First period
- Cole Caufield accepts a bank-pass and tries to go across the top of Jake Allen’s crease, but former teammate Johnny Kovacevic makes the stick-check just before he can fire the puck.
- Ivan Demidov gets past a couple of players at the defensive blue line to go in on a two-on-one, but can’t see a lane to Alex Newhook to get a pass through. His initial shot gets stopped, but he collects the rebound, curls back to the slot, and gets another shot that deflects out of play.
- A very Habs-heavy crowd is getting loud every time Caufield touches the puck. His latest shot just goes off the tip of Allen’s glove to stay out.
- It says the Devils have five shots on goal, but I haven’t seen that many. Montreal is the dangerous team to start this game.
- As I finish typing that, Jesper Bratt walks right in through the slot and backhands the puck off the post.
- The Devils are just tossing the puck on net, maybe hoping Dobeš will misplay one to create a rebound chance, but that’s not happening.
- Allen gets just a piece of Demidov’s next shot. He’s the most dangerous player on the ice tonight.
- He’s also the first one to go to the box and his light cross-check on Paul Cotter on a backcheck sends the Devils forward flying.
- Dobeš makes a save on a point-blank shot from bumper man Connor Brown.
- The penalty is killed, but Montreal shouldn’t let the Devils play five-on-four very often tonight.
- The crowd oohs and aahs for a Caufield goal, but they still see an incredible one off his assist. With all the attention on the Habs’ sniper, Jayden Struble advances from the point to take his pass and finds the puck-sized 13-hole beside Allen’s ear to open the scoring.
Absolute laser from Jayden Struble makes it 1-0 #Habs
— Matt Drake (@drakemt.bsky.social) April 4, 2026 at 8:45 PM
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- Montreal is having some trouble versus New Jersey’s top line, but they’re not alone in that.
- Struble’s next shot gets tipped by Brendan Gallagher and goes through Allen, but then off the post.
- Demidov tracks back and steals the puck in the dying seconds of the period, and ends up getting hooked with eight second to play. He not only thwarted a final chance for New Jersey, but will allow his team to start on the power play in the second period.
- It was a very deceiving 14-9 shot advantage for the Devils. Five-on-five scoring chances were 11-6 Montreal in the period, and they could have had four or five goals if not for Allen getting the tiniest bit of equipment on several shots.
Second period
- Everything’s a little too casual from the top unit to start, trying passes that aren’t going to get through.
- Alex Newhook tips the puck on then gets robbed by Allen on the rebound.
- Arber Xhekaj is looking confident in his puck touches, going to the right places and taking his time to make the right play.
- The irony of the Devils fans trying drown out “Go Habs Go!” with “U-S-A!” is that everyone is there to see an American score a goal.
- Demidov is the first player back on the forecheck and disrupts Jack Hughes to deny a shot. He might already be the team’s second-line centre.
- Jonas Siegenthaler tries to clear the puck so Juraj Slafkovský can’t get it, and it goes out of play.
- Another A1 for Caufield, as he sees the 13-hole is closed off but the passing lane to Demidov isn’t. Allen has no chance to make the save after putting everything into sealing off the near post.
Cole Caufield on the cusp of 50, decides to give this one to Ivan Demidov on the back door. 2-0 #Habs
— Matt Drake (@drakemt.bsky.social) April 4, 2026 at 9:26 PM
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- A deserved goal for Demidov given how he’s played tonight, and it’s the 60th point of his rookie season.
- The third line follows up with one of their patented hard-working shifts, and Hutson is the beneficiary of the puck coming out of the scrum as he just has to hit the empty net with Allen down and out.
Great rush by Jayden Struble, leads to a scramble with Allen run into by his own defender, and Lane Hutson capitalizes. 3-0 #Habs
— Matt Drake (@drakemt.bsky.social) April 4, 2026 at 9:28 PM
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- “U-S-A!” and all that.
