(Winnipeg) The Canadiens delivered another fine effort, but they weren’t able to wrap up their four-game road trip with a third victory.
Posted at 10:53 p.m.
Kyle Connor scored after 1:45 of overtime and the Winnipeg Jets defeated Montreal 3-2 on Thursday at Canada Life Centre.
Connor hit the mark with a precise wrist shot that thwarted Samuel Montembeault on the side of the shield.
The Habs compiled an honorable record of 2-1-1 during their trip.
Nick Suzuki had a goal and an assist, while Kirby Dach also scored for the Canadian (5-5-1). Cole Caufield had two assists and Montembeault stopped 33 shots.
On the side of the Jets (6-3-1), Pierre-Luc Dubois accumulated a goal and an assist, while Blake Wheeler also scored in regulation time. Connor Hellebuyck made 20 saves.
Defender Joel Edmundson was in uniform for the first time this season for the Canadiens. The 29-year-old Manitoban was injured in a collision on ice with Suzuki a few days before the start of camp.
Chris Wideman was left out, while Evgenii Dadonov (virus) was put on the disabled list to make room for Edmundson on the Habs’ 23-man roster.
The Canadiens will play their next game on Saturday, when they host the Vegas Golden Knights at the Bell Centre.
A good battle
Suzuki started the ball rolling with a superb goal at 6:43 of the first period. He hit the mark after outflanking defender Dylan DeMelo.
The Jets, however, replied with 2: 32 to go in the first period, on the power play. Dubois surprised Montembeault with a good shot from the glove side.
Dach replaced the Canadian forward after 4:54 of play in the second period. He capitalized on a comeback after a Suzuki shot deflected off a rival.
This time, the Jets tied the game just 41 seconds later. Montembeault partially stopped a missed shot by Dubois. Wheeler managed to push the loose puck behind the goal line.
The Canadiens’ head coach, Martin St-Louis, disputed the goal, believing that Wheeler had obstructed Montembeautl. However, he lost his bet.
Sean Monahan and Brendan Gallagher took turns missing open nets before the end of the second period. Suzuki also got a great opportunity to score shorthanded after defender Neal Pionk lost control of the puck near his goalkeeper.
At the other end of the rink, Montembeault made good saves on one-timers from Connor and Nate Schmidt while the Jets were on the power play.
Montembeault then kept the Canadian in the game with seven saves, including several difficult ones, in the first half of the third period.
The Canadian knocked on the door during a power play, but he came up against Hellebuyck.
Connor finally gave the Jets the last laugh in overtime.