Canadiens’ Game 1 Win Tempered by Late Hit on Jake Evans

WINNIPEG, Manitoba (AP) — Jesperi Kotkaniemi and Eric Staal scored early goals and Montreal beat the Winnipeg Jets 5-3 on Wednesday night in Game 1 of the second-round series, a victory tempered by a late hit on Canadiens center Jake Evans. Playing on his 25th birthday, Evans was taken off the ice on a stretcher with 57 seconds left after being crushed in the head and shoulder area by Jets center Mark Scheifele an instant after tucking in an empty-net goal. Evans chased down the puck behind the net, tightly circled back around the goal cage and just before Scheifele’s sent him crashing to the ice. Scheifele was given a major for charging and a game misconduct. Game 2 is Friday night.