Montreal Canadiens Triumph Over Winnipeg Jets
In a commanding performance, the Montreal Canadiens triumphed over the Winnipeg Jets with a 5-1 scoreline on Wednesday night in Winnipeg. The victory marked an impressive continuation of the Canadiens’ success as they extended their points streak to five games, accumulating a record of 4-0-1 during this stretch and 6-2-1 in their last nine games overall.
Key Players Shine
Brendan Gallagher and Josh Anderson stood out for Montreal, each contributing a goal and two assists. Samuel Montembeault made an impressive return to form in goal, notching 36 saves for his first win in nearly a month. Prior to this game, Montembeault struggled, allowing three or more goals in five of his previous six outings since his last victory on January 17.
Game Highlights
The evening kicked off with the Jets taking an early lead as Kyle Connor found the back of the net, scoring his 25th goal of the season with a powerful one-timer during a power play just over six minutes into the first period. However, the Canadiens equalized ten minutes later when rookie Oliver Kapanen, who is set to represent Finland in the upcoming Olympics, scored his 18th goal after a rebound deflected off Jets player Cole Perfetti and into his path.
Following Kapanen’s goal, the Canadiens took control of the game, making it 3-1 just past the halfway mark of the second period with back-to-back goals from Anderson and Lane Hutson occurring just 76 seconds apart. The Jets had multiple opportunities to close the gap, including hitting a post and having a power play where they fired four shots, but Montembeault stood firm, making key saves.
In the third period, Gallagher sealed the game with a power-play goal three seconds before the advantage expired, further adding to the Canadiens’ lead. Phillip Danault then finished off the scoring by putting the puck into an empty net with only 14 seconds left on the clock.
Looking Ahead
Looking ahead, the Canadiens will face the New York Islanders at home on February 26, while the Jets are set to visit Vancouver on February 25.
