AP

Giroux scores twice as Senators scorch Canadiens 5-0

Jan 28, 2023, 4:55 AM | Updated: 8:52 pm

Ottawa Senators goaltender Anton Forsberg, center, watches for the puck as Senators defenseman Niki...

Ottawa Senators goaltender Anton Forsberg, center, watches for the puck as Senators defenseman Nikita Zaitsev, right, and Montreal Canadiens center Rem Pitlick slide into the crease during second-period NHL hockey game action Saturday, Jan. 28, 2023, in Ottawa, Ontario. (Adrian Wyld/The Canadian Press via AP)

(Adrian Wyld/The Canadian Press via AP)


              Montreal Canadiens right wing Evgenii Dadonov, right, Ottawa Senators defenseman Thomas Chabot (72), Senators defenseman Nikita Zaitsev, second from left, and Senators goaltender Anton Forsberg, second from right, watch as the puck bounces off the post during first-period NHL hockey game action Saturday, Jan. 28, 2023, in Ottawa, Ontario. (Adrian Wyld/The Canadian Press via AP)
            
              Ottawa Senators center Derick Brassard (61) runs into Montreal Canadiens defenseman Arber Xhekaj during first-period NHL hockey game action Saturday, Jan. 28, 2023, in Ottawa, Ontario. (Adrian Wyld/The Canadian Press via AP)
            
              Montreal Canadiens center Kirby Dach, top, collides with Ottawa Senators defenseman Thomas Chabot along the boards during second-period NHL hockey game action Saturday, Jan. 28, 2023, in Ottawa, Ontario. (Adrian Wyld/The Canadian Press via AP)
            
              Ottawa Senators right wing Alex DeBrincat (12) slides into Montreal Canadiens goaltender Sam Montembeault (35) after being brought down by Canadiens defenseman Mike Matheson (8) during first-period NHL hockey game action Saturday, Jan. 28, 2023, in Ottawa, Ontario. (Adrian Wyld/The Canadian Press via AP)
            
              Montreal Canadiens center Nick Suzuki, right, collides with Ottawa Senators defenseman Thomas Chabot, left, in front of the net during second-period NHL hockey game action Saturday, Jan. 28, 2023, in Ottawa, Ontario. (Adrian Wyld/The Canadian Press via AP)
            
              Ottawa Senators goaltender Anton Forsberg, center, watches for the puck as Senators defenseman Nikita Zaitsev, right, and Montreal Canadiens center Rem Pitlick slide into the crease during second-period NHL hockey game action Saturday, Jan. 28, 2023, in Ottawa, Ontario. (Adrian Wyld/The Canadian Press via AP)

OTTAWA, Ontario (AP) — Claude Giroux scored twice and added an assist as the Ottawa Senators beat the Montreal Canadiens 5-0 on Saturday night.

With the win the Senators are riding a three-game winning streak.

Ottawa was coming off a 6-2 win over Toronto on Friday night. The Senators are now 6-2-0 in their last eight at home and are a perfect 24-for-24 on the penalty kill through that span.

“Our pace is faster,” said Claude Giroux, who led the way with a pair of goals and an assist. “We make plays, smart plays, not really high risk and we’re playing good defense right now that is giving us offence, so you know we’ve just got to keep pushing here.”

Alex DeBrincat, Mathieu Joseph and Derick Brassard also scored for Ottawa, while Anton Forsberg was solid making 28 saves.

“Forsberg, he was the best player,” said Senators coach D.J. Smith. “I don’t know what the chances are, but they had lots in the first period. They had some posts and that’s expected maybe on a back-to-back. We were a little flat coming out, but I thought as the game went on, we got to the net a bit and we got some turnovers.”

This marked the second of four games between the two clubs, which the Senators have both won, but Canadiens coach Martin St. Louis still liked a lot of what he saw from his team.

“I liked all of our game for the most part, except for maybe in the third we had some challenges getting to the net,” said St. Louis. “We take a penalty and then we get a power play, but have trouble getting in the zone and had a lack of execution.

“The intentions were right, but I would have liked to have seen us have more shots in the third.”

Sam Montembeault stopped 31 shots for the Canadiens.

Trailing 3-0 the Canadiens looked to get back in the game, but were unable to beat Forsberg despite having two power-play opportunities. Joseph added an empty-net goal with just over one minute in regulation leading the numerous Montreal fans on hand to head for the exit and Brassard made it 5-0.

Scoreless after the first period the Senators took control in the second scoring three unanswered goals.

“I think in the second period we had a couple of (penalty kills) and we lost momentum a little bit,” said Christian Dvorak. “They were opportunistic on their chances and I think that cost us the game.”

DeBrincat picked up his 16th of the season scoring on a 2-on-1 to open the scoring just 22 seconds into the period.

Giroux then scored a pair of goals, the first coming off a great feed from rookie Ridly Greig on the power play. He then made it 3-0 banking a shot off Montreal’s Arber Xhekaj.

Greig, playing in just his third NHL game, has made an immediate impact and seems to have natural chemistry playing on a line with Giroux and DeBrincat.

“(It’s) not by communicating because he doesn’t really talk,” said Giroux. “He’s fun to play with. He competes, he’s a very smart player and brings energy to the line and we’re just having fun.”

Greig nearly had his first NHL goal as Giroux looked to make the pass, but instead hit Xhekaj’s skate.

“I think if it goes through he’s got an empty-netter, but we’ll take it,” Giroux said.

NOTES

Ottawa LW Tyler Motte returned to the lineup after missing the last 15 games. LW Austin Watson was a healthy scratch. Montreal D Chris Wideman was a healthy scratch for the Canadiens with Johnathan Kovacevic taking his place.

UP NEXT

Canadiens: Host Ottawa on Tuesday night in the back end of the home-and-home set to open a four-game homestand.

Senators: At Montreal on Tuesday night.

___

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Giroux scores twice as Senators scorch Canadiens 5-0