Dach scores 1st goal since 2023, Canadiens beat Blues on home ice

MONTREAL (AP) — Cole Caufield scored his seventh goal of the season, Kirby Dach scored for the first time since 2023 and the Montreal Canadiens beat the St. Louis Blues 5-2 Saturday.

Montreal jumped out to a 2-0 lead with goals from Dach and Jake Evans before the Blues tied it with goals from Colton Parayko and Jake Neighbours.

Alex Newhook and Caufield’s goals at the end of the second period and the beginning of the third put the Canadiens in control, and Joel Armia added another into an empty net to put the game out of reach.

Sam Montembeault had 29 saves in the win, while Jordan Binnington let in four goals on 25 Canadien shots.

Canadiens: Special teams have long been a sore spot for Montreal, but it has shown early signs of turning that around this season. With a power-play goal and a penalty kill, both units contributed to the win.

Blues: Outside of their response to Montreal’s second goal, St. Louis’ offensive zone presence was largely forgettable. They managed to outshoot the Canadiens but failed to create any real danger for the majority of the game.

With a two-goal lead and eight minutes left in the game, the Canadiens faced a crucial short-handed situation. Not only did Montreal kill off the penalty, but it managed to create scoring threats of its own.

Dach scored his first goal since March 23, 2023 after missing the entire 2023-2024 season with a torn ACL.

The Blues visit the Senators on Tuesday, while Montreal plays at Philadelphia on Sunday.

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AP NHL: https://apnews.com/hub/nhl