- I like the decision to go to the third line after taking a two-goal lead. It’s been the one you can count on to keep the pressure on.
- I guess we’ll call it the 12-hole on the left side of the net that Dawson Mercer just found on Dobeš to make it 3-1.
- The main fivesome scrambles around its zone to allow a couple of dangerous looks to the Devils that Dobeš needs to be sharp on.
- The third line once again helps turn defence into an offensive-zone faceoff, and also a power play as Bolduc was high-sticked while playing the puck up the ice. It will be a double minor to Brenden Dillon.
- Not only was Montreal not hard enough on the puck, they allowed two two-on-ones with Jack Hughes out on the penalty kill. The second one makes it a 3-2 game.
- That’s blown multi-goal leads in each of the last two games. They need to clean that up in a hurry.
- Hughes gets another short-handed chance after coming back on the ice off the bench. This has been a disastrous power play.
- It had been all Montreal, then they thought they were in an exhibition game. The Devils quickly reminded them that this is still a professional hockey contest worth two standings points. What should be at least a 3-1 lead if we allow Mercer his highlight is now one shot from being tied.
Third period
- Dobeš makes two saves in the opening 12 seconds of the period. Montreal needs to get back in this game.
- Things have calmed down a bit since that opening flurry.
- Another exceptional job by the third line to just keep the puck sliding along the boards in the offensive zone.
- Montreal is doing a good job of locking things down here.
- Joe Veleno does a great job of skating with Jack Hughes and going around the net to strip him of the puck. The fourth line then spends an entire shift with Hughes on the ice in the New Jersey zone.
- The Devils aren’t finding the slot as open as they did in the second period, and aren’t able to test Dobeš the same way.
- Caufield walks around his man and speeds in for a chance, which is denied by the arm of Allen.
- The Devils call Allen to the bench, and the Canadiens allow another goal at five-on-six as Timo Meier shoots the puck off the far post and in.
- Who will the Habs turn to for a go-ahead goal?
- Jack Hughes knocks the puck over the glass with just under two minutes to play. Montreal will finish regulation on a power play.
- The top unit just hasn’t looked good most of the night despite the Demidov goal.
- The game is going to overtime. The regulation winning streak comes to an end, but there’s still a chance at an eighth win in a row.
Overtime
- The Devils take the first possession as some late power-play time sets the game at four-or-four to begin.
- Alex Newhook gets a good scoring chance, but Allen makes the save and finds the rebound that bounces straight up in the air.
- Demidov sets up Kapanen for another chance. Allen makes the save.
- At the other end, Dobeš gets over the boards and shields off an attacker to get the puck to a teammate.
- It was exciting, but not deciding, so we go to a shootout.
Shootout
- Dobeš makes an easy glove save on Cotter.
- Caufield goes first for Montreal. He speeds up at the end, and gets the first goal. Speed is the answer in the shootout, I’m convinced of that.
- Bratt dekes Dobeš into the back of the net and send the puck under his pad to tie things up.
- Demidov goes top corner as Allen is expecting a backhand deke.
- Dobeš can win it. Jack Hughes keeps things going with another shot off the post and in.
- Suzuki has the game on his stick. He is stopped yet again on a shootout attempt.
- Lenni Hameenaho can’t open up Dobeš’s five-hole and gets stopped.
- Slafkovský is denied by Allen’s arm.
- Cody Glass sends a hard wristshot well wide.
- Kapanen is the latest Canadiens player with the chance to make the winning play. He makes it happen.
- Montreal moves to 100 points, goes 5-0-0 on the road trip, and extends the winning streak to eight.
- With the Columbus Blue Jackets losing tonight, the only possible threats to Montreal’s playoff spot are Detroit and Ottawa, who would need to run the table. One more point for Montreal, or a lost one by either team, and the Habs will clinch their place.
EOTP 3 Stars
3) They’ve been key pieces of Montreal’s offence lately
2) Everyone is getting assimilated
1) But he still loves them
