Jake Allen may not be a member of the Montreal Canadiens anymore, but last night, the netminder gave his former team a hand when he backstopped the New Jersey Devils to a 2-1 win over the Columbus Blue Jackets. This is no small feat since the Devils are without Jack Hughes and Dougie Hamilton, and the Ohio outfit is desperate to book its ticket to the playoffs.
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Allen stopped 45 of the 46 shots sent his way and was named the game's first star. Timo Meier and Jesper Bratt scored for the Devils, while Mathieu Olivier was the sole goal scorer for the Jackets.
The loss leaves Columbus in 11th place in the East with 70 points in 67 games. Dean Evason’s team still trails the Canadiens by one point, but Martin St-Louis’ men now have a game in hand.
The Buffalo Sabres, who are dead last in the East, also gave Montreal a hand by beating the Boston Bruins 3-2 in overtime thanks to an Alex Tuch goal. Even if the Bruins collected a point, they now have 69 points in 69 games and have played more than all the other teams involved in the playoff race.
The Canadiens are still only one point behind the New York Rangers, but the Habs have two games in hand. The Blueshirts will battle it out with the Calgary Flames, who are also involved in a tight race to the finish in the Western Conference. The Alberta team is two points out of the last wild card spot after a defeat to the Toronto Maple Leafs and should be playing with a desperation that will match the Rangers’.
Meanwhile, the Detroit Red Wings, trailing the Canadiens by one point, will take on the Washington Capitals, just two points out of the top spot in the league. Detroit has also played one more game than Montreal.
The Canadiens are the masters of their destiny but wins by the Flames and the Capitals and a triumph over the Ottawa Senators would put them in an even better position—the second wild-card spot in the East.
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