Julai Slavkowski scores first NHL goal as Canadiens beat Coyotes 6-2

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No. 1 overall pick in this year’s Entry Draft, Yulais Slavkowski, scored his first NHL goal as the Canadiens defeated the Arizona Coyotes 6-2 at Bell Center on Thursday.

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The win gave the Canadiens a 3-2 record and a perfect 3-0 at home.

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Slavkowski was rewarded with the loudest cheers and standing ovation of the night after the Canadiens forced the Coyotes into their own halfway through the second period. The 18-year-old Slovak picked up the puck along the boards, moved to the center of the zone, and Connor fired a shot into his Ingram’s pad to give Montreal his 4-0 lead.

Nick Suzuki scored the most beautiful goal of the night with 1:33 remaining in the second period. He was awarded a penalty shot after Clayton Keller ran him over on a short-handed breakaway. At the freebie, Suzuki started over the crease from the right side, took Ingram and went against the grain to find the top of the net.

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By the time Josh Brown registered the first shot on goal for the Coyotes, 12 minutes had been played and the Canadiens had eight shots and three goals.

The Canadiens took advantage of Ingram, a 25-year-old rookie goalie making his fourth career debut of the season. They scored his three on his four shots in the first.

Josh Anderson kicked things off when Kirby Dach’s shot from the slot got stuck in the traffic ahead. Jonathan Druin swiped it and Anderson homered him before he was two minutes into the game.

Cole Caulfield scored his fourth goal of the season when a clear pass came off Lawson Cruz’s skate at 4:13. Corfield scooped up the loose puck and fired high at Ingram. The goalkeeper took a shot, but it bounced over his shoulder and went inside.

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Brendan Gallagher scored his first goal of the season for the Grove side, beating Ingram to the far post with a 2-1 shot against Evgeny Dadonov.

Jake Allen, who missed out on Monday’s victory over Pittsburgh while his wife Shannon gave birth to their third daughter, gave up goals in the third period in less than two minutes to JJ Moser and Travis Boyd.

Sean Monaghan scored with an empty net goal.

In 2015, Zach Cassian, who was in an early morning car accident before playing for the Canadiens, made the mistake of asking rookie Arbor Zekai to drop his gloves in the first period. Fighting for the first time in the NHL, Zekai had his second-biggest reaction from the crowd when he brought Kassian to his knees at haymaker Ceres. As a triumphant Zehay cheered the crowd after his victory, Cassian headed to the dressing room for repairs.

The Canadiens’ homestand continues on Saturday with the Dallas Stars in town and wraps up Tuesday with a visit from the Minnesota Wild.

phickey@postmedia.com

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