Jake Allen's 34-save effort against his former team highlights Devils' 4-0 win over Canadiens
MONTREAL (AP) — Jake Allen made 34 saves and shut out his former team as the New Jersey Devils beat the Montreal Canadiens 4-0 on Saturday.
Allen, traded from Montreal to New Jersey at last season's deadline, denied Montreal's Owen Beck on a penalty shot with 15 seconds left to secure his fourth shutout of the season in his 20th start.
Jesper Bratt and Jack Hughes each had a goal and an assist, and Paul Cotter and Luke Hughes also scored for New Jersey.
Sam Montembeault stopped 18 shots for Montreal, which lost for the seventh time in eight games.
Takeaways
Devils: Allen beat Montreal for the second time in two weeks. He made 29 saves in a 4-3 overtime win over the Devils on Jan. 25.
Canadiens: Regrouped after a slow start, but couldn't solve Allen. He slid across the crease to deny Cole Caufield late in the first period, and stopped Josh Anderson on a breakaway in the second.
In-house announcer Michel Lacroix asked fans to respect the national anthems 'despite recent events.' Fans in arenas across Canada have booed the American national anthem, likely in response to a looming trade war between Canada and the United States, sparked by the threat of tariffs by President Donald Trump.
Fans at the Bell Centre were mostly silent, with sporadic jeers, during the singing of the 'Star Spangled Banner.' The crowd sang along passionately during 'O Canada.'
Key stat
Bratt extended his point streak to eight games, posting two goals and 10 assists during the run. In three games against Montreal this season, he has four goals and three assists.
Up next
New Jersey begins a two-week break for the 4 Nations Face-Off tournament and returns to host Dallas on Feb. 22. Montreal hosts Tampa Bay on Sunday.
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GOAL 🇨🇦x6 NATHAN SALIBA, TAKE A BOW ⭐️ The #CFMTL midfielder, linked to Anderlecht 🇧🇪, scores his first #CanMNT goal to make it 6-0 vs. Honduras 🤯 🔴 Watch Gold Cup on OneSoccer & TSN — OneSoccer (@onesoccer) June 18, 2025 GOAL FOR CANADA! 🇨🇦 Nathan Saliba gets Canada on the board! 👏 — FOX Soccer (@FOXSoccer) June 21, 2025 'Now I can use both qualities in one position or the other,' Saliba said with a smile. Saliba has had to fall back on one of his earliest developed qualities – perseverance – to find a home with the national team. Marsch has always rated Saliba, but he didn't heavily involve him in camps once he took over in May 2024. Advertisement 'I would fault my management over the last year,' Marsch said. 'And I kept saying to (Saliba), 'Look, you're going to be a big part of this, and I believe in you.' But when you look at the (no. 6) position, we were very deep. And I didn't feel like we should leave anyone off of those rosters. I tried to get him to believe that I was telling him the truth. I'm sure he doubted it at some times.' Saliba's two goals for Canada showcase how his confidence in attack outweighs any self-doubt. It's a finishing ability that very few Canadian midfielders have, and none had at 21. Saliba's summer could be a harbinger of bigger things to come and is a reminder of a couple things. First, a familiar refrain: Canada's soccer landscape is littered with quality players who are just in need of professional opportunities. See: Bombito, Moïse. Like Saliba, Bombito was virtually unheard of in Canada before breaking out and earning a transfer to Ligue 1's Nice two years after playing in USL's League Two. Second, Marsch continued to tell anyone who would listen of his own belief that 'young players can develop in the national team environment.' Canada's national team should not be seen as the place for finished products to ply their trade. If Marsch can harness a player's upward trajectory into his high-tempo style – and his work with young players at various Red Bull stops suggests that he can – then his World Cup starting XIs could feature young names many Canadians will be unaware of. Saliba's Gold Cup has moved him from a World Cup roster possibility closer to being a lock. '(Saliba) has a really good combination of intelligence, athleticism, technical ability, tactical awareness, responsibility on the pitch, commitment to the game, ability to run and cover ground, aggressiveness, a good eye for good attacking plays and a good eye for final passing plays,' Marsch said. Advertisement Saliba's emergence could change the look of Canada's midfield at the World Cup. If he plays consistently in Belgium, could Saliba lock up a starting spot beside Stephen Eustáquio? Saliba's strength in pressing forward with Canada's attack could allow Eustáquio to thrive in his more natural holding role. And with inconsistency still plaguing Koné's game, Marsch could then look to use him as a late-game spark off the bench. With more strength and options in midfield, Marsch will then be hard pressed to find places for Mathieu Choinière and Niko Sigur, both of whom have had excellent Gold Cups. It's a good problem for Marsch to have, and it's one that Saliba could essentially compound in Belgium. 'I want to keep progressing year after year and just reach Europe if possible,' Saliba said. 'Because I think once you reach it, you're on the good path to reaching a very high level.' This summer, Saliba has taken greater strides on that path than ever before. Because the secret of Nathan Saliba is out. 'If you just put the whole package of what you want out of a (No. 6) that plays in your midfield, he's pretty much shown that over the last month,' Marsch said. 'I'm glad he trusted me after I let him down a bunch of times.'
