Louis: At Toronto Maple Leafs on Saturday.
Montreal: At New York Islanders on Sunday.
