Canadiens' Winning Streak Halted in Dramatic Overtime Defeat
The Montreal Canadiens' three-game winning streak came to a heartbreaking end on Monday night, falling 4-3 in overtime to the Minnesota Wild at Grand Casino Arena in St. Paul. The loss marked another chapter in Montreal's ongoing struggles in Minnesota, where they haven't secured a victory since 2011.
Dobes' Winning Streak Ends in Goal
Goaltender Jakub Dobes suffered his first loss of 2026, ending a personal six-game winning streak that had seen him start four consecutive games for Montreal. Despite the defeat, the Canadiens managed to secure a valuable point in the standings, maintaining a respectable 5-2-1 record over their last eight contests.
Third-Period Collapse Proves Costly
In what has become a concerning pattern this season, the Canadiens failed to protect a one-goal lead in the third period. Montreal had taken their first lead of the night just 12 seconds into the final frame when Kirby Dach scored, but Minnesota responded quickly to tie the game before securing the victory in overtime.
Kaprizov Delivers Overtime Winner
Kirill Kaprizov scored his second goal of the game and 32nd of the season on a power play in overtime. The winning play developed after a chain reaction of events that saw Canadiens captain Nick Suzuki lose his balance while skating backward into Joel Eriksson Ek. Kaprizov's goal extended Minnesota's remarkable record against Montreal to 19-2-0.
Statistical Breakdown and Key Moments
The game featured several notable performances and statistical highlights:
- Brendan Gallagher scored his first goal in nine games, marking his fifth of the season during his 890th career game with Montreal
- Quinn Hughes, acquired by Minnesota in a major December trade, contributed three assists and extended his point streak to nine games
- Montreal was limited to just 20 shots on goal while winning 53.4% of faceoffs
- Defenseman Lane Hutson led Montreal in ice time with 25:55 minutes played
- Dobes finished with a .833 save percentage on the night
Post-Game Reactions from Canadiens
Players expressed mixed emotions following the narrow defeat. "I thought both teams played well," defenseman Kaiden Guhle told reporters. "That's a pretty good player that scores that overtime goal with a pretty perfect shot. I don't think we should be too disappointed."
Kirby Dach echoed similar sentiments, stating "We deserved better tonight. There were things that were out of our control that didn't go our way." Captain Nick Suzuki commented on the controversial overtime play that led to Minnesota's winning goal, saying "I was skating backwards. I got kind of picked. I guess the refs saw it differently."
Historical Context and Looking Ahead
The loss extends Montreal's winless streak in Minnesota to 12 consecutive games dating back to 2011. The Wild franchise, now in its 25th season, has established a clear dominance over the Canadiens in their home arena. Montreal will look to rebound in their final game before the Winter Olympics break when they face the Winnipeg Jets on Wednesday night, where Samuel Montembeault may get the start in goal.
