Jake Allen made 34 saves, including one on a penalty shot, to help the visiting New Jersey Devils earn a 4-0 victory over the slumping Montreal Canadiens on Saturday afternoon.
Jack Hughes and Jesper Bratt each had a goal and an assist for New Jersey, which defeated Montreal for the 10th straight time. Paul Cotter and Luke Hughes also scored as the Devils avoided a second straight loss.
Montreal had a chance to break the shutout with 15.7 seconds left in the third period when the Canadiens earned a penalty after Hughes brought down Owen Beck from behind. Allen made a stop with a block on Beck’s ensuing wrist shot attempt from the low area.
It was the fourth shutout of the season for Allen, who started for the seventh time in eight games while senior goaltender Jacob Markstrom remains sidelined with a knee injury.
Sam Montembeault finished with 18 saves for Montreal, which suffered its seventh loss in eight games (1-6-1).
New Jersey took a 1-0 lead at 13:43 of the first period on Bratt’s quick wrist shot from the top of the slot after a Tomas Tatar pass beat Montembeault high on the glove side.
Montreal had a chance to tie it early in the second period when Josh Anderson lunged for a breakaway, but Allen blocked Anderson’s backhand attempt.
The Devils increased their lead to 2-0 at 12:44 of the second period when Cotter, falling to the ice on the right side of the scoring area, backhanded a Bratt shot into the empty net. It was Cotter’s 13th goal this season, tying a career high in his third full campaign.
Hughes made it 3-0 early in the third period when he delivered a wrist shot from the top of the right circle at the end of a 2-on-1 fast break with Bratt just after a Montreal power play expired.
Hughes extended the lead to 4-0 midway through the third quarter when he delivered a shot from the top of the left circle to the inside of the far post.