SAN JOSE, Calif. — The Montreal Canadiens emerged victorious against the San Jose Sharks, winning 4-3 on Tuesday night, which ended their five-game losing streak. Joel Armia clinched the win with a short-handed goal during the dying moments of the third period.
In addition to Armia’s decisive goal, the Canadiens saw contributions from Alex Newhook, who scored and assisted, and both Cole Caufield and Brendan Gallagher, who found the back of the net as well. Kirby Dach was instrumental with two assists, and goalie Sam Montembeault made 27 saves throughout the game.
For the Sharks, Macklin Celebrini and Tyler Toffoli both recorded a goal and an assist, with Collin Graf also scoring. Despite their efforts, the Sharks have struggled, suffering losses in two consecutive games and tallying just one win in their last nine outings. Goalie Alexandar Georgiev managed 16 saves, but it wasn’t enough to secure a victory.
Armia’s tenth goal of the season came at a crucial moment, as he fired a wrist shot that slipped past the goalie with just 4:04 left in the game, following an assist from Jake Evans. Gallagher initially gave the Canadiens a 3-2 lead with a power play goal at the 2:40 mark of the third period, but Toffoli responded for the Sharks, tying the game with a power-play goal nine and a half minutes later.
Analyzing the outcomes, the Canadiens are looking to leverage this win to build momentum, especially after a phase where they had experienced victories in seven of nine games prior to their recent slump.
For the Sharks, the team has been visibly struggling, having lost 11 of their last 13 matches and an alarming 22 of their last 26 contests dating back to December 5.
A notable moment during the game came when Toffoli’s equalizer helped the Sharks draw even after trailing in the latter part of the third period. Celebrini and Jake Walman assisted on Toffoli’s 19th goal of the season.
In an interesting development, Sharks rookie forward Will Smith saw his point streak come to an end as he was held scoreless for the night, breaking his six-game run of contributing points.
Looking ahead, the Canadiens are now set to visit Los Angeles on Wednesday as they conclude a three-game road trip on the West Coast. Meanwhile, the Sharks will be taking on the Vancouver Canucks at home on Thursday.
