MTL@WPG: Postgame

WINNIPEG - The Canadiens headed into the Christmas break with a 6-2 win over the Jets on Monday night.

Before heading over to Bell MTS Place, players were greeted at the team hotel by a huge contingent of fans who jammed the lobby to catch a glimpse of their favorite Habs.
As per usual, Brendan Gallagher was a popular guy. He signed some autographs and posed for pictures with a few lucky supporters.
Tweet from @CanadiensMTL: On va s'ennuyer de nos partisans des Canadiens dans l'Ouest. 🥰We're going to miss our western Habs fans.#GoHabsGo pic.twitter.com/Z8FFi5HsqR
The support we received throughout Western Canada was nothing short of remarkable, and we can't thank you enough!
The Jets temporarily took the lead when Finnish sniper Patrik Laine capped a tic-tac-toe play with a goal nine minutes into the first period.
Head coach Claude Julien immediately challenged the goal, claiming the play was offside.
After a short video review, Laine's marker was disallowed.
Paul Maurice's squad didn't waste time getting that goal back, though.
With defenseman Ben Chiarot in the penalty box, left-winger Kyle Connor lit the lamp at the 11:30 mark of the frame to put Winnipeg up 1-0.
Tomas Tatar tied things up with just under five minutes remaining before the break with his 14th goal of the season.
While the Canadiens were up a man, the Slovak forward took a perfect cross-ice feed from Nick Suzuki and beat a helpless Laurent Brossoit for the equalizer.

Tatar added his 15th goal of the year just 92 seconds later when he stuffed a rebound past Brossoit in close to give Montreal a 2-1 advantage.

That's the way things stood after 20 minutes.
Kudos to the Jets - and Jets fans - for welcoming Chiarot back to Winnipeg in style during a break in the action.

Phillip Danault scored the Canadiens' third straight goal at the 4:37 mark of the second period.
Danault batted a rebound from a Gallagher shot out of the air and past Brossoit to put Montreal ahead 3-1.

It was his ninth goal of the season, and his second in as many games.
Danault struck again just 4:19 later when the two teams were playing 4-on-4 hockey.
After winning the draw in the Jets' zone, the 26-year-old Victoriaville native beat Brossoit five-hole to put the Canadiens ahead 4-1.

Danault reached the double-digit mark in goals for the second straight season and the third time in his NHL career.
Laine responded for Winnipeg with 3:46 remaining in the frame, beating Price with a wrist shot through a screen.
That cut the Canadiens' lead to 4-2.
But Max Domi scored for Montreal with 40 seconds left in the period to make it 5-2 after 40 minutes.
That extended his goal streak to three consecutive games.

Artturi Lehkonen made it 6-2 for the Canadiens with 8:52 remaining in regulation.
That snapped an 11-game goal drought.
Lehkonen's tally capped the scoring in Southern Manitoba.
The Canadiens return home to enjoy a three-day Christmas break before flying to Tampa on Friday afternoon to begin a three-game road trip against the Lightning (December 28), Florida Panthers (December 29), and the Carolina Hurricanes (December 31).