WINNIPEG, Manitoba (AP) 鈥� Justin Barron scored a power-play goal 1:09 into overtime to lift the Montreal Canadiens to a 3-2 victory over the Winnipeg Jets on Monday night.
Josh Anderson and Christian Dvorak also scored for the Canadiens, who have are 3-1-1 in their last five games.
鈥淚t鈥檚 the most organized that we鈥檝e been since I鈥檝e taken this job,鈥� said Montreal coach Martin St. Louis, who was first hired on an interim basis in February 2022. 鈥淚t takes time to build that, different parts of the game. ... I think we鈥檙e just evolving as a team, but as a group I feel we鈥檙e really locked in.鈥�
Jake Allen made 30 saves for his first win in eight games (1-6-1).
鈥淚 feel like the last few games I鈥檝e been playing well, just haven鈥檛 found a way to get that win and I鈥檓 just going to stay patient,鈥� Allen said.
Cole Perfetti and Gabriel Villardi scored for the Jets, and Connor Hellebuyck had 23 saves.
In the extra period, Barron fired the puck through traffic to beat Hellebuyck for his sixth goal of the season with his parents and elder brother 鈥� Jets forward Morgan Barron, who was on the ice 鈥� in attendance.
鈥淧retty cool,鈥� Justin Barron said. 鈥淚 wasn鈥檛 necessarily expecting to get on the ice there and then it鈥檚 funny how it works out. (Adam) Lowry goes off so my brother gets on for them, and then (Mike Matheson) goes off for us and I get on. Yeah, definitely pretty special to do that.鈥�
He planned to text his brother about the victory, but didn鈥檛 send it right after the game.
鈥淣o, no, god no. I鈥檒l go see my family and say hi to them, but I can鈥檛 rub it in yet, I don鈥檛 think,鈥� he said.
The Jets outshot the Canadiens 6-5 in a scoreless first period, with Perfetti and Dylan Samberg each hitting a post for Winnipeg.
There wasn鈥檛 much room out there for either team. It was fast-paced, it was a good period,鈥� Jets coach Rick Bowness said. 鈥淪econd period, honestly it comes down to special teams. It鈥檚 another game that we lost (the special-teams battle) and that鈥檚 what cost us the extra point.鈥�
Anderson got the Canadiens on the scoreboard first when Mike Matheson fired the puck at the net and it went in off Anderson鈥檚 skate at 4:57 of the second period. It was his fourth of the season 鈥� and third in two games.
Anderson also factored into Dvorak鈥檚 power-play goal that made it 2-0 with 4:56 left in the second. Anderson gloved the puck in the air but didn鈥檛 appear to get his stick on it before it went over to Dvorak and he put it in the net for his third. Jets head coach Rick Bowness unsuccessfully challenged the goal.
Vilardi pulled the Jets to 2-1 with 56 seconds left in the period when he capitalized on a loose puck at the side of the net. It marked his fifth of the season and fourth in his past three games.
Perfetti tied it 2-2 off a rebound with 7:36 remaining in the third period. It was his 10th of the season and 20th point in 30 games.
鈥淚t was a good team comeback to get that point, it鈥檚 big for us, but obviously we don鈥檛 want to put ourselves in a 2-0 hole in the first place,鈥� Perfetti said. 鈥淥nce we have momentum like that, we want to be able to win that game. A little frustrating, it sucks, but it鈥檚 the way it is.鈥�
The Jets have held opponents to three or fewer goals in 20 consecutive games, and 25 overall this season.
UP NEXT
Canadiens: At Minnesota on Thursday night in the second of a stretch of seven straight on the road.
Jets: Host Detroit on Wednesday night in the third of a four-game homestand.
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