About Last Night: Cole Caufield denied 50th, but had two assists and a shootout goal
The Canadiens blew a three-goal lead, but still extended their winning streak to eight games with a 4-3 shootout win over the New Jersey Devils on Saturday night at Prudential Center.
The Canadiens reached 100 points in the standings for the first time since 2016-17.
Forward Cole Caufield did just about everything except score his 50th goal. He had five shots, two assists and scored in the shootout, which doesn’t count toward his season total.
Rookie Ivan Demidov reached the 60-point plateau with a power-play marker, becoming the fifth rookie forward in team history to accomplish the feat.
It was an away game for the Canadiens, but it didn’t look that way in the stands. Many Habs fans made the trip to Newark, and they got to take in defenceman Mike Matheson’s 700th career game.
It took defenceman Jayden Struble 48 games to score his first goal of the season, but he didn’t have to wait long for his second. He surprised even the other players on the ice with a quick shot that went in and out of the net for a 1-0 Montreal lead after 20 minutes.
In the second period, Demidov continued his hot streak with a power play from a feed by Caufield. Demidov has eight points in his last seven games, and fourteen of his 17 goals this season have come with the man-advantage.
It looked like an easy night for the Habs against the non-playoff bound Devils when 1:16 later Lane Hutson added to their lead with his 12th goal of the season.
It’s been a disappointing season for the talented Devils, who expected to be in the playoff picture, but they entered the game 7-3-0 in their last 10 and star forward Jack Hughes has been red hot since winning gold at the Olympics, with 34 points since the break.
They showed their home crowd what might’ve been by erasing Montreal’s 3-0 lead. It started with Dawson Mercer beating Jakub Dobes bar down to get New Jersey on the board.
Then the Habs were gifted a four-minute power play, but it was Hughes who capitalized with a shorthanded goal. Devils were down one after 40 minutes.
With 2:15 left and netminder Jake Allen pulled for an extra skater, the Devils tied it up off a Timo Meier shot that went post and in. Caufield had the potential winning goal on his stick in the final minute on the power play, but no late heroics in regulation for Mr. Saturday Night.
In overtime, both sides traded chances with no resolution. Dobes made Canadiens fans nervous with his puck handling outside the crease.
It took until round five of the shootout for a winner to be crowned. Caufield and Demidov opened the shootout with goals, and Oliver Kapanen scored the winner.
The Canadiens are winners of eight straight. Premier François Legault tweeted his appreciation of the streak.
There are three teams in the Atlantic Division that hit the century mark in points: the Tampa Bay Lightning lead with 102, while the Habs and Buffalo Sabres have 100.
All the Canadiens need is a point to clinch a playoff berth for a second consecutive season. They can do it as soon as Sunday against these same New Jersey Devils, only this time on home ice.
So while Caufield couldn’t become the team’s first 50-goal scorer since Stéphane Richer on Saturday, he was still the team’s best forward by Game Score. Jayden Struble continues to solidify his lineup spot as the team looks ahead to the ideal Game 1 roster.
Note: There will be no livestream Monday on the Hockey Inside Out YouTube channel. The livestream will return on Tuesday for the Habs vs. Florida Panthers.
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