Post by : Meena Ariff

In a remarkable NHL debut, Jacob Fowler made 33 saves to lead the Montreal Canadiens to a 4-2 victory against the Pittsburgh Penguins on Thursday evening. The young goalie received vital assistance from teammates, including Alexandre Texier, Brendan Gallagher, and Cole Caufield, who propelled Montreal to a positive 3-0 scoreline after two periods. Oliver Kapanen capped off the scoring in the third period, helping the Canadiens break a two-game losing run.

For the Penguins, Bryan Rust found the net while Erik Karlsson scored on a power play. Sidney Crosby assisted on Karlsson's marker, leaving him just four points shy of overtaking Mario Lemieux for the franchise record, with Lemieux currently holding the ninth spot in NHL history. Tristan Jarry saved 25 shots for Pittsburgh, who faced their third defeat in a row, ending a four-game point streak.

The 21-year-old Fowler was called up from Laval in the AHL following Montreal’s loss to Tampa Bay earlier in the week, where they allowed six goals. He showcased remarkable poise, especially during the Penguins' power-play opportunities, turning away several attempts from Crosby and Karlsson.

Texier got the scoring started early, stealing the puck from Kris Letang at the blue line to send a wrist shot past Jarry. Gallagher then doubled the lead with a precise wrist shot off a pass from Lane Hutson, while Caufield added a power-play goal, pushing the score to 3-0. Although Rust managed to narrow the gap to 3-1, Kapanen quickly restored the three-goal cushion just 15 seconds later, securing the victory for Montreal.

Fowler, who previously played two seasons at Boston College before his stint in Laval, ended the evening with a record of 10-5, including a .919 save percentage and a 2.09 goals-against average. His outstanding debut signals a bright future in the NHL and provides a lift to the Canadiens’ goaltending lineup.

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