Canadiens' Phillip Danault: Rebounds at dot Saturday

Danault registered an assist, one shot on goal, one hit and won 15 of 25 faceoffs in Saturday's shootout win over the Penguins.

Danault rebounded from a miserable performance Thursday, when he lost 12 of 13 faceoffs in a loss to the Kings. He and linemates Brendan Gallagher and Tomas Tatar played well Saturday, combining for 13 shots and both of Montreal's even-strength goals, the result of hard work and a dogged forecheck. After falling behind 2-0 after one period -- Montreal's fourth straight without a goal -- Danault won the period-opening faceoff and pushed hard into the Penguins zone, leading to Tatar's first goal as a Canadien. Later, he and Tatar pinned the Pens behind the goal line, leading to Gallagher's second goal of the season. He may not look like, or get paid like, a top-line center, but that's his role on the 2018-19 version of the Canadiens. He's averaging north of 17 minutes per night and regularly skates in even-strength situations with the team's most prolific point producers.