Allen and Devils Stymie Canadiens with 4-0 Shutout

New Jersey Devils goalie Jake Allen shut out his former team on the road, beating the Montreal Canadiens 4-0 in a Saturday matinee. It was his second blank sheet (fourth this season) since he took over starting duties for the injured Jacob Markstrom, with Jesper Bratt and Jack Hughes helping to supply the offense with two points each.

Making 34 saves, Allen put an exclamation point on the road victory with a save on Owen Beck in the final minute on a penalty shot. His Canadiens counterpart, Sam Montembeault, who effectively beat Allen out for the starting job in Montreal with the latter’s trade out of town last deadline, made 18 saves on 22 shots.

Game Recap

Montembeault first got beat 13:43 into the first period, when Jesper Bratt cruised into the offensive zone, taking a wrist shot off a Tomas Tatar pass into the slot. Bratt got his second point of the game 12:44 into the second when Paul Cotter put home his rebound while falling to his knees. Jack Hughes got the secondary assist on the play, impressively able to get the puck to Bratt, while falling down himself on the play.

Hughes put it away less than two minutes into the third, taking the shot for the 3-0 score on a two-on-one odd-man rush with Bratt. Hughes’ brother, Luke, closed the scoring midway through the frame, stepping into a loose puck that beat Montembeault cleanly.

As the shot totals might indicate, the Canadiens had their share of chances, but obviously couldn’t beat Allen. Lane Hutson fed Cole Caufield with a cross-crease pass in the dying moments of the first period, which would have tied the game at one, but Allen got across in time. Josh Anderson also went backhand to no avail on a breakaway in the second period, with the Devils goalie standing tall. Allen is now 3-3 in his six starts since Markstrom got injured, having earned a .929 save percentage in that time.