Montreal Canadiens goaltender Jacob Fowler made 30 saves and Zachary Bolduc scored the shootout winner as the Canadiens defeated the Detroit Red Wings 1-0 in a tightly contested game at the Bell Centre on Saturday.
The Canadiens’ victory ended a three-game losing streak and marked Fowler’s second career shutout, with the 21-year-old stopping all 30 shots he faced. Detroit’s Daniil Tarasov also turned aside 30 shots in his 100th NHL game, but Montreal’s resilience under pressure proved decisive. Fowler, a Melbourne, Fla. native, was making his second straight start for Montreal after being recalled from the Laval Rocket of the American Hockey League on Wednesday. He replaced Samuel Montembeault, who is expected to be sidelined for 10 to 14 days with a lower-body injury sustained during Wednesday’s team practice.
Disallowed Goals and Shootout Drama
Bolduc’s second-period goal at 7:03 was disallowed due to interference by Montreal forward Jake Evans on Red Wings goaltender Daniil Tarasov. Cole Caufield’s first-period shot at 1:16 was also disallowed after a video review determined the puck had not fully crossed the goal line. It can get frustrating when you think you have a goal and you take the lead, and the review takes a while,
Suzuki said, referring to the disallowed goals.
A lot of credit to the boys for staying resilient,
Fowler said after the game. It’s hard to line back up for a face-off after thinking you win the game in front of 20,000 people. So a lot of credit to our group for sticking with it and a huge goal by ‘Bolds’ there in the shootout.
The victory improved Montreal to 2-2-1 on the season, while Detroit fell to 1-3-1.
Power-Play Struggles and Fan Reactions
Montreal’s power play continued to struggle, converting just 1-for-17 (5.9 per cent) on the season. The Canadiens’ inability to capitalize on man-advantage opportunities was a recurring theme, with the team failing to score on all four of their chances against the Red Wings. The Habs’ power play even came up empty-handed during a lengthy spell while Red Wings forward Andrew Copp was without a stick.
The crowd at the Bell Centre was vocal throughout the game, with repeated chants of We want Larkin!
directed at Detroit forward Dylan Larkin. Larkin, who requested a trade from Detroit during the off-season, drew the fan response while playing his third straight game for the Red Wings. It never would have imagined that in this building in my career, but they’re passionate fans,
Larkin said. In my opinion, this is the best atmosphere in hockey.
Larkin, a former Red Wings captain, has shown little interest in joining Montreal or any other Canadian team despite the chants. Canadiens fans also showed appreciation for Larkin, with the crowd repeatedly breaking into cheers for the American forward.
The game marked Tarasov’s first start with the Red Wings since signing as a free agent on July 1. Fowler (21 years, 320 days) is the fifth Canadiens goalie to record multiple shutouts at age 21 or younger. Fowler faced the second-most shootout attempts (six) without allowing a goal in Canadiens history.
Historical Context and Future Outlook
The Canadiens will look to build on this win when they host the Buffalo Sabres on Tuesday. For Detroit, the loss continues a difficult start to the season, with the team averaging just two goals per game. Both teams will need to address their power-play inefficiencies as the season progresses. Montreal’s next game is scheduled for Tuesday, while Detroit will face the New Jersey Devils on the same day.