NASHVILLE, Tenn. – In a close contest on Sunday night, the Montreal Canadiens emerged victorious with a 2-1 win over the Nashville Predators, thanks to goals in the second period from Cole Caufield and Patrik Laine.
Goaltender Jakub Dobes was pivotal in securing the win by stopping 36 shots as Montreal extended its winning streak to five games, rebounding remarkably after a previous five-game losing streak.
Nashville’s Steven Stamkos was the first to score, netting a goal at just 4:19 into the opening period from a pass by Filip Forsberg, marking his 25th goal for the season. Despite a valiant effort, Juuse Saros managed only 15 saves for the Predators, who have now endured six consecutive losses and dropped seven of their last eight games.
In the early moments of the second period, Caufield evened the score at 1, capitalizing on a well-placed pass from teammate Nick Suzuki for his 36th goal of the season. Not long after, Laine scored what would be the game-winning goal, his 20th of the season.
A notable event came with Matthew Wood’s NHL debut for Nashville. The 20-year-old winger, drafted 15th overall in 2023, managed a single shot over 13 minutes of play.
Observations from the game reveal that Montreal, with a record of 38-30-9, currently occupies the second wild-card position in the Eastern Conference. They trail Ottawa by five points while keeping a six-point lead over the New York Rangers and Detroit Red Wings. Meanwhile, Juuse Saros witnessed his third consecutive defeat and has lost four out of his last six engagements.
A significant moment was marked by Lane Hutson’s assist on Laine’s decisive goal, recording his 58th assist of the season and earning him 64 points, thereby tying Chris Chelios’ record for the most points in a season by a rookie defenseman.
Despite Nashville’s dominant 15-8 advantage in shots on goal in the second period, Montreal managed to score twice, securing a lead they maintained to the end. Nashville outshot Montreal 37-17 in total but could not convert the opportunities into a win.
Looking ahead, the Canadiens are set to face the Detroit Red Wings on Tuesday, whereas the Predators will prepare to host the New York Islanders on the same day.