VGK@MTL: Game recap

MONTREAL - Despite a dominant first period, the Canadiens allowed five unanswered goals and were defeated 5-2 by the Vegas Golden Knights at the Bell Centre on Saturday.

Cedric Paquette was back in the lineup after serving a two-game suspension for his hit on Anaheim Ducks forward Trevor Zegras.
Brendan Gallagher and Nick Suzuki also dressed after head coach Dominique Ducharme had said they'd be game-time decisions earlier in the day.

The Habs were strong out of the gate, and spent a good chunk of the first half of the opening frame pressing in Vegas' end. In fact, they didn't allow the visitors their first shot on goal until 10:58 into the game, getting 12 shots before the Knights got their first.
Suzuki opened the scoring late in the period on the power play. With the Habs once again pressing in the Vegas zone, the Montreal centerman buried the rebound on Mike Hoffman's second straight shot on Golden Knights starter Robin Lehner for his third goal of the season - and third goal in three games.

Hoffman earned an assist on the play, his 400th career NHL point.

Ninety-one seconds later, Gallagher sent Tyler Toffoli on a breakaway, and the Canadiens winger showed incredible poise and beat Lehner on his backhand with a perfectly timed deke.

Gallagher and Suzuki picked up assists on the goal.
The Habs headed to the room up 2-0 after 20 minutes, and limited the Golden Knights to that lone shot on goal while registering 20 of their own.
The Golden Knights got back into the game in the second. With Ben Chiarot in the box for delay of game, Alex Pietrangelo unleashed a one-timer which beat Jake Allen to cut the Habs' lead to one at the 5:16 mark.
Vegas would tie the game just over five minutes later, when Jonathan Marchessault found himself in perfect position to bury a rebound from in close for his fifth of the season to make it 2-2.
Just over 90 seconds later, on another power play, the Golden Knights took their first lead of the night when Dylan Coghlan wristed it through traffic to beat Allen and put the visitors ahead 3-2.
That's where things stood after two periods of play.
The third period remained a scoreless affair until late in the game. With a player from each side in the box with with under four minutes to play, the Habs pulled Allen in favor of an extra attacker, but Chandler Stephenson broke free and gave his team an insurance marker into the gaping net.
Brayden McNabb would add an empty-netter of his own in the final minute of play.
The Canadiens play again on Tuesday night, when the Los Angeles Kings are in town for their only visit to the Bell Centre of the season. For tickets to that game,
click here
.