NHL-worst Sharks snap 12-game losing streak with 3-2 victory over Canadiens
By The Associated Press on January 11, 2024.
MONTREAL (AP) – Mackenzie Blackwood made 33 shots and the NHL-worst San Jose Sharks snapped a 12-game losing streak with a 3-2 victory over the Montreal Canadiens on Thursday night. Luke Kunin, Fabian Zetterlund, Nikita Okhotiuk also scored for San Jose. The Sharks improved to 9-29-3, winning for the first time since Dec. 12. They opened the season with an 11-game skid. Brendan Gallagher and Mike Matheson scored for Montreal and Sam Montembeault made 32 saves. The Canadiens fell to 17-17-6 a night after falling 3-2 in a shootout in Philadelphia. With the Canadiens down 3-1 entering the third period, jeers – and some sarcastic “Ole! Ole! chants – rained down from the home crowd. Captain Nick Suzuki had a chance to bring Montreal within one on a short-handed breakaway midway through the frame, but Blackwood shut the door on a back-and-forth move. The Canadiens pulled Montembeault with five minutes left for an extra attacker. After 1 1/2 minutes of sustained pressure, Matheson scored on a shot from the point with 3:34 left. Kunin opened the scoring at 5:19 of the first after a turnover by Canadiens defenseman Jayden Struble. With his back turned in the corner, Struble blindly sent the puck in front of the net and onto Kunin’s stick. Tomas Hertl set up Zetterlund in front with a slick feed from behind the net to make it 2-0 with 2:35 left in the period. But Montreal responded 21 seconds later when Brendan Gallagher’s one-timer from the slot off a pass from Matheson beat Blackwood. Matheson got his 200th career point on the play. Okhotiuk restored the two-goal lead with 3:16 left in the second. He finished off a feed from Mikael Granlund for his first goal of the season. UP NEXT Sharks: At Ottawa on Saturday. Canadiens: Host Edmonton on Saturday night. ___ AP NHL: https://apnews.com/hub/nhl 16-15
