The Canadiens made short work of the Ottawa Senators on Saturday night at the Bell Centre.
The Montreal team took advantage of the contribution of several players and won 5-1.
Jake Evans provided a goal and an assist, Joel Armia and Brett Kulak scored their third of the season and Paul Byron his second.
Cole Caufield also hit the target for the Canadian (17-36-9), who won a second game in six outings (2-2-2). Jake Allen stopped 29 shots.
Josh Norris was the lone scorer for the Senators (22-35-5), who have just one win in their last five games (1-4-0). Filip Gustavsson made 22 saves.
Jonathan Drouin returned to action for the Habs after missing 22 games with a wrist injury. Josh Anderson (lower body injury) was also in uniform after missing two games.
Brendan Gallagher, injured Thursday against the Dallas Stars, and Laurent Dauphin gave up their place.
The Canadiens will be back in action on Monday night, when the Boston Bruins will be at the Bell Center. The face of the team may have changed by then, since the trading period will end at 3:00 p.m. the same day.
One-way
The Canadian quickly set the tone for the game, offering himself a few opportunities to open the scoring. Evans missed an open net and then Corey Schueneman was frustrated by Gustavsson after a fine individual effort.
Evans redeemed himself with 3:28 left in the first period. He took advantage of a turnover caused by Michael Pezzetta to beat Gustavsson with a high shot from the side of the mitt.
The Senators replied with 69 seconds to go, while Jeff Petry was in jail. Norris completed a fine passing game started by Tim Stützle and Colin White by shooting into a gaping cage.
The Habs quickly took control in the second period. Byron hit the mark at 2:42, after Pezzetta overpowered a long lob snap from Evans.
Caufield widened the gap at 4:23 on a 2-on-1 run. The 21-year-old American moved the ropes with a perfect shot into the top corner.
Senators head coach DJ Smith called a timeout to whip his troops, and the visitors managed to threaten Allen’s net a few times.
The Habs goaltender had to be vigilant twice against Adam Gaudette, the second time on a breakaway. Allen was also fuming against Stützle on a Senators three-on-one attack.
Armia made it 4-1 with 31.6 seconds left in the second period. He deflected a long Schueneman shot into the goal on a power play.
Allen remained alert in the third period despite the Canadiens’ comfortable lead. He frustrated Brady Tkachuk, who had been overlooked at the mouth of the net.
Kulak then turned the iron in the wound by scoring a spectacular goal at 8:14. He mocked Josh Brown before collecting the puck and cutting to the slot. He then foiled Gustavsson with a high shot.
Allen gave himself one last larceny with less than two minutes to go, pulling out the mitt to steal a goal from Tkachuk.