Jake Allen turned aside 34 shots, earning his fourth shutout of the season, as the New Jersey Devils blanked the Montreal Canadiens 4-0 on Saturday night.
Allen, who was traded from Montreal to New Jersey at last season’s deadline, denied Owen Beck on a penalty shot with 15 seconds left, capping off a dominant performance in his 20th start of the year.
Jesper Bratt and Jack Hughes each had a goal and an assist, while Paul Cotter and Luke Hughes also found the back of the net for New Jersey.
Montreal goaltender Sam Montembeault made 18 saves, but the Canadiens suffered their seventh loss in eight games.
Takeaways
Devils: Allen secured his second win over Montreal in two weeks, having made 29 saves in a 4-3 overtime victory against the Canadiens on Jan. 25.
Canadiens: Despite improving after a sluggish start, Montreal couldn’t find a way past Allen. He made key saves on Cole Caufield late in the first period and stopped Josh Anderson on a breakaway in the second.
Key Moment
During the pregame, in-house announcer Michel Lacroix urged fans to respect the national anthems despite recent tensions between Canada and the United States over trade disputes.
While there were sporadic jeers during the “Star-Spangled Banner,” the Bell Centre crowd passionately sang “O Canada.”
Key Stat
Bratt extended his point streak to eight games, tallying two goals and 10 assists during that span. Against Montreal this season, he has recorded four goals and three assists in three games.
Up Next
- Devils: Enter a two-week break for the 4 Nations Face-Off tournament before returning to host Dallas on Feb. 22.
- Canadiens: Host Tampa Bay on Sunday night.
