HIGHLIGHTS
- Montreal wins its eighth straight, the longest streak since October 2016
- The Canadiens hit 100 points for the first time in nine years after a shootout win over New Jersey
- Cole Caufield sits one goal from 50, which would make him the first Canadien to reach the mark since Stephane Richer in 1989-90. Full breakdown below
The Canadiens blew a 3-0 lead in New Jersey on Saturday night. They still won.
Oliver Kapanen scored in the fifth round of the shootout to give Montreal a 4-3 win over the Devils, extending the Canadiens’ win streak to eight games. It’s their longest run since a matching eight-game streak in October 2016. More importantly, it pushed them to 100 points on the season for the first time since 2016-17.
Jayden Struble opened the scoring late in the first with a wrist shot from the left circle that dipped under the crossbar. Ivan Demidov made it 2-0 on the power play in the second, burying a one-timer off a cross-ice feed from Cole Caufield. Lane Hutson then added a third from the high slot less than two minutes later.
New Jersey chipped away from there. Dawson Mercer scored from a tough angle, Jack Hughes added a shorthanded goal on a 2-on-1 with Jesper Bratt, and Timo Meier tied it late in the third with a snap shot through traffic. The Devils hadn’t scored a shorthanded goal since November.
Jakub Dobes kept Montreal alive with 35 saves, including a big stop on Hughes in overtime. It was his fifth straight start resulting in a win. Caufield had two assists on the night and has nine points in his last five games. He’s sitting at 49 goals, one away from becoming the first Canadien to hit 50 since Stephane Richer put up 51 in 1989-90.
Montreal is 45-21-10 and sits two points behind Tampa Bay for first in the Atlantic, tied with Buffalo. During the eight-game streak, the Canadiens have outscored opponents 32-14 and gotten elite goaltending from Dobes nearly every night.
Kapanen, the rookie who sealed the shootout, is tied for first among NHL rookies in goals this season. He came in cold off the bench in the fifth round and beat Jake Allen clean. Montreal hasn’t been in this position in almost a decade.
