Image: Canadiens.com
The Montreal Canadiens made it five wins in a row on Sunday night. They beat the Nashville Predators 2-1 in a strong comeback win. The game was close and exciting, with big plays on both sides.
Montreal fell behind early in the first period. Steven Stamkos scored for the Predators just over four minutes in. Filip Forsberg set him up with a smart pass. That gave Stamkos his 25th goal of the season.
The Canadiens bounced back fast. Less than two minutes into the second period, Cole Caufield tied the game. He got a smooth pass from Nick Suzuki and fired it in for his 36th goal this season.
Just four minutes later, Patrik Laine gave Montreal the lead. He scored his 20th goal of the season to make it 2-1. Lane Hutson picked up an assist on the play. That was his 58th assist of the year, tying a team record for most points by a rookie defenseman. The record was set by Chris Chelios.
Nashville had several chances to get back in the game but couldn’t score again. They had four power plays but failed to convert any of them. Montreal's goalie, Jakub Dobes, was a wall. He made 36 saves and shut the door on the Predators.
The Predators had more shots on goal. They outshot Montreal 37-17, including a 15-8 advantage in the second period. But Montreal made their chances count. Nashville just couldn’t get the puck past Dobes.
This was Nashville’s sixth loss in a row and their seventh in the last eight games. Juuse Saros, the Predators' goalie, stopped 15 shots but couldn't stop the two key goals in the second period. This was also his third straight loss and fourth in his last six starts.
There was a special moment for Nashville’s young player Matthew Wood. He made his NHL debut in this game. The 20-year-old forward, who was drafted 15th overall in 2023, played just over 13 minutes and took one shot.
The win helped Montreal stay in a strong playoff position. They now have 85 points and sit in the second wild-card spot in the Eastern Conference. They are five points behind Ottawa and six points ahead of both the New York Rangers and Detroit Red Wings.
This game was a good test for Montreal. Even though they were outshot and gave up early chances, they stayed calm. Their goalie came up big, and their scorers took their chances well. The team now looks forward to keeping their playoff hopes alive with more wins.
