The Montreal Canadiens kicked off their NHL pre-season action at the Bell Centre on Monday, delivering a thrilling match filled with intense shots, hits, and spectacular saves that mesmerized the crowd.
Despite the high energy on the ice, goals were scarce as the Canadiens narrowly clinched a 2-1 victory against the Pittsburgh Penguins in an electrifying shootout, ultimately decided by Oliver Kapanen’s winning goal in the fifth round.
The game saw Tristan Broz of the Penguins break the deadlock with a power-play goal at 10:26 of the first period. The tension mounted until Owen Beck of the Canadiens managed to tie the game at 2:36 of the third period, just seven seconds after a Montreal power play had concluded.
Adding to the excitement, Jared Davidson of the Canadiens engaged in a spirited bout against Sam Poulin midway through the second period, igniting cheers from the fans.
In the goaltending department, Montreal’s Sam Montembeault showcased his skills by stopping 20 of 21 shots before passing the torch to Jacob Fowler, who took over midway through the second period. Fowler impressively saved all 13 shots he faced in regulation and overtime and denied four of five shots in the shootout.
On the Pittsburgh side, goalie Joel Blomqvist put up a solid performance by blocking all 11 shots he encountered in the initial 30 minutes before being substituted by Sergei Murashov. Murashov continued the strong defense, stopping 19 of 20 shots in regulation and overtime and saving three of five shots during the shootout.
Statistically, Montreal outperformed Pittsburgh in hits with a count of 32-23 and in blocked shots with a tally of 22-18.
As the teams head into their next matches, the Penguins are set to face off against the Columbus Blue Jackets on Wednesday, while the Canadiens will be hosting the Philadelphia Flyers on Tuesday, promising more thrilling NHL action to come.
