Allen’s 49 saves, Byron’s late goal lifts Canadiens over Maple Leafs to end homestand
MONTREAL — Jake Allen had a spectacular outing, irritating the Toronto Maple Leafs with 49 saves to guide the Montreal Canadiens to a 4-2 victory Saturday.
The day after the Canadiens (18-37-10) turned the primary NHL group eradicated from playoff competition, Allen gave them an opportunity to defeat their rivals.
Since getting back from a lower-body harm, Allen has performed the final 5 video games and recorded two 40-plus save nights.
The netminder was steadfast in saying that he needed to assist his group win going ahead even with the playoffs out of the image.
“I mentioned to myself, ‘I wish to come again’ and I did not wish to be a cause that this factor slipped,” Allen mentioned. “I wish to come again and actually be a contributor and a frontrunner right here.”
“These guys proper now make me excited for each sport to play and despite the fact that we’re out of the playoffs and we’re in final place, it would not actually matter proper now. We’re enjoying for lots greater than that.”
Paul Byron, who netted the go-ahead aim late within the third interval, mentioned he was not stunned by Allen’s efficiency as a result of he is “performed like that each one 12 months.”
“I feel he’s been one among our most constant gamers all 12 months,” Byron added. “He offers full effort each sport and he made so many huge saves to maintain us within the sport. Our first interval wasn’t nice, there was numerous stress in our zone and to have the ability to get into the second interval at 1-1 gave us numerous confidence.”
“In video games like that towards huge groups, you want your goalie to be the very best participant,” mentioned interim coach Martin St. Louis. “That’s what he was tonight.”
Byron rewarded his netminder’s efforts by scoring the eventual game-winner with simply over two minutes to go. He skated the puck the size of the ice and waited patiently earlier than beating Erik Kallgren between the pads.
Kallgren, who made 14 saves within the loss, argued that he “tried to play him however I knew he had different guys with him.” In the end, Byron took the shot and sealed the win.
“I wasn’t stunned, however five-hole was most likely his finest likelihood to attain there,” mentioned Kallgren. “So it positively sucks that he managed to.”
The loss stung a Maple Leafs (40-19-5) facet trying to end as excessive as attainable within the Japanese Convention to keep away from the league’s heavy-hitters within the first spherical of the playoffs.
“Clearly not proud of the consequence,” Kallgren added. “I positively needed to offer the fellows a great likelihood to win it. Undoubtedly, positively, stung.”
David Savard scored in back-to-back video games whereas Cole Caufield and Christian Dvorak, into the empty web, added targets for Montreal. Savard and Byron every added a helper and Nick Suzuki notched two assists.
Auston Matthews and William Nylander scored whereas Mitch Marner picked up two assists for Toronto.
Byron took benefit of a Toronto turnover with simply over two minutes to go within the sport.
The Maple Leafs took 36 seconds to seek out the opening marker. Michael Bunting, sliding on his knees, discovered Matthews with a move and the winger matched his career-high aim tally of 47 with a one-timer.
Dvorak thought he levelled the rating for the Canadiens however Leafs coach Sheldon Keefe challenged the play for offside. The overview confirmed Suzuki cross the blue line earlier than the puck and the aim was overturned.
Savard lastly tied the sport 1-1 at 9:44 of the second when he caught Laurent Dauphin’s cross-ice move and tapped in Montreal’s equalizer.
Caufield made Toronto pay for Justin Holl’s interference name with a go-ahead power-play aim. The winger notched his 14th marker of the season with a wrist shot from the left face-off circle at 18:08 of the second interval.
Nylander made it a 2-2 sport when he grabbed a unfastened puck within the slot, discovered his means round Allen and notched a power-play aim.
Dvorak lastly bought his aim again with the late empty-netter after Byron put Montreal up 3-2.
NOTES: Montreal misplaced Tyler Pitlick and Michael Pezzetta to accidents within the first and second interval, respectively, and didn’t return. Each are dominated out of the Canadiens’ journey with upper-body accidents… Jesse Ylonen was recalled from AHL’s Laval Rocket… Jonathan Drouin will search a second opinion after aggravating a wrist harm picked up throughout Montreal’s 3-2 OT loss to the Boston Bruins to doubtlessly keep away from surgical procedure. He stays in isolation after coming in touch with an individual who examined optimistic for COVID-19… Montreal wore orange jerseys within the pre-game warmup for Indigenous Celebration Night time. The nationwide anthem was sung in French, Cree and English.
This report by The Canadian Press was first revealed March 26, 2022.
Tristan D’Amours, The Canadian Press
