Jake Allen made 34 saves — including one on a penalty shot — to help the visiting New Jersey Devils cruise to a 4-0 win over the slumping Montreal Canadiens on Saturday afternoon.
Jack Hughes and Jesper Bratt each had a goal and an assist for New Jersey, which won at Montreal for the 10th straight time. Paul Cotter and Luke Hughes also scored as the Devils avoided a second straight loss.
Montreal had a chance to break the shutout with 15.7 seconds left in the third period when the Canadiens were awarded a penalty shot after Hughes pulled down Owen Beck from behind. Allen made a blocker save on Beck’s subsequent wrist shot attempt from the low slot.
It was the fourth shutout this season for Allen, who started for the seventh time in eight games while top goalie Jacob Markstrom remains sidelined with a knee injury.
Sam Montembeault finished with 18 saves for Montreal, which suffered its seventh loss in eight games (1-6-1).
New Jersey took a 1-0 lead at the 13:43 mark of the first period on Bratt’s quick wrist shot from the top of the slot off a Tomas Tatar pass that beat Montembeault high on his glove side.
Montreal had a chance to tie it early in the second period when Josh Anderson charged in on a breakaway, but Allen made a blocker save on Anderson’s backhand try.
The Devils increased their lead to 2-0 at 12:44 of the second period when Cotter, falling to the ice by the right side of the crease, backhanded in a rebound of a Bratt shot into an open net. It was Cotter’s 13th goal this season, tying a career high in his third full campaign.
Hughes made it 3-0 early in the third period when he ripped a wrist shot from the top of the right circle at the end of a 2-on-1 break with Bratt just after a Montreal power play had expired.
Hughes extended the lead to 4-0 midway through the third when he blasted a slap shot from the top of the left circle inside the far post.
–Field Level Media
