MONTREAL — Zachary Bolduc scored twice and Lane Hutson had three assists as the Montreal Canadiens beat the Chicago Blackhawks 4-1 on Thursday night.
Noah Dobson also scored for the Canadiens, Nick Suzuki had an empty-net goal and an assist and Jakub Dobes stopped 14 shots.
Frank Nazar scored for the Hawks in the team’s second game without injured star Connor Bedard. Spencer Knight made 32 saves as the Hawks lost their fourth straight and sixth in seven games.
Nazar opened the scoring on the Hawks’ first shot, redirecting a pass behind Dobes after a Canadiens defensive breakdown at 7:27 of the first period. It was Nazar’s sixth goal of the season and first since Oct. 28, ending a streak of 21 games without scoring.
Bolduc cranked a one-timer from the slot off a feed from Cole Caufield feed to tie it later in the period with his eighth of the season, and first at home, prompting a huge ovation from the Bell Centre crowd.
Bolduc, 22, added his second of the night with a deflection 20 seconds into the third period. Dobson made it 3-1 at the 10-minute mark after chasing down a rebound.
The Canadiens dominated in shots 35-15 in a game that wasn’t as tightly contested as the score indicated. Knight kept the Hawks alive for much of the game.
It was a successful night for coaches challenges. The Canadiens had two goals overturned for offside, and one Hawks goal was brought back for goalie interference.
Up next
- Hawks: At the Ottawa Senators on Saturday.
- Canadiens: Host the Pittsburgh Penguins on Saturday.