MONTREAL - Jonathan Drouin was the only scorer in the shootout, and the Montreal Canadiens beat the Philadelphia Flyers 3-2 on Thursday night in an empty Bell Centre because of the rise of COVID-19 cases.Quebec public health officials asked the Canadiens to play without fans in their home arena earlier Thursday to help slow the spread of the virus.
The Canadiens agreed to the provincial government’s request, making the game the first at Bell Centre without spectators since Game 4 of the 2021 North Division semifinal against the Toronto Maple Leafs on May 25.Artturi Lehkonen and Laurent Dauphin scored in regulation for Montreal.