Montreal Canadiens' Mike Matheson (8) collides with Seattle Kraken goaltender Philipp Grubauer as Kraken's Justin Schultz (4) looks on during first period NHL hockey action in Montreal, Monday, December 4, 2023. THE CANADIAN PRESS/Graham Hughes
MONTREAL – Josh Anderson broke a 27-game goal drought dating back to last season with an empty-netter that sealed a 4-2 Montreal Canadiens win over the Seattle Kraken on Monday night.
With Montreal up 3-2, and Seattle pressing, Anderson floated the puck from his own zone and into the Kraken’s net with 32 seconds left to light up the Bell Centre.
Sean Monahan scored twice and Tanner Pearson also had a goal for Montreal (11-11-3), which won its first game at home since Nov. 11.
Anderson wasn’t the only one to get the monkey off his back. Monahan had gone 14 games without finding the back of the net, while Pearson broke a 19-game streak.
Samuel Montembeault made 31 saves in his first start since signing a three-year, US$9.45-million contract extension with the Canadiens.
Vince Dunn, with a goal and an assist, and Jared McCann scored for Seattle (8-12-6), which lost its fifth straight game.
Philipp Grubauer stopped 26 shots.
The Canadiens went 1-for-1 on the power play. The Kraken were 1-for-2.
Monahan opened the scoring at 4:03 of the first period. Jake Evans forced a turnover on the forecheck and the puck slid to Josh Anderson, who laid it on a platter for Monahan to tap it in at the side of the net.
With the ink still drying on his new deal, Montembeault looked sharp early and robbed Kraken forward Alex Wennberg on two separate occasions with left-pad saves on the doorstep.
Pearson doubled Montreal’s lead 3:12 into the second period by burying a rebound in front of the net.
Monahan scored his second on the power play to make it 3-0 at 6:58, finishing off a tick-tack-toe play between Cole Caufield and Nick Suzuki with a shot from the slot that beat Grubauer glove side. The 29-year-old leads the team with eight goals this season.
Seattle cut into the deficit before the end of the frame as McCann took advantage of a tired Montreal group following an icing and fired a wrist shot past Montembeault at 14:05 for his team-leading 12th.
Dunn brought the Kraken to within one with a slap shot over Montembeault’s right shoulder on the power play 4:49 into the third.
Oliver Bjorkstrand hit the post midway through the period as the Kraken looked to equalize. Jordan Eberle also had a chance to even the score with under three minutes left with a shot after the puck bounced off the end board, but Montembeault gobbled it up.
Seattle then pulled the goalie with 1:30 left before Anderson iced the game.
700 FOR GALLY
Veteran forward Brendan Gallagher played in his 700th NHL game, all with the Canadiens. Montreal drafted Gallagher in the fifth round, 147th overall, in the 2010 draft.
The 31-year-old from Edmonton has produced 207 goals and 198 assists with the Canadiens and becomes the 27th skater to reach the 700 milestone in franchise history. He added one assist to his totals on Monday.
XHEKAJ TO MINORS
The Canadiens activated defenceman Arber Xhekaj off injured reserve earlier Monday and loaned him to their American Hockey League affiliate, the Laval Rocket.
Xhekaj missed seven games with an upper-body injury suffered Nov. 16 against the Vegas Golden Knights. The 22-year-old has one goal and two assists in 17 games this season while averaging 14:44 in ice-time. He will report to the Rocket on Tuesday.
UP NEXT
Montreal: Hosts the Los Angeles Kings on Thursday.
Seattle: Hosts the New Jersey Devils on Thursday.
This report by The Canadian Press was first published Dec. 4, 2023.
