Montreal 5, Winnipeg 3
When: 7:00 PM ET, Friday, April 30, 2021
Where: Bell Centre, Montreal, Quebec
Referees:
Eric Furlatt, Michael Markovic
Linesmen:
Michel Cormier, Travis Toomey
Attendance:
N/A
By Field Level Media
Nick Suzuki scored twice, including the third-period, game-winning goal, as the host Montreal Canadiens earned a crucial 5-3 comeback victory over the Winnipeg Jets on Friday.
Artturi Lehkonen, Joel Armia and Tyler Toffoli also scored, and goaltender Jack Allen made 19 saves for the Canadiens (22-18-9, 53 points). Suzuki and Toffoli each added an assist.
Montreal captain Shea Weber didn't play due to an upper-body injury.
With the win, Montreal has a six-point lead on the Calgary Flames in the chase for fourth place -- worth the final playoff spot -- in the North Division. Both teams have seven games remaining.
Trevor Lewis scored twice, while Paul Stastny added a single and goalie Connor Hellebuyck stopped 30 shots for the Jets (27-20-3, 57 points), who are on a six-game losing skid. Winnipeg remains three points behind the Edmonton Oilers for second place in the division and four points ahead of Montreal.
With the score tied and overtime looming, Suzuki netted his team's second power-play goal when his point shot made it through the screen set by Corey Perry with 4:50 remaining in regulation. It was a big comeback for a struggling club that's watched its hold on a playoff position become tenuous.
Trailing 3-1 past the midway point, the Canadiens scored four unanswered goals. Lehkonen made it a one-goal game at the 13:44 mark of the middle frame with a short-side shot off the rush, and Armia's power-play goal tied the affair with 1:46 left in the period.
Toffoli rounded out the scoring with an empty-netter to complete a critical comeback.
It was another bitter defeat for the struggling Jets, who were staked to a 3-1 lead thanks to Stastny's late first-period goal and saw Lewis tally twice in the second period.
After Lewis made it a 2-0 game, Suzuki's goal that ran his streak to three games put the Canadiens on the board. During a broken play, Suzuki grabbed the loose puck and snapped a quick shot into the net.
Lewis made it a 3-1 game with his second of the night on an individual effort. After grabbing the puck in his own zone to create a two-on-one rush, he sent a short-side shot home for his fifth of the season at the 11:47 mark of the second period. It was all Montreal after.
--Field Level Media
Top Game Performances
| Winnipeg |
|
Montreal |
|
Trevor Lewis 2 |
Points |
Nick Suzuki 3 |
|
Trevor Lewis 2 |
Goals |
Nick Suzuki 2 |
|
Dylan Demelo 1 |
Assists |
Nick Suzuki 1 |
|
N/A |
Power Play Goals |
Nick Suzuki 1 |
|
N/A |
Short Handed Goals |
N/A |
|
Connor Hellebuyck .882 |
Save Percentage |
Jake Allen .864 |
|
Connor Hellebuyck 30 |
Saves |
Jake Allen 19 |
Team Stats Summary
| Team |
Shots |
Goals |
Power Play |
Penalty Kill |
Penalty Mins |
Face Offs Won |
| Winnipeg
|
22 |
3 |
0-2 |
1-3 |
6 |
32 |
| Montreal
|
35 |
5 |
2-3 |
2-2 |
4 |
22 |
Upcoming Games
-
Montreal will play their next game at home against Ottawa. The Canadiens have a W/L % of .286 after a win and .593 after a loss.
-
Winnipeg will play their next game on the road against Ottawa. The Jets have a W/L % of .444 after a win and .636 after a loss.
For more information, contact us