MONTREAL — In an exciting matchup on Saturday night, Cole Caufield netted his seventh goal of the season, while Kirby Dach found the back of the net for the first time since March 2023, helping the Montreal Canadiens secure a 5-2 victory over the St. Louis Blues.
Montreal quickly established a 2-0 lead with solid contributions from Dach and Jake Evans, but the Blues answered back with goals from Colton Parayko and Jake Neighbours, leveling the score.
The Canadiens regained control in the latter part of the game, with Alex Newhook scoring just before the second intermission and Caufield adding another goal at the start of the third period. Joel Armia sealed the win with an empty-net goal, pushing the lead to an insurmountable margin.
In the net for Montreal, Sam Montembeault made 29 saves, demonstrating his capability, while Jordan Binnington of the Blues allowed four goals on 25 shots faced.
In terms of key takeaways, the power-play performance of the Canadiens stands out, as they displayed improvement in their special teams, which have been a long-standing concern. They managed to score with the man advantage and successfully stopped the Blues’ power play, showcasing a more balanced approach in their game strategy.
On the Blues’ side, their offensive pressure was lacking for the majority of the matchup, aside from their brief response to Montreal’s second goal. Despite outshooting the Canadiens, they could not convert these opportunities into significant scoring chances.
A pivotal moment occurred with eight minutes remaining in the game when the Canadiens faced a critical short-handed scenario. Remarkably, they not only extinguished the penalty but also created their own offensive opportunities, demonstrating resilience and tactical efficiency.
In a noteworthy statistic, Kirby Dach’s goal marked a significant comeback, as it was his first since March 23, 2023, following a challenging period during which he missed the entire previous season due to a torn ACL.
Looking ahead, the Blues are set to face off against the Senators on Tuesday, whereas the Canadiens will travel to Philadelphia for their next game on Sunday.