Suzuki, Slafkovsky lead Canadiens to 5-0 win over Ducks

Suzuki, Slafkovsky lead Canadiens to 5-0 win over Ducks

MONTREAL — Nick Suzuki had two goals and an assist as the Montreal Canadiens cruised to a 5-0 victory over the Anaheim Ducks on Tuesday night at Bell Centre.

The red-hot Suzuki extended his point streak to a career-high eight games, producing 13 points in that span, and is up to 51 points in 53 outings this season.

Cayden Primeau faced little action, making 13 saves in his first start since Jan. 20 as Montreal (22-23-8) earned its first shutout of the season.

Juraj Slafkovsky, who connected with Suzuki all night, had a goal and two assists for the first three-point game of his career. Jake Evans and Brandon Gignac — with his first NHL goal — also scored for the Canadiens.

Lukas Dostal stopped 33 shots for Anaheim (18-32-2), which was shut out for the sixth time this season.

After Montreal dominated the shots 12-6 in a scoreless first period, the home team cranked it up a notch in the second.

Evans broke the deadlock 1:43 into the period with his third of the season and first in 25 games, beating Dostal with a backhand after a give-and-go play with Tanner Pearson.

Suzuki doubled the lead at 9:37 to extend his streak. Slafkovsky patiently skated around Ducks defenceman Pavel Mintyukov on the break before laying a pinpoint pass from Suzuki to tip it in.

The two forwards connected again later in the period, this time on the power play, as Suzuki hammered home a cross-ice pass from Suzuki into an open cage to make it 3-0 with three minutes left in the period.

In full control, the Canadiens led the shots by a whopping 29-9 after 40 minutes.

Montreal added another power-play marker at 7:26 of the third. This time, Suzuki fed Slafkovsky for his 11th of the campaign.

Gignac, 26, scored his first goal on a 2-on-0 to make it 5-0 with under three minutes left as Montreal won the game handily — but not before tempers flared as players on both teams dropped the gloves in the final minutes.

GUHLE AVOIDS INJURY

The Canadiens avoided some more bad injury news as defenceman Kaiden Guhle dressed Tuesday night despite leaving Sunday’s loss to the St. Louis Blues in pain after a hit from Marco Scandella with under two minutes left.

Guhle has four goals and five assists in 49 games this season. In his second NHL season, the 22-year-old is averaging 20:58 in ice time — the second most among Montreal blueliners.

Defenceman Arber Xhekaj re-entered the Canadiens lineup for Jordan Harris, who’s listed day-to-day with an upper-body injury sustained against the Blues.

UP NEXT

Canadiens: Visit the New York Rangers on Thursday.

Ducks: Continue a three-game Eastern Canada road trip Thursday against the Ottawa Senators.

This report by The Canadian Press was first published Feb. 13, 2023.

Daniel Rainbird, The Canadian Press