The Montreal Canadiens continued to solidify their hold on the final playoff spot in the Eastern Conference with a 3-2 win over the Philadelphia Flyers on Saturday night at the Bell Centre. With the victory, the Canadiens opened up a four-point lead on the New York Rangers for the second wild-card spot in the East.
Brendan Gallagher, Lane Hutson and Nick Suzuki (shorthanded goal) scored for the Canadiens. Ryan Poehling and Tyson Foerster found the net for the Flyers.
Here are the three most impressive Montreal Canadiens players from their 3-2 over the Philadelphia Flyers on Saturday night.
3 most impressive Montreal Canadiens from win over Philadelphia Flyers
#1. Samuel Montembeault
Montreal Canadiens starting goaltender Samuel Montembeault had a solid game against the Flyers. Montembeault stopped 21 of 23 shots, keeping the Canadiens in the game as the Flyers made a late push to tie the game in the third period.
The win marked Montembeault’s fourth straight. In each of those games, he’s allowed two goals or fewer — a promising trend as the Canadiens continue their playoff push.
#2. Lane Hutson
Montreal Canadiens rookie star Lane Hutson was a force on the ice on Saturday night. He skated in over 22 minutes across 22 shifts. He had a shot on goal and three blocks.
Hutson found the back of the net for this sixth goal of the season. Here’s a look at the tally:
Hutson’s highlight-reel goal saw him go coast-to-coast before beating Flyers goaltender Ivan Fedotov from a sharp angle. The goal is already being discussed as one of the season’s best.
For his efforts, Lane Hutson was named the game’s second star.
#3. Nick Suzuki
The Canadiens’ captain delivered on Saturday night. Nick Suzuki tallied a goal and an assist en route to being named the game’s first star.
His shorthanded goal stood out as the game’s defining moment:
Suzuki took advantage of a lazy Flyers forecheck on the power play, chased down the puck deep in the Philadelphia zone, circled the net and beat Fedotov with a wraparound shot.
The Canadiens will be back on the ice on Sunday night as they take on the Nashville Predators at the Bridgestone Arena.
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