LOWLY HABS STUN DEVILS
CANADIENS 5 DEVILS 2
Sam Montembeault thwarted three breakaways and stopped 37 shots as the Canadiens stunned the Devils, 5-2, on Tuesday night in Newark, snapping the Devils’ six-game home winning streak.
Defenseman Johnathan Kovacevic and Nick Suzuki scored in a 1:13 span in the second period to put Montreal ahead. Justin Barron, Rem Pitlick and Mike Matheson also scored for the Atlantic Division worst Canadiens, who snapped a two-game skid despite getting only
18 shots.
Jesper Bratt and Dawson Mercer scored for the Devils, who lost for only the third time in 18 games (13-3-2). Vitek Vanecek stopped 13 shots in losing for the sixth time (24-6-3).
Montembeault was difference, stoning Brendon Smith, Miles Wood and Mercer on breakaways while making outstanding stops on Ondrej Palat an Bratt in close, the latter when he was looking the wrong way and the shot hit off his pad.
Kovavcevic snapped a 1-1 tie at 2:29 of the second period when he beat Vanecek from between the circles on a setup by Jesse Ylonen. It was his second goal of the season and first since Dec. 6.
Suzuki, who also picked up an assist, stretched the lead to two goals with a shot to the corner on an odd-man rush after a Devil turnover in the offensive zone.
Pitlick made it 4-1, capping a rush up the ice early in the third period. After Mercer scored on a power play to cut the lead to 4-2, Matheson scored into an empty net with 3:47 to go to ice the game.
The Devils recalled G Akira Schmid from Utica (AHL) on Tuesday. He served as the backup because Mackenzie Blackwood tweaked in his lower body earlier in the day.
Mercer has goals in a career-high four straight games. Matheson finished with a goal and an assist and Christian Dvorek notched two assists.
The Devils host the Kings on Thursday.