Canadiens encouraged with rebound win over Capitals – Winnipeg Free Press

MONTREAL – Montreal Canadiens coach Martin St. Louis admitted a 4-3 overtime loss to the visiting New York Islanders left a bitter taste with his players.

Montreal led Thursday’s game 3-2 late in the third, but the Islanders rallied with the game-tying goal in the final two minutes before scoring in the extra period.

The way that game ended was a point of emphasis on Saturday morning before the Canadiens hosted the visiting Washington Capitals.

“I think we learned from that,” said Canadiens forward Cole Caufield. “We weren’t too happy with ourselves and how we handled that third period (against the Islanders). Obviously, we knew we needed to have a good start and play a full 60 minutes (Saturday).”

The Canadiens entered the third period on Saturday with a 4-1 lead, thanks in large part to Caufield’s two first-period goals, the first of which came just 30 seconds into the game.

“When you get a goal the first shift of the game, it kind of sets the tone for the rest,” said Canadiens captain Nick Suzuki, who finished the game with a goal and two assists.

“It was a good start,” added Caufield. “We needed that tonight. It’s pretty cool to get those two early but, obviously, getting chances is the most important thing.”

While the Capitals would trim the deficit to two, courtesy of captain Alex Ovechkin’s second goal of the night, Montreal was determined to not let the lead, or the game, slip away from them again.

“What I liked best about the game was how we managed the third period,” said St. Louis. “I know it’s different from the other night because we were leading by more, but they scored a goal to cut the deficit to two goals. We managed it better. We continued to play in the third.”

Suzuki was also proud of his team’s commitment to finishing the game properly.

“I think there’s some points in the game where we probably were sitting a little too far back,” said Suzuki. “Sometimes, you get uncomfortable when you keep losing the lead. I thought we did a better job of not trying to be too safe out there.”

The Canadiens have seen a third-period lead turn into a loss on eight occasions this season, including three in regulation time.

Montreal currently sits third in the Atlantic Division standings with 75 points, just one point back of the second-place Buffalo Sabres, who have played one more game than the Canadiens.

With the Detroit Red Wings just one point back of Montreal entering play Sunday, Caufield recognizes the importance of not letting teams back into games, especially as the team gets set to enter the final two months of the regular season.