Except translation, this story has not been edited by achinews staff and is published from a syndicated feed.
MONTREAL – Michael Pezzetta scored twice as the Montreal Canadiens defeated the New Jersey Devils 3-0 on Tuesday, winning back-to-back shutouts to open the NHL preseason.
Nick Suzuki also scored and defenseman William Trudeau added two assists for Montreal, which opened the exhibition season with a 5-0 win over the Philadelphia Flyers on Monday.
Samuel Montembeault – the Canadiens’ No. 1 goalie entering the season – stopped all 11 shots he faced through 31:28. Connor Hughes made 13 backup saves the rest of the way.
Montreal’s first line of Nick Suzuki, Cole Caufield and Juraj Slafkovsky made its pre-season debut but showed rust despite a late goal from the captain.
Jake Allen, who the Canadiens traded to the Devils at last season’s trade deadline, stopped 12 of 13 shots for New Jersey, which traveled to the Bell Center without most of its regulars.
Nico Daws allowed one goal on 11 shots after entering the game with 12 minutes remaining in the second period.
Devils defenseman Johnathan Kovacevic returned to the Bell Center for the first time since the Canadiens traded him for a fourth-round pick this offseason.
The Devils lost 4-2 to the New York Islanders in their only other preseason game on Sunday.
Neither team converted on the power play although they won several chances. Montreal went 0-for-8, while New Jersey was 0-for-6.
The goalkeepers managed in a messy first period for both teams.
Allen stopped Owen Beck from scoring on a slot shot two minutes into the game. Four minutes later, Montembeault blocked quality chances from Brian Halonen and Xavier Parent during a New Jersey power play.
Pezzetta opened the scoring at 2:42 of the second period, finishing tic-tack-toe play with a shot that beat a screened Allen. Xavier Simoneau and Trudeau earned assists on the play.
After the Canadiens failed to score on a four-minute power play, Reinbacher appeared to make it 2-0 with a point pass that slipped between Allen’s pads. The goal, however, was disallowed due to goalie interference as Simoneau bumped into Allen in the crease.
The Devils won a short power play but couldn’t later in the second but couldn’t convert. Otherwise, the Canadiens continued to drive the play.
Slafkovsky missed the net on a wide-open shot from the slot midway through the period, while Daws denied Caufield’s breakaway in the final seconds as Montreal’s top line remained scoreless to the point that.
Beck, who had three shots on goal, couldn’t beat Daws with a one-timer from the low circle early in the third.
Florian Xhekaj, brother of Canadiens defenseman Arber Xhekaj, found himself open in front of the net minutes later but his deck went wide of the back as Montreal failed to build on its lead.
The Canadiens had two full minutes with a 5-on-3 advantage with eight minutes remaining, but still couldn’t make it 2-0. Filip Mesar came close, hitting the post shortly after the penalty kicks had ended.
Suzuki finally broke through with 4:53 remaining, deflecting a hard pass from Trudeau into the back of the net.
Pezzetta added an empty-net goal with 22 seconds remaining.
NOTES
Slovakian skaters Slafkovsky, Mesar and Devils defenseman Simon Nemec pose for a photo at center ice before dropping a puck. All three players made history for their country by going to the first round of the 2022 NHL draft. Slafkovsky and Nemec were first and second overall, while Mesar was 26th.
UP NEXT
Montreal: Visits the Toronto Maple Leafs on Thursday.
New Jersey: Hosts the Washington Capitals on Wednesday.
This report was first published by The Canadian Press on September 24, 2024.
(Except translation, this story has not been edited by achinews staff and is published from a syndicated feed.)
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