A disastrous first period finally sank the Canadian on Saturday evening at the Bell Centre. Jake Walman scored 54 seconds into overtime, and the Detroit Red Wings defeated the Montreal hockey club 5-4.
The Habs fell behind 3-0 and 4-2. He ended an 0-for-27 streak on the power play, taking advantage of his fifth opportunity against the Red Wings early in the third period to cut the lead to 4-3.
Gustav Lindström then tied the game late in the third period, but Walman finally gave the Red Wings the victory with a cannonball.
Nick Suzuki had a goal and an assist, while Justin Barron and Joel Armia also scored for the Canadian (10-11-3), who has lost three of his last four games. Jake Allen stopped 28 shots.
For the Red Wings (13-7-3), Daniel Sprong had a goal and an assist, while Joe Veleno, Christian Fischer and Alex DeBrincat also scored. Mortiz Seider had two assists and Ville Husso made 26 saves.
Forward Mitchell Stephens played his first match with the Canadian and scored a 73e career in the NHL. He replaced Alex Newhook, who will be sidelined for 10 to 12 weeks with a sprained left ankle suffered Thursday in the Habs’ 5-1 loss to the Florida Panthers.
The Canadian will play their next game on Monday, when they host the Seattle Kraken at the Bell Centre.
Two-part duel
Veleno opened the scoring 7:21 into the game. A shot from Lucas Raymond hit Barron in front of the net and the puck landed on the blade of Veleno’s stick, who was able to shoot into a gaping cage.
The native of Montreal’s West Island scored on his team’s fifth shot on goal. For his part, the Canadian still had no shots on the clock.
Fischer widened the gap at 11:44, outnumbered. Barron lost control of the puck at the Red Wings blue line and Michael Rasmussen was able to escape. Allen made the save, but lost sight of the puck, which came to rest to his left. Fischer jumped at the opportunity by pushing the disc into the opening.
Sprong pushed the Red Wings’ lead to 3-0 with 39.4 seconds left, beating Allen on the shield side on a two-on-one attack.
Barron restarted the Canadian with 6.1 seconds left on the clock. A Suzuki shot hit defenseman Jeff Petry and the puck flew to Barron, who hit the target.
Armia cut the lead to 3-2 at 4:07 of the second period, beating Husso to the glove side in a short-handed two-on-one attack.
DeBrincat responded during the same penalty to Allen for tripping a rival. He surprised Allen by cleverly deflecting a Seider delivery into the mouth of the net. For DeBrincat it was a 200e career NHL goal.
Cole Caufield took a dangerous one-timer during a Habs power play midway through the period, but Husso made the save.
The Canadian was less effective when he got 61 seconds of five-on-three play late in the second period. Mike Matheson was the only one to attempt a shot and it was blocked by Seider.
Suzuki finally put an end to the Canadian’s desert crossing on the power play, when he beat Husso on the shield side 4:12 into the third period.
Lindström completed the comeback with 3:59 left in regulation, taking advantage of a short pass from Josh Anderson before beating Husso, who was losing his balance.
Walman ultimately saved face for the Red Wings in overtime.