The game-time temperature was -15 degrees Celsius, and a 25-kilometre-per-hour wind played havoc with passing and kicking.
Alouette coach Marv Levy's third-quarter decision to gamble on a 3rd-and-3 inside the Edmonton 10 proved to be a turning point, as a successful field goal would have provided sufficient margin for a Montreal victory.
With just 3:49 left to play, Sonny Wade came off the Alouette bench to replace starting quarterback Jimmy Jones.
This gave the Als a chance for the game-winning field goal in the final seconds of the game, but Jones mishandled the snap from centre.
Don Sweet's 19-yard attempt went wide for a single point and from there, the Eskimos were able to run out the clock.