NEWARK | “In overtime, I thought we had just lost the game and a few seconds later, I thought we had just won. There were several poles. It was the same in the shootout, for a second I believed in a defeat and the second later I imagined a victory. »
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At 62 and 21e season as head coach in the NHL, Lindy Ruff has a ton of experience. He has run hundreds of unpredictable encounters. This duel between the Canadian and the Devils, two teams eliminated from the playoff race, fell into this category.
The Devils had the last laugh with a 3-2 shootout win. Yegor Sharangovich, the seventh skater sent by Ruff, scored the decisive goal by beating Samuel Montembeault in the top of the net.
Prior to Sharangovich, Jesper Bratt, Jack Hughes and Dougie Hamilton had also hit the mark. At the other end of the rink, Cole Caufield, Rem Pitlick and Mike Hoffman beat Nico Daws.
“It’s always frustrating when you lose in the shootout, I didn’t make the save anymore,” said Montembeault. It’s a shame, but I’m really happy with the work of my teammates. We worked hard and scored another big goal late in the game. »
Never give up
There is a strong quality of the CH under the leadership of Martin St-Louis. This team has learned not to give up. Trailing 2-0 halfway through the game and 2-1 late in the third period, the Habs found another way to pick up a point.
Pitlick forced extra time with a quick shot following a superb pass from Christian Dvorak. With just 42 seconds left on the clock, Pitlick scored his 13e goal of the year.
“We always bounce back,” Pitlick said. Since Marty’s arrival, there is clearly a new energy. We would have liked to get a better result tonight. But we can be proud. We played Saturday night, got back to Newark very late, but we fought. »
The return of Montembeault
After five straight starts from Jake Allen, Montembeault did not disappoint on his return to goal. If he blundered on Hughes’ first goal with a bad pass, the 25-year-old goalkeeper redeemed himself by making several big saves.
He blocked 30 of the Devils’ 32 shots.
What we noticed…
BARRON’S BEGINNINGS
Acquired from the Colorado Avalanche in the transaction for Artturi Lehkonen, Justin Barron donned the CH uniform for the first time. Martin St-Louis used it with veteran Joel Edmundson. In his third NHL game this season, Barron played a more than honest game, unafraid to go on offense. Number 52 even made three appearances at three once morest three in overtime.
BRATT, A THREAT
There’s Jack Hughes coming out of his shell in New Jersey, but also Jesper Bratt. Modest choice of 6e tour (162e) in the 2016 draft, Bratt sits atop the Devils in scoring with 65 points (22 goals, 43 assists) in 61 games. In the second period, the Swede made a perfect pass for Hughes by keeping the option of shooting as long as possible, mystifying David Savard and Alexander Romanov who took the bait. Bratt also scored in the endless shootout.
PERREAULT RETURNS
Ignored by the 31 other NHL teams on March 16, Mathieu Perreault made his return with the CH. He had watched his family’s last five games from the press bridge. With recent injuries to Jonathan Drouin, Michael Pezzetta and Tyler Pitlick, Perreault received a chance on the wing of the fourth line with Laurent Dauphin and Jesse Ylönen.
TWO POSTS
Mike Hoffman believed he scored the winning goal in overtime. Just regarding everyone in the building also thought it was over. But Hoffman hit both posts on his breakaway once morest goalkeeper Nico Daws. The CH was therefore a centimeter or two from a victory.
+
Hughes
Jack Hughes has magic hands, remarkable game vision and lots of speed He was the best player on the ice with two goals and another shootout goal
–
Dauphin
Laurent Dauphin did not play a disastrous game, but he will have to do more to maintain his place In the center of the 4th unit, he generated few chances to score
First period
1-NJ: Jack Hughes (23) (Unassisted)19:16
Punishments: No punishment
Second period
2-NJ: Jack Hughes (24) (Bratt, Severson)AN-14:16
3-Mon: Josh Anderson (16) (Ylonen, Wideman)17:36
Penalties: Bench (NJ) (served by Mercer) 8:24, Anderson (Mon) 12:21, Wood (NJ) 14:31, Siegenthaler (NJ) 15:35
Third period
4-Mon: Rem Pitlick (13) (Dvorak, Caufield)19:18
Penalties: Hoffman (Mon) 1:07, Hamilton (NJ) 3:12, Mercer (NJ) 11:09
Prolongation
No goal
Punishments: No punishment
Shooting
New Jersey wins by 4-3 Montreal (3): Caufield (goal), Pitlick (goal), Suzuki (miss), Dvorak (miss), Armia (miss), Hoffman (goal), Byron (miss) New Jersey (4 ): Tatar (miss), Bratt (goal), Hughes (goal), Severson (miss), Hischier (miss), Hamilton (goal), Sharangovich (goal)
Shoot to the net
Montréal 8 – 10 – 13 – 2 – 33 New Jersey 13 – 5 – 14 – 0 – 32
Guardians:
Mon: Sam Montembeault (PP, 7-13-6) NJ: Nico Daws (G, 8-8-0)
Numerical advantages:
Mon: 0 in 5, NJ: 1 in 2
Referees:
Carter Sandlak, Jean Hébert
Linesmen:
Matt MacPherson, Kory Nagy
ASSISTANCE:
12 080
