Canadiens Lineup

Mike Hoffman – Nick Suzuki – Brendan Gallagher

Jonathan Drouin – Christian Dvorak – Josh Anderson

Tyler Toffoli – Mathieu Perreault – Cole Caufield

Artturi Lehkonen – Jake Evans – Joel Armia

Ben Chiarot – Jeff Petry

Brett Kulak – Sami Niku

Alexander Romanov – David Savard

Jake Allen – Sam Montembeault

Adam Brooks, Cedric Paquette, Chris Wideman

Joel Edmundson (family), Carey Price (player assistance program), Paul Byron (hip), Mattias Norlinder (lower-body), Shea Weber (multiple injuries)

Game Report

When you need a win and you’re playing the Wings, call for the Jets. Well, former Jets, that is. The game’s three stars were Mathieu Perreault, Sami Niku and Ben Chiarot. And all three were teammates in the Manitoba capital.

But things didn’t start well.

It was Chiarot who took the game’s first penalty just five minutes into the first period. Seven seconds later the Red Wings scored on the power-play with Jake Allen losing his net. It was the ninth goal allowed by Montreal this season while short-handed, most in the NHL.

The lively, Saturday-night Bell Centre crowd suddenly became silent. And nervous. It took almost nine minutes for Chiarot to make up for his penalty, scoring his first of the season. Just two minutes later Mike Hoffman scored his first goal in a Canadiens jersey on the power-play (of course!)

Speaking of firsts, Christian Dvorak scored his first goal as a Canadien with Niku recording his first point (more on him later.) Four minutes later, the floodgates were opened as Perreault scored his first as a Hab, and his first of three on the night.

Niku, playing in his first game as a Canadien, had two assists, had a plus-3 rating and was on the ice for four Canadiens goals. It was a tremendous debut for the 25-year-old defenceman playing 15:21.

Perreault, an unlikely centre between Tyler Toffoli and Cole Caufield, had a hat trick and the thrill of hearing his name chanted by the happy Bell Centre fans.

Chiarot finished the night with a goal and an assist, a team-leading four blocked shots and a team-leading three hits.

Finally in the win column

The Canadiens picked up their first win and points of the NHL season. It will certainly bring a lighter mood to the long flight to Seattle on Sunday.

The five game losing streak is over. That said, problems remain. But it should be easier to address issues without the potential records of futility hanging above their heads.

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