There was a lot for the Montreal Canadiens to like about Saturday night’s tilt at the Bell Centre against the Detroit Red Wings… except the final 4-0 score as goalie John Gibson made 27 saves for the shutout, while Alex DeBrincat scored and collected two assists.
Game Recap
DeBrincat all but sealed the game seconds in the third. With the Red Wings already leading 2-0, he pounced on a loose puck in the slot to beat Canadiens goalie Jacob Fowler, who, for his part, made 21 saves. He added assists on Dylan Larkin’s power-play marker midway through the second, which doubled the visitors’ lead to 2-0 at that point in time, and Andrew Copp’s empty-net goal, which for all intents and purposes actually sealed the win.
Detroit Red Wings forward Alex DeBrincat – (Amy Irvin / The Hockey Writers)
Lucas Raymond opened the scoring five minutes into the middle frame, taking advantage of an unexpected bounce off the boards that left Fowler, who had left the cage to play the puck, at his mercy. The Red Wings forward easily deposited it in for the score for what was effectively his team’s second empty-netter of the game.
Heading in, the host Canadiens had to have been smiling before the Red Wings crashed their feel-good party. Firstly defenseman Kaiden Guhle returned to action after missing 39 games with a partially torn abductor muscle. Secondly, Nick Suzuki was playing in his 500th straight (and overall NHL) game, having never missed one in his career, as the team’s resident iron man.
Related: Projected Lineups for Red Wings vs Canadiens – 01/10/26
Ultimately though, the Red Wings avenged an early-season 5-1 loss to the Canadiens, who failed to generate much offense, their best looks at Gibson only coming late in the game, once they pulled Fowler, with five minutes remaining. Despite sustained pressure, Oliver Kapanen arguably earned the best opportunity when he failed to hit it in from out the air (for what would have been the second time in two games). That should tell you all you need to know, about how the Habs fared in the offensive zone, in that they didn’t.
The game was for first place in the Atlantic Division, with both teams tied in terms of points, but the Canadiens leading the Red Wings purely on points percentage heading into the contest. The Red Wings now take the lead, while the Habs fall to third place, the victorious Tampa Bay Lightning leapfrogging them.
The 25-13-6 Canadiens host the Vancouver Canucks on Tuesday in their next game. The 27-15-4 Red Wings host the Carolina Hurricanes on Monday in a game for first place in the Eastern Conference.