(Winnipeg) Highly effective on the power play, the Winnipeg Jets inflicted a 4-2 defeat on the Montreal Canadiens on Saturday, spoiling an evening where Lane Hutson finally scored a first goal in the National League.
Posted at 10:07 p.m.
Replay our live coverage
View the match summary
Hutson finally scored his first goal at 7:48 in the first period, giving the Canadian a 1-0 lead with a wrist shot.
Nick Suzuki won a faceoff to the goalie’s left. Cole Caufield passed to the blue line to Mike Matheson, who handed over to the second-round pick in 2022. Hutson went to the right circle and scored the first time after 21 passes, including 19 this season. His net gave the visitors a 1-0 lead.
PHOTO JOHN WOODS, THE CANADIAN PRESS
Mike Matheson (8)
A 20-year-old athlete from Michigan, Hutson competed in a 32e game in the NHL, including 30 this season.
Goals from Gabriel Vilardi, Adam Lowry, Kyle Connor and Vladislav Namestnikov, however, allowed the Jets to finish a four-game homestand on a good note (2-1-1).
Namestnikov finished in an empty net at 19:53.
Connor Hellebuyck made 26 saves, also being beaten by Josh Anderson.
PHOTO JOHN WOODS, THE CANADIAN PRESS
Nick Suzuki (14) and Connor Hellebuyck (37)
Samuel Montembeault stopped 23 shots for the Canadian, who lost a third consecutive time on the road.
Montembeault got a sixth straight start.
The Jets will face the Canadiens in Montreal on January 28.
The Habs will play again Tuesday evening at home, against the Buffalo Sabres.
The Manitoba clan led 2-1 at the first intermission, the result of two goals in 2:06.
Kirby Dach was punished for a high stick late in the period and the Jets took advantage, entering the game second in the league in excess success rate.
PHOTO JAMES CAREY LAUDER, USA TODAY SPORTS VIA REUTERS CON
Kirby Dach (77)
From the corner of the ice, Connor spotted Vilardi, alone at the right mouth. Vilardi took a 13e goal this season, at 14:34.
Just two minutes later, Lowry gave the Jets the lead by completing a short pass from Nino Niederreiter. We thought that the Swiss would go around the net, but he instead made the right choice by putting it back in front of the goal. Lowry scored his eighth goal of the campaign.
The Jets doubled their cushion at 6:26 in the middle period, following two penalties on the Habs in 25 seconds (Cole Caufield for hooking, then Christian Dvorak for a high stick).
PHOTO JOHN WOODS, THE CANADIAN PRESS
Cole Caufield (13)
There were two seconds left in the first penalty when Connor scored with a one-timer, following a pass from Josh Morrissey. Winnipeg has been buzzing for a while now, with plenty of quick passes.
Accomplice of two goals on Saturday, Morrissey has scored five points in his last four games.
Late in the second period, the Canadian failed to close the gap during a 27-second five-on-three.
In the third minute of the third period, Dach deflected a shot from Hutson’s point onto the post.
Shortly after, a numerical superiority in favor of the Montreal club lasted only 1:07 due to a penalty on Caufield, again for a collision.
Anderson cut the margin to one goal at 8:00 in the third period, on the rebound of a Dvorak shot.
Patrik Laine had seven shots. CH came very close to leveling the score on a rebound from the Finn’s last shot, with 52 seconds left in the third period.
Laine played for more than four seasons with the Jets, at the start of his career. He scored 140 goals and 250 points with them.
