First period
- Alexandre Carrier’s difficult stretch continues as he heads to the box to serve a double-minor for an errant high stick while falling 25 seconds into the game.
- Josh Anderson gets a short-handed breakaway, but Montreal just doesn’t score on those.
- Mike Matheson blocks an attempted pass to the backdoor, but the puck sits for Pavel Zacha, and the Bruins score in the opening two minutes of their power play.
- Jakub Dobeš makes a big save on a rebound to keep the Bruins’ lead at one goal.
- Casey Mittelstadt fires his shot from the circle off the post.
- The Canadiens get zone time at five-on-five, which matches how the Bruins have performed on the road all season. Montreal just needs to up its level a bit to make its speed more of a factor.
- The fans give Brendan Gallagher a standing ovation as they take a moment to honour him for his 900th game.
- Montreal has the Bruins scrambling in their own zone trying to keep up with the cycle.
- A strong sequence of play at even strength leads to Nick Suzuki collecting the puck completely wide-open at the top of the crease, and he has time to pull of a few dekes before backhanding it in to tie the game.
Top line gets a turnover near the blue line, and Nick Suzuki ties the game for the #Habs with a nifty dangle alone in front.
— Matt Drake (@drakemt.bsky.social) March 17, 2026 at 8:31 PM
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- After Boston got out to an 8-2 shot advantage with the power play, that last shot to tie the game also evened the shot count.
- The Bruins get their first shot in about 10 minutes, an easy blocker save for Dobeš on a shot from distance.
- The next couple are more difficult from close range, but Dobeš gets those two. The first moment of defensive breakdown at even strength so far.
- Ivan Demidov, Oliver Kapanen, and Alex Newhook attempt what would have been a really nice setup, but the puck didn’t quite get to its final destination for a one-timer from the Newfoundlander.
- Now the third has the Bruins chasing around. The sequence ends with Jake Evans cross-checked twice behind the net to knock him down so Boston can get the puck.
- The refs have let enough go from the Bruins. Mason Lohrei will head off for slashing after spending a shift running around his own zone.
- The top unit was too nonchalant with its puck touches and spoiled its chances. Those players need to bear down more when they get a power play. Too many missed chances lately.
- Montreal responded well to the early penalty and goal against. They are the better team in this game, they just need to play the rest of it at five-on-five to turn it into two points.
Second period
- One late flurry is the closest the Canadiens come to capitalizing on their intermission-straddling power play, but it goes for naught.
- Lane Hutson doesn’t read well how the play is developing in the neutral zone and ends up running into Kapanen and has to scramble to get back into defensive position. He doesn’t get there before Pavel Zacha tips in a pass from Victor Arvidsson to put Boston back on top.
- Zachary Bolduc steals the puck, Alexandre Texier touches the puck across to Evans for a tap-in, but Evans is unable to get his stick free to score.
- Matheson’s stick goes into the face of David Pastrnak as he tries to chip-and-chase into the offensive zone. From an offensive chance, the penalty kill comes back out.
- The Bruins have carried the momentum out of the power play.
- The fourth line is able relaunch the cycle that had been working so well for Montreal earlier in the game, and they help get the puck back to Hutson at the point. Hutson dances around for several second waiting for a player to get to the front of the net, and that player is Josh Anderson, who gets rewarded with a tip of Hutson’s point shot to tie the game.
Lane Hutson with an offensive zone masterclass, and Josh Anderson gets the deflection
— Scott Matla (@scottmatla.bsky.social) March 17, 2026 at 9:31 PM
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- Texier goes after what he felt was a loose puck trying to make it 3-2 on the next shift, but Jeremy Swayman had is secured. There’s a brief kerfuffle as the Bruins defencemen take exception to the play.
- Another penalty called on Montreal in the offensive zone sends the Bruins to the power play once again. Phillip Danault goes off for slashing.
- Boston can’t get over the blue line right now. When they decide to try to deny entries, the Habs are pretty good at it.
- The Bruins did nothing on that power play. Something for Montreal to build on.
- Juraj Slafkovský has a shot tipped off the side of Swayman and a rebound spills to his side, but Hutson is denied as he tries to tap it in the net.
- Shots were 8-7 Boston despite them playing one-fifth of the period on the power play. Montreal did well outside of a poor defensive moment that led to a goal and their stick-work while pushing for offence.
- Montreal has 16 high-danger chances at five-on-five in the opening 40 minutes. For context, the Anaheim Ducks had 16 versus Montreal’s porous defence on Sunday.
Third period
- For whatever reason, the Canadiens suddenly can’t make a pass. All their exit passes are going astray. They’re just letting the Bruins reload in the neutral zone and continue to attack. It’s not from being pressured, they’re just not hitting their marks.
- Dobeš has to make a lunging blocker save after the latest failed clear.
- The third line gets a couple of looks, but their sequence ends with a Texier stick explosion. That trio has been strong tonight, it just hasn’t been able to score.
- I don’t like how much defending Montreal is doing here. The puck is staying to the outside, but, as we saw versus San Jose, any flip toward the net can be dangerous.
- It’s an interesting dynamic now when neither team wants to give up the go-ahead goal, but also doesn’t want the other to claim a point.
- The top line has the puck fall at the top of the crease with Swayman down and out, but Andrew Peeke drops down like he’s incubating the puck in the crease, and Montreal can’t knock it in.
- Each team gets a point, and that will ensure that Boston stays behind Montreal no matter what happens.
Overtime
- Montreal has the opening possession.
- But not for long.
- After a long shift in his own end, Hutson dives at the puck and then skates himself out of pressure. He found some reserve energy in the final 10 seconds of a 2:20 shift.
- Demidov gets tripped and then hooked, but still manages to get a scoring chance.
- Zacha goes in on a breakaway looking to complete his hat trick, but Dobeš forces his shot wide.
- At the other end, Cole Caufield’s 40th goal is Montreal’s biggest of the campaign. He sets up waiting for Hutson’s pass, and executes the play to perfection.
FORTY GOALS FOR COLE Habs win in OT!
— Scott Matla (@scottmatla.bsky.social) March 17, 2026 at 10:47 PM
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- That’s a big win that not only extends Montreal’s lead over Boston to two points, but also gives them an edge in ROW should that come into play at the end of the season.
- Montreal is currently tied with the Tampa Bay Lightning at 84 points for second place. The Lightning are in Seattle later tonight.
- The Habs head to Detroit next for yet another big game on Thursday.
EOTP 3 Stars
3) We haven’t had many opportunities to say that this season, so we take it when we can
2) He’s an important piece of the team’s balance
1) Is there a secret partnership with a heart medication supplier we don’t know about?
