NYR@MTL: Game recap

MONTREAL – Samuel Montembeault’s season-high 45-save performance piggybacked the Canadiens to a 4-3 shootout win over the Rangers at the Bell Centre on Saturday.

Brendan Gallagher, Jesse Ylönen and Joel Armia opened a 3-0 lead for the Habs, but the Rangers responded with goals from Vincent Trocheck, Artemi Panarin and Adam Fox.

Regulation and overtime solved nothing, so a shootout was needed to decide a winner. Cole Caufield put the Habs ahead in the skills competition, before Montembeault made back-to-back stops – including a highlight reel stick save – to send the Rangers packing.

Jake Evans, David Savard, Jesse Ylönen, Mitchell Stephens and Michael Pezzetta all registered assists on Saturday.

For more stats, check out the NHL Gamecenter summary here.

Head coach Martin St-Louis reverted to the 12 forwards, six defensemen lineup that the Canadiens have iced for most of the season. Accordingly, Johnathan Kovacevic made way for Emil Heineman, who skated alongside Sean Monahan and Ylönen in his first career game at the Bell Centre on Saturday.

Roster

Montreal goals

P1 11:37 0-[1] Gallagher (Evans, Savard)

P2 01:09 0-[2] Monahan (Ylönen)

P2 02:39 0-[3] Armia (Stephens, Pezzetta)

Shootout

Caufield beat Jonathan Quick for the lone goal.

Nick Suzuki and Ylönen were stopped.

New York goals

P2 10:28 [1]-3 Trocheck (Gustafsson, Panarin)

P2 14:29 [2]-3 Panarin (Trocheck)

P3 09:30 [3]-3 Fox (Vesey)

Shootout

Panarin, Zibanejad and Lafrenière were denied by Montembeault.

What’s next

The Canadiens head to Philadelphia for a date with the Flyers on Wednesday at Wells Fargo Center, before returning home for a three-game homestand beginning on Thursday against the San Jose Sharks.