Zachary Bolduc scored twice and Lane Hutson registered three assists as the host Montreal Canadiens scored four unanswered goals for a 4-1 victory over the reeling Chicago Blackhawks on Thursday night.
Nick Suzuki added a goal and an assist and Noah Dobson also scored as the Canadiens outshot the Blackhawks 35-15 to win for the third time in five games (3-1-1). Montreal’s Jakub Dobes recorded 14 saves.
The game featured three goals disallowed, two going against Montreal.
However, that proved a nonfactor as Chicago managed an early goal from Frank Nazar but nothing more. Spencer Knight made 31 saves for the Blackhawks, who have dropped four straight, the past three without injured star Connor Bedard (shoulder).
Chicago thought it opened the scoring a little more than four minutes into the game, but Alex Vlasic’s goal was overturned after it was determined teammate Ilya Mikheyev interfered with the goaltender.
The Blackhawks eventually got on the board first at 7:27 of in the opening frame. Matt Grzelcyk sent the puck toward the net from the point, and Nazar was there to direct it by Dobes and snap a six-game point drought.
Montreal answered at 14:23 of the first period. Off a Cole Caufield pass from behind the net, Bolduc successfully sent a snap shot from the slot past Knight.
With 3:03 remaining in the second, it was the Canadiens’ turn to have a goal overturned. After a video-review challenge by Chicago, Brendan Gallagher’s tip-in goal on the power play was disallowed after the initial Montreal entry was deemed offside.
Montreal, however, took the lead just 20 seconds into the third. Moments after another power-play chance ended, the Canadiens struck as Bolduc redirected Hutson’s shot past a seemingly unsuspecting Knight.
Less than a minute later, it again appeared Montreal scored through Josh Anderson, but Chicago again put forth a successful challenge that proved the play was offside. The Canadiens did add on halfway through the third via Dobson, who shoveled the puck from behind the Blackhawks’ net, then off the glove of Knight and over the goal line.
Suzuki secured the victory by scoring into an empty net at 16:29.
–Field Level Media
