MTL@NJD: Game recap

NEWARK - The Canadiens couldn't complete the perfect weekend of hockey on Sunday, falling 3-2 to the New Jersey Devils to open a four-game road trip.

Interim head coach Martin St-Louis made several changes to his lineup leading up to puck drop. Up front, Jesse Ylonen and Mathieu Perreault replaced Michael Pezzetta and Tyler Pitlick, who did not travel to New Jersey, while on the blue line, Justin Barron made his Habs debut in place of William Lagesson. Barron was paired with Joel Edmundson, who for his part was playing in his 400th NHL game.

Between the pipes, Sam Montembeault made his first start since March 15 and was busy early on, making 12 saves in the opening 20 - including a number of spectacular ones.

The two teams looked to be heading into intermission scoreless, until Jack Hughes broke the deadlock at 19:16. Hughes grabbed the puck off a turnover and snapped it into the back of the net unassisted.
Following a brisk first period with no penalties, the teams traded calls in the second. The Devils made the most of the man advantage, with Hughes getting his second of the night at 14:16.
But the Canadiens got on the board moments after an interference call on Jonas Siegenthaler expired. Josh Anderson set up in front of the net and tipped an Ylonen shot into the back of the cage at 17:36 to make it 2-1.

The Habs outshot the Devils 10-5 in the middle frame to bring both teams level 18-18 in the shots department through 40 minutes.
Montembeault kept things close in the third, holding the fort until Rem Pitlick found the late equalizer with 42 seconds left on the clock.

Mike Hoffman then looked to have scored the winner in OT, but his shot hit both posts without crossing the goal line, setting things up for a shootout.
Cole Caufield, Pitlick, and Hoffman all scored in the tiebreaker that went seven rounds, but goals from Jesper Bratt, Hughes, Dougie Hamilton, and Yegor Sharangovich gave New Jersey the edge.
The Canadiens will be back in action on Tuesday when they travel to Florida to take on the Panthers.