Canadiens beat Connor Bedard and the Blackhawks 3-2 in home opener

Montreal Canadiens goaltender Samuel Montembeault stops Chicago Blackhawks' Nick Foligno (17) during third period NHL hockey action in Montreal, Saturday, Oct. 14, 2023. THE CANADIAN PRESS/Graham Hughes

Cole Caufield scored the first of three unanswered second-period goals as the Montreal Canadiens defeated Connor Bedard and the Chicago Blackhawks 3-2 in their home opener on Saturday night.

Bedard, hockey's most anticipated prospect since Connor McDavid, was held off the scoresheet for the first time this season. He had five shots -- and many, many more attempts -- and was minus-1 on the evening.

In his first NHL game in Canada, the 18-year-old centre received a not-so-warm welcome from a Bell Centre crowd that booed the hockey phenom every time he touched the puck.

Tanner Pearson and Sean Monahan also scored for Montreal (1-0-1), which earned its first win of the young season.

Canadiens goaltender Samuel Montembeault made 28 saves to earn a win in his first start of the season.

Tyler Johnson scored both goals for Chicago (1-2-0). Blackhawks netminder Petr Mrazek stopped 33 shots.

Montreal was 0-for-3 on the power play. Chicago went 0-for-6.

Bedard, who has one goal and one assist in three games this season after going first-overall in June's entry draft, displayed his poise and world-class skill throughout the evening.

Caufield, Montreal's top goal scorer, showed that Bedard wasn't the only one on the ice with moves, however.

With the game scoreless early in the second period, Caufield danced around Chicago rookie Kevin Korchinski before hitting a rebound from his own backhand shot out of mid-air and into the net.

Pearson -- acquired via trade from Vancouver before training camp -- added to the lead at 7:56 with a blistering wrist shot that beat Mrazek over his left shoulder. It was his first goal for the Canadiens.

Monahan made it 3-0 with just over two minutes left in the frame, taking a breakaway pass from forward Rafael Harvey-Pinard down the ice and scoring with a wrist shot. Montreal outshot Chicago 15-5 in the period.

Johnson cut Chicago's deficit to two 34 seconds into the third after a lucky bounce found its way onto his stick in front of the net.

The Blackhawks built off that momentum and dominated most of the third period, outshooting the Canadiens 16-9 in the frame.

Montreal held off the pressure through most of the rest of the period before Johnson buried his second with the goalie pulled to make it 3-2 with 1:21 left in the game.

Bedard drew a double-minor high-sticking penalty with 21 seconds left, and defenceman Seth Jones hit a post with under 10 seconds left, but Chicago couldn't capitalize for an eighth time with the man-advantage as time ran out.

The Original Six matchup was hotly contested, featuring several scrums that interrupted play. The first period featured just 10 minutes 55 seconds of five-on-five play due to penalties.

Despite not capitalizing on the power play, both teams had a number of opportunities.

Bedard found Johnson on the doorstep with a slick cross-ice pass on a 5-on-3 man-advantage, but Johnson couldn't beat Montembeault.

DACH LEAVES GAME

Canadiens forward Kirby Dach -- Montreal's second-line centre -- left the game midway through the first period with a lower-body injury and did not return.

Dach, a former Blackhawk, was dumped into Chicago's bench by defenceman Jarred Tinordi before exiting.

'FULL CIRCLE' MOMENT

Saturday night wasn't Canadiens head coach Martin St. Louis's first time game-planning against Bedard. In 2015, St. Louis coached his son Lucas's team at Edmonton's Brick Invitational Tournament, where Bedard won tournament MVP.

"I remember we played (St. Louis and his son) in like the semifinals," said Bedard on Friday. "We'd just beat them and I asked for a picture like right after. I don't think he was too happy.

"It's crazy how things kind of come full circle."

This report by The Canadian Press was first published in French on Oct. 14, 2023.