Canadiens hold off Bedard, Blackhawks in home opener

MONTREAL (AP) — Cole Caufield scored the first of three second-period goals as the Montreal Canadiens defeated Connor Bedard and the Chicago Blackhawks 3-2 in their home opener on Saturday night.

Bedard, hockey’s most anticipated prospect since Connor McDavid, received a not-so-warm welcome from a Bell Center crowd that booed the hockey phenom every time he touched the puck.

Tanner Pearson and Sean Monahan also scored for Montreal, which earned its first win of the young season.

Canadiens goaltender Sam Montembeault made 28 saves to earn a win in his first start of the season.

Tyler Johnson scored both goals for Chicago. Blackhawks netminder Petr Mrazek stopped 33 shots.

Bedard, who has one goal and one assist in three games this season after going first-overall in June’s entry draft, displayed his poise and world-class skill throughout the evening.

Caufield, Montreal’s top goal scorer, showed that Bedard wasn’t the only one on the ice with moves, however.

With the game scoreless early in the second period, Caufield danced around Chicago rookie Kevin Korchinski before hitting a rebound from his own backhand shot out of mid-air and into the net.

Pearson — acquired via trade from Vancouver before training camp — added to the lead at 7:56 with a blistering wrist shot that beat Mrazek over his left shoulder. It was his first goal for the Canadiens.

Monahan made it 3-0 with just over two minutes left in the period, taking a breakaway pass from forward Rafael Harvey-Pinard down the ice and scoring with a wrist shot. Montreal outshot Chicago 15-5 in the period.

Johnson cut Chicago’s deficit to two 35 seconds into the third after a lucky bounce found its way onto his stick in front of the net.

The Blackhawks built off that momentum and dominated most of the third period, outshooting the Canadiens 16-9 in the frame.

Montreal held off the pressure through most of the rest of the period before Johnson buried his second with the goalie pulled to make it 3-2 with 1:21 left in the game.

DACH LEAVES GAME

Canadiens forward Kirby Dach — Montreal’s second-line center — left the game midway through the first period with a lower-body injury and did not return.

Dach, a former Blackhawk, was dumped into Chicago’s bench by defenseman Jarred Tinordi before exiting.

UP NEXT

Blackhawks: Chicago continues its road trip with a game in Toronto on Monday.

Canadiens: Montreal hosts Minnesota on Tuesday.

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