SAN JOSE | Jesse Ylönen has quick hands and the instincts of a good scorer. Martin St-Louis knows this very well and relied on him in the shootout against the Sharks.
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As the sixth player to rush toward MacKenzie Blackwood, Ylönen beat the Sharks goaltender with a quick feint, returned to his strong team, and placed the puck in an empty net.
“It’s a great feeling when you score in a penalty shootout, but it’s an even better feeling when you win the game,” Ylönen said modestly. It wasn’t an easy victory. We worked hard.
“I stayed mentally ready and was happy to hear my name,” the Finn continued. I had been watching the other players in front of me and analyzing how Blackwood was moving. I succeeded in my feint. »
Martin St-Louis had a smile on his face as he spoke about the author of the decisive goal.
“Ylönen was on my list for the shooting,” he replied. He has tiring hands for a goalkeeper and they move quickly. »
Ylönen only had two appearances in the third period. He didn’t have a bad game in the corps, but the head coach had decided to downsize. Michael Pezzetta, on the other hand, did not appear on the ice in the third period.
First for Struble
Johnathan Kovacevic brought the Habs back to life in this match by scoring an excellent goal at the end of the second period. On this play, Jayden Struble collected his first point in the NHL with an assist. He was in his second match.
“I was really happy,” Struble said. It’s special for me, it’s a pretty cool moment, but I have to thank “Kovy”. [Kovacevic] for his powerful shot. »
For his part, Cole Caufield, who scored a goal and an assist, reached the mark of 100 points in the NHL (101). To reach this value he needed 143 games.
► The Canadian announced the recall of winger Joel Armia and confirmed he was placing defender Arber Xhekaj on the injured list.