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Captain Nick Suzuki scores the winner as Habs additionally finish streak of shedding 12 straight video games after giving up the primary aim.
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The Canadiens did one thing Wednesday night time in Columbus that they hadn’t executed all season.
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They received a sport after giving up the primary aim, beating the Blue Jackets 4-3 in extra time on a aim by Nick Suzuki.
Mathieu Olivier opened the scoring for the Blue Jackets at 9:08 of the primary interval. It marked the thirteenth time this season the Canadiens had allowed the primary aim they usually have been 0-9-3 the primary 12 instances. The Canadiens have been the one workforce within the NHL that hadn’t received a sport this season after giving up the primary aim.
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This was additionally the primary OT win for the Canadiens this season after shedding the primary thrice they usually improved their file to 8-11-3.
Juraj Slafkovsky, Cole Caufield and Emil Heineman scored for the Canadiens in regulation time. Heineman’s fifth aim of the season gave the Canadiens a 3-2 lead at 8:24 of the third interval earlier than Zach Werenski tied it up for the Blue Jackets at 12:22. Werenski’s aim accomplished a Gordie Howe hat trick (a aim, an help and a struggle) after he dropped the gloves with Brendan Gallagher late within the second interval.
Slafkovsky’s aim was his second of the season and his first in 15 video games, relationship again to Oct. 14. Slafkovsky additionally assisted on Caufield’s thirteenth aim of the season.
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Caufield switched from No. 22 to No. 13 this season in honour of Johnny Gaudreau after the Blue Jackets star and his brother, Matthew, have been killed on Aug. 29 whereas driving their bikes. They have been hit by an alleged drunk driver close to their house city in New Jersey the night time earlier than their sister was scheduled to get married.
Caufield’s thirteenth aim and his first in six video games got here with a No. 13 banner in honour of Gaudreau hanging from the rafters of Nationwide Enviornment.
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“I can’t mislead you … I used to be for positive excited about that going into this sport,” Caufield instructed Marc Denis of RDS after the sport. “You may’t write a narrative like that. It’s fairly loopy how the world works. Truthfully, simply misplaced for phrases. It feels fairly particular to see his quantity within the rafters right here. Simply the kind of particular person he was. You may’t write a script like that. I do know he’s wanting down on us and all people. That’s all for him.”
The 23-year-old Caufield, who’s 5-foot-8, grew up in Wisconsin admiring the 5-foot-9 Gaudreau, who was eight years older. They have been teammates in Might with Workforce USA on the IIHF world championship in Czechia.
Final season, when Caufield scored a career-high 28 targets, he didn’t get his thirteenth aim till the forty third sport on Jan. 15.
The Canadiens have been coming off a 3-2 extra time loss to the Utah Hockey Membership Tuesday night time on the Bell Centre wherein they solely had 13 photographs on aim. They’d 23 photographs in opposition to the Blue Jackets and Canadiens goalie Cayden Primeau stopped 21 of the 24 photographs he confronted.
“Only a large workforce win,” Primeau instructed reporters in Columbus after the sport.
Suzuki known as it a strong sport total by the Canadiens.
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“Nothing too particular,” the captain instructed reporters in Columbus. “Simply working arduous, protecting issues easy and we received end result out of that. Particularly on a back-to-back, we actually have to play like that and I used to be happy with the blokes for doing that.
“I assumed (head coach Martin St. Louis) was rolling all 4 traces,” Suzuki added. “It’s very nice on a back-to-back when you are able to do that and don’t need to shorten the bench. Guys performed numerous good video games and it’s getting momentum for us.”
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Slafkovsky was on the fourth line in opposition to Utah, however St. Louis juggled his traces in opposition to Columbus and moved him as much as the second line with Christian Dvorak and Gallagher.
“When adjustments like this occur, you simply hope that the whole lot will click on and fortunately it clicked and we received the win and that’s necessary,” Slafkovsky instructed reporters in Columbus.
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“I used to be transferring somewhat higher and doing good choices,” Slafkovsky added. “There’s at all times one thing I might do higher, however I feel total it was not unhealthy.”
Gallagher isn’t identified for preventing and the 5-foot-9, 185-pounder was giving up 5 inches and 26 kilos to Werenski after they dropped the gloves after some stick work between them. They have been each penalized for slashing and preventing.
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“There’s a cause for it,” Gallagher instructed reporters in Columbus with a smile about him not preventing usually. “The sport occurs. Generally it occurs. That’s why it’s allowed within the sport. You agree it and you progress on. Clearly, not one thing both of us do a complete bunch of, however it’s a part of the sport.”
The Canadiens headed to New York after the sport and shall be again in motion Saturday in opposition to the Rangers (1 p.m., TSN2, RDS) earlier than wrapping up this three-game highway journey Sunday in Boston in opposition to the Bruins (3 p.m., SN, RDS).
“You’re simply driving for consistency,” Gallagher mentioned. “We drop the puck subsequent sport, we received to try to proceed to place these factors collectively and climb again up. Get pleasure from it for somewhat bit, however you progress on fairly fast.”
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