The Montreal Canadiens opened a five-goal lead and held on for a 5-2 victory against the Boston Bruins at TD Garden on Thursday, November 13.
That win put the Canadiens one point ahead of the Bruins and tied with the Tampa Bay Lightning atop the Atlantic Division standings. According to sportsnet.ca, Jacob Fowler made 16 of his 30 saves after Montreal took its 5-0 advantage.
Il n’y a rien comme une victoire face à nos rivaux de Boston ✌️ Nothing like an Original Six rivalry win#GoHabsGo pic.twitter.com/l4NPPPOEZz
“It wasn’t our best game tonight,” Martin St. Louis told sportsnet.ca.
Blue Line Control Challenges
Montreal allowed 56 controlled entries to the Bruins, including 10 straight in the first 10 minutes of the third period and another eight before the final buzzer, as tracked by SportLogiq. The team came into the final frame up 5-1 before Casey Mittelstadt scored for Boston.
Jake Evans, Nick Suzuki, Mike Matheson, Phillip Danault, and St. Louis all said that the Bruins pressed hard with their defencemen active in every rush. This marked the 13th time in 18 games that Montreal led by at least two goals.
“It’s tough because I think the other team, they’re trying to possess more and they’re not as predictable,” St. Louis told sportsnet.ca.
Canadiens blocked 23 shots to preserve the lead
St. Louis previously praised his team’s ability to limit controlled entries during a Game 1 win in Toronto, where the Maple Leafs dumped the puck 17 times out of 20 zone-crossing attempts after the first period. Doing the same thing while holding a three-goal lead remains a stiffer test.
The Canadiens blocked 23 shots in front of Fowler to preserve their advantage. Matheson pointed out that the group had to play with heavy desperation late in the contest.
“When there were chances, I felt like we did a good job of getting in lanes and things like that and playing with desperation when we had to,” Mike Matheson told sportsnet.ca.
Questions about the game at TD Garden
Where was the game played?
The game took place at TD Garden in Boston.
How many saves did Jacob Fowler make?
Jacob Fowler stopped 30 shots for the Canadiens, with 16 of those saves coming after Montreal built a 5-0 lead.
What is Montreal’s record through 18 games?
The Canadiens hold a 12-3-4 record on their season following the November 13 victory.