The Canadian Press
MONTREAL—It doesn’t matter who is stopping pucks for the Montreal Canadiens.
The offence is doing more than enough to fill the opposing net.
Tomas Fleischmann scored twice and added an assist, and David Desharnais contributed a goal and two assists, to lift the Canadiens to a 5-1 win over the visiting Winnipeg Jets last night.
It marked the 12th time in 13 games this season that Montreal (11-2-0) has scored at least three goals in a game, and the sixth time it has scored at least four goals.
“Any goalie isn’t going to complain about the team scoring goals,” said rookie goalie Mike Condon, who made 18 saves for his fourth win in as many starts.
“We play good defensively and that translates into offence,” he noted.
“I’m very fortunate for that and it’s very fun to watch.”
Condon was the unexpected starter after it was announced yesterday morning that Carey Price would miss the next week with a lower-body injury.
“I’m not going to try and be Carey. I don’t think anyone can,” stressed the 25-year-old Condon.
“I’m just going to try and keep the spot warm for him.”
The Jets (7-4-1) couldn’t generate much against the Canadiens and saw their two-game winning streak snapped.
“We weren’t very good,” admitted coach Paul Maurice. “They were really good.
“I can’t tell you if they were really good because we were really bad or vice-versa,” Maurice added.
“We just didn’t have any jump and that’s it.”
Paul Byron’s second short-handed breakaway goal in as many games got the offence going for Montreal, which remains unbeaten on home ice this season.
“Just pretty good support on the ice,” Fleischmann said of his line’s success, picking up where it left off after a seven-point night in Calgary on Friday.
“We help each other.
“It’s a simple formula but it works for us,” he noted.
