First period
- The crowd is behind the team early trying to inspire a good start.
- The Habs look eager to give them one. Hopefully not too eager because that’s often when the problems start.
- Ivan Demidov pulls the puck past his defender to get in on net, but is pushed down before he can get a good backhand off. Moments later a ping rings throughout the Bell Centre as Josh Anderson tips Adam Engström’s point shot off the post.
- Cole Caufield picks up the puck behind the net, walks out uncontested, and fires a shot off the neat post as he’s aiming for the top corner. Montreal has had four great chances to score, and has zero shots.
- It’s the team getting dominated that finds a way to put the puck in the net. However, Ilya Mikheyev had clipped the heel of Jakub Dobeš in the crease to knock him down, and the goal doesn’t survive a quick coach’s challenge.
- Alexandre Carrier overskates the puck at centre ice with a chance to lead a two-on-one.
- This time the Blackhawks put the puck in the net legally. Matt Grzelcyk’s point shot is actually a pass to the side of the crease, where Frank Nazar is stationed uncontested to tip it in.
- Zachary Bolduc turns back in the corner to shake his man, but then gets held so he can’t go any further. No call is made.
- Some good vision from Ivan Demidov allows him to see Arber Xhekaj charging in from the point and he makes a pass through a defender’s skate to get the puck there. Xhekaj misses the net on his attempt as well. Nine shot attempts, five scoring chances according to Natural Stat Trick, only four shots.
- The crowd’s energy had begun to wane with how the period was going, but immediately bursts to life when Caufield sets up Bolduc in the slot for the tying goal.
Cole Caufield sets up Zachary Bolduc in the high slot, and he one-times it home to tie the game for the #Habs
— Matt Drake (@drakemt.bsky.social) December 18, 2025 at 8:37 PM
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- Noah Dobson adds a few extra degrees to his windup with the puck coming across to him, That was too much additional force for his stick as it snaps on impact.
- As usual, it’s a period in which Montreal was generally better than the opponent except on the plays around their own crease, one of which led to a goal against. A goal and two posts is pretty good on the offensive side of things.
Second period
- Brendan Gallagher does very well to spin with the puck and get it across to Engström his shot on net creates a rebound chance for Joe Veleno. More of that.
- Less of the having to scramble back in defensive situations on odd-man rushes, as Noah Dobson and Jayden Struble just had to do, with the former going off for tripping.
- Jake Evans and Veleno both do well by being aggressive at the top of the zone to help kill off the minor.
- The Canadiens are called for icing even though Juraj Slafkovský was both first to the hash marks and closest to the puck.
- The Blackhawks get a two-on-one after a good, but long, shift from the second line. The one shot against was bad enough, but three Canadiens players had raced to the net on the play and none took Ilya Mikheyev who followed up with a second shot. There’s no way he should have been allowed to get that rebound, and the Habs are lucky they’re not down a goal.
- Montreal is trying to force passes through lanes that aren’t open. Another chance off a turnover is likely imminent.
- Dobson dangles right in to the low slot for one chance, then Jayden Struble follows it up with another. No goal, but Dobson was hooked to earn his team a power play.
- Great movement from the top unit leads to a one-timer from Caufield, but it goes off the skate of Nick Suzuki’s foot in the crease.
- Alexandre Texier fires a one-timer that also hits a teammate’s foot, but this one goes in the net off Brendan Gallagher.
- You know the drill by now: a Gallagher goal equals a review. This one comes off the board for an offside entry.
- Evans leads a rush after the penalty expired and sets up a shot for Anderson. Knight left another huge rebound that no one could get on the end of.
- Carrier is tripped in the neutral zone. Montreal goes right back on the power play.
- Demidov dekes around his man, who has to stick out his knee to knock him down. The refs have decided they’re not going to call any more penalties on Chicago this late in a period I guess.
- Even more scoring chances at five-on-five for Montreal in that period, and 19 total in the middle frame, but not being able to take advantage of those two late power plays could come back to bite them.
Third period
- Well apparently I was too early saying the power-play opportunities were squandered. The Habs used the final seven seconds of power-play time to get set up in the zone, and at 20 seconds Bolduc tips Hutson’s shot through his legs and over Knight’s shoulder.
Nick Suzuki tees up Lane Hutson at the point, and Zachary Bolduc gets a nice tip on this one to make it 2-1 #Habs
— Matt Drake (@drakemt.bsky.social) December 18, 2025 at 10:02 PM
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- They add a third goal less than a minute later when Anderson pounces on a loose much and bangs it in. This one is also reviewed for offside, and though there was no clear angle that showed the puck actually outside the zone, the linesmen saw enough on their tablet to overturn the call.
- We’ve back to even in official goals versus overturned ones in this game.
- Knight doesn’t want to see another puck go in his net so he knocks it off as the next shot comes in. Completely acceptable behaviour it seems.
- The Blackhawks get some zone time, but it comes to a halt when Engström pins the puck-carrier to the glass and allows the breakout to begin.
- After dominating this game for about 45 minutes, the Habs are trying to defence their one-goal lead by playing in their own zone now.
- The do manage to get a very important insurance goal as Noah Dobson flips the puck back toward Knight from behind the goal line, the puck fall into the crease beside him, and Owen Beck catches his stick in the goalie’s glove to knock it over the line. Players are allowed to go after loose pucks in the crease, so that one will stand.
Owen Beck? Noah Dobson? either way, the #Habs lead 3-1.
— Matt Drake (@drakemt.bsky.social) December 18, 2025 at 10:20 PM
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- Xhekaj is going to the box for whacking the hands of Louis Crevier. I don’t mind the penalty kill defence coming out here to kill off two of the remaining nine-and-a-half minutes.
- The Kapanen line is just cycling the puck deep in Chicago’s zone. That’s the way I like to see Montreal play with a lead.
- Hutson just made a perfect stick-check to prevent the Blackhawks from getting low in the zone to set something up. He’s been a busy boy tonight with three assists and over 25 minutes of action.
- Nick Suzuki hits the empty net, and the Canadiens have all but assured themselves a victory.
- And just like that, Montreal is a point back of the division lead yet again. Now for the Pittsburgh Penguins to end this week with a home-and-home set.
- One last, loud ovation for the crowd to salute Bolduc first — and second — goal at the Bell Centre as he’s named first star.
EOTP 3 Stars
3) All because they once missed Matt Duchene being 15 feet offside on a goal
2) And cheap, too!
1) The fans will need something to entertain them the rest of the way
