First game, first goal.
So it may have only been a preseason match-up, but Montreal Canadiens rookie Jesperi Kotkaniemi got his first marker out of the way quickly when he capped off a three-goal flurry with a one-timer to help his team defeat the visiting New Jersey Devils 3-1 on Monday night.
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After Victor Mete and Charles Hudon had tallied in rapid-fire fashion to give the Canadiens the lead, Kotkaniemi got in on the action with the game's final goal at 4:40 of the third period. The 18-year-old found himself open in front of the Devils goal after taking a hit along the boards, and he quickly fired Rinat Valiev's pass into the New Jersey net.
Kotkaniemi, the third-overall pick in the 2018 NHL draft, will look to continue his good start to the preseason when the Canadiens welcome the Florida Panthers to Montreal on Wednesday.