Bernier Makes 42 Saves, Red Wings down Canadiens
MONTREAL — Jonathan Bernier made 42 saves as the league-worst Detroit Red Wings downed the Montreal Canadiens 2-1 Saturday night.
Tyler Bertuzzi and Mike Green scored for the Red Wings (9-22-3), who have won two games in a row since dropping 12 straight. Green also added an assist.
Tomas Tatar scored in the game’s final minute for the Canadiens (15-12-6), who saw their three-game win streak come to an end. Carey Price made 18 saves in defeat.
Montreal outshot Detroit 43-20.
The Red Wings snapped a 12-game winless streak (0-10-2) by beating the Winnipeg Jets 5-2 on Thursday.
Jeff Blashill’s men still came into Bell Centre with the league’s worst record and worst offence, but they only needed two goals to defeat the Canadiens.
The Wings took a 1-0 lead after 3:21 on Bertuzzi’s 11th of the season. Dylan Larkin orchestrated the goal by stealing the puck from Shea Weber behind the net before feeding a wide-open Bertuzzi in the slot.
The game remained close until Green doubled Detroit’s lead at 7:42 of the third on the power play. Green fooled Price blocker side with a one-timer from the point that went off the post and in. Riley Barber was in the box for slashing.
The Canadiens had their chances, though, before Green made it 2-0.
Jordan Weal fired a shot off the crossbar in the first period and Joel Armia’s soft backhand hit the post in the second.
Bernier did the rest. The Laval, Que., native denied Phillip Danault on a short-handed breakaway in the first. He made key saves on Brendan Gallagher and Nick Cousins, from the slot, in the second.
With Montreal piling on the pressure in the third, the Red Wings goalie made his best save of the night on rookie Nick Suzuki, with his glove, while sprawled out on the ice.
Tatar scored a consolation goal for Montreal with 47 seconds remaining on the clock in the third.
Bernier earned his second victory against the Canadiens this season after a 4-2 triumph in Montreal’s home opener.
Wings leading goal scorer Anthony Mantha, who missed the last eight games with a lower-body injury, was back in the lineup. Winger Andreas Athanasiou also returned from injury after missing two matches.
The Canadiens embark on their annual Christmas road trip. They play seven games away from Bell Centre to end the calendar year.
Notes
Gallagher and Danault’s five-game point streaks came to an end. … Price had allowed one goal in each of his previous two starts.
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This report by The Canadian Press was first published Dec. 14, 2019.
Kelsey Patterson, The Canadian Press
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