National Hockey League
Montreal 4, Ottawa 1
When: 7:00 PM ET, Thursday, April 1, 2021
Where: Canadian Tire Centre, Ottawa, Ontario
Referees: Marc Joannette, Brad Meier
Linesmen: Steve Barton, David Brisebois
Attendance: N/A

The line of Phillip Danault, Brendan Gallagher, and Tomas Tatar combined for six points as the visiting Montreal Canadiens collected a 4-1 victory over the Ottawa Senators on Thursday.

Danault and Gallagher each had a goal and an assist for the Habs, while Tatar had two assists. Jake Evans also had two assists, as the second-year forward recorded his first multi-point game in the NHL.

Corey Perry and Paul Byron scored Montreal's other goals.

The Canadiens have won three straight games and are 4-0-2 over their last six games. The last two victories came after a nine-day hiatus due to COVID-19 protocols, as the Habs returned from their unexpected break with 120 minutes of dominant hockey, including Tuesday's 4-0 shutout of the Edmonton Oilers.

Jake Allen stopped 22 of 23 shots to end a personal six-game (0-2-4) winless drought.

Connor Brown spoiled Allen's shutout bid at 18:13 of the third period for Ottawa's only goal. Brown's goal came on the power play, snapping an 0-for-15 power-play drought for the Senators that stretched through almost six full games.

The Senators suffered the first regulation loss of their seven-game homestand after posting a 3-0-3 record in the first six contests.

Danault's third goal of the season opened the scoring for Montreal midway through the first period. After collecting only 11 points over his first 28 games, Danault has eight points (two goals, six assists) over his last five games.

This revival has coincided with Danault being reunited on a line with Gallagher and Tatar. The trio has combined for 22 points (nine goals, 13 assists) over the Canadiens' last five games.

Just 48 seconds into the second period, Evans' pass found a wide-open Byron in front of the Senators' net for Montreal's league-leading eighth short-handed goal of the season.

Senators goalie Filip Gustavsson stopped 34 of 38 shots.

Ottawa forward Colin White left the game late in the second period due to an upper-body injury.

The Canadiens improved to 3-1-2 in six games against the Senators this season. The two clubs play again on Saturday in Montreal.

--Field Level Media

Top Game Performances
 
Montreal   Ottawa
Phillip Danault 2 Points Connor Brown 1
Phillip Danault 1 Goals Connor Brown 1
Jake Evans 2 Assists Josh Norris 1
N/A Power Play Goals Connor Brown 1
Paul Byron 1 Short Handed Goals N/A
Jake Allen .957 Save Percentage Filip Gustavsson .895
Jake Allen 22 Saves Filip Gustavsson 34
Team Stats Summary
 
Team Shots Goals Power Play Penalty Kill Penalty Mins Face Offs Won
Montreal 38 4 0-3 1-2 4 27
Ottawa 23 1 1-2 3-3 6 29
Upcoming Games
  • Ottawa will play their next game on the road against Montreal. The Senators have a W/L % of .333 after a win and .292 after a loss.
  • Montreal will play their next game at home against Ottawa. The Canadiens have a W/L % of .400 after a win and .588 after a loss.