Mike Cammalleri scores Canadiens’ 20,000th goal

Canadiens reach 20,000 goals

OTTAWA — Mike Cammalleri scored the Montreal Canadiens’ 20,000th goal in the first period of Monday night’s game against the Ottawa Senators.

Cammalleri took Andrei Kostitsyn’s pass and put a shot from the slot past Ottawa goalie Pascal Leclaire into a wide open net for the milestone goal, which opened the scoring 4:59 in.

The 20,000-goal total includes all of Montreal’s regular-season goals since joining the NHL as a founding member in 1917, as well as the Canadiens’ regular-season goals from their first eight seasons in the National Hockey Association, the NHL’s predecessor.

Newsy Lalonde scored the first goal in franchise history in Montreal’s NHA debut on Jan. 19, 1910, 5:00 into a 9-4 loss to Renfrew. The Canadiens, who have won a record 24 Stanley Cups, celebrated the 100th anniversary of their foundation on Dec. 4.