The Montreal Canadiens put on a very entertaining performance on Tuesday night, but it wasn’t enough to prevent the Ottawa Senators from winning 6-3 at the Bell Centre.
Posted at 9:50 p.m.
Brendan Gallagher, Justin Barron – his first in the NHL career – and Cole Caufield hit the target for the Canadian (19-40-11), who was coveting a second victory in a row. Mike Hoffman came out on top with two assists in the losing cause.
Twice Austin Watson, Tim Stützle, Brady Tkachuk, Drake Batherson and Colin White blackened the scoresheet for the Senators (26-37-6), who enjoyed a third straight win. Tkachuk and Josh Norris each added two assists.
The Canadiens now have a 2-1 record this season against the Ottawa squad. The last duel between the two teams will take place on April 23.
Jake Allen made his fourth straight start and finished his night at work with 26 saves in front of the Habs goal.
His opponent, Anton Forsberg, stopped 27 shots for the Senators.
Canadian interim head coach Martin St-Louis had made only one change to his roster. Forward Brendan Gallagher has returned to the game, replacing Tyler Pitlick. The pugnacious forward hadn’t played a game since March 17, against the Dallas Stars.
Et ‘Gally’ made his presence felt early in the game. He opened the scoring just 2:31 into the game, after hitting a loose puck into the crease behind Forsberg. It was his sixth goal of the season.
Watson, however, tied the game with less than five minutes left in the first period, unassisted.
After the intermission, the two teams exchanged two goals each.
After Stützle on the power play, Barron demonstrated the extent of his talent by scoring with an accurate shot 31 seconds later.
Tkachuk then made it 3-2 for the Senators with 5:40 left in the kickoff, but Caufield brought both teams back to square one again by rattling the ropes with a precise wrist shot , on the power play.
Batherson, on the power play 29 seconds into the final third, then White, with 8:30 to play, however sealed the outcome of the game in favor of the Sens. Watson completed in an empty net.
It was the first game for defenders Barron and Jordan Harris in a CH uniform in Montreal. And they showed great confidence, despite their lack of NHL experience. Barron, however, appears to have injured his lower body late in the game, following an accidental fall by Senators forward Mathieu Joseph.
Earlier today, the Canadiens announced that Caufield and Nick Suzuki were the winners of the Molson Cup awarded to the club’s best players for the month of March. A presentation honoring them took place before the game against the Senators.
The Habs will play their next game against the New Jersey Devils on Thursday night.