The Montreal Canadiens kicked off their three-game road trip with an emotional roller-coaster victory, overcoming a third-period deficit to defeat the Utah Mammoth 4-3 at the Delta Center on Wednesday night.
Dobes Solidifies Number One Status
Goaltender Jakub Dobes emerged as the undeniable hero, stopping 31 of 34 shots to backstop his team to victory despite being outshot by a significant margin. His .912 save percentage underscored his crucial role in keeping Montreal competitive throughout the contest.
"Sometimes because we have a couple of bad minutes in a row, that doesn't define your game," Dobes told media in Salt Lake City. "Just because of a couple of goals, you're not going to change something. Just stick to the plan. It worked out."
Dramatic Comeback Caps Wild Night
The Canadiens appeared to be in control early, building a 2-0 first-period lead on goals from Zachary Bolduc and Nick Suzuki. Bolduc's marker ended a 13-game scoring drought dating back to October 22, while Suzuki's goal represented the 400th point of his NHL career.
However, the momentum shifted dramatically in the second period as Utah scored three unanswered goals. The Mammoth's Kailer Yamamoto tied the game 2-2 just seconds after Cole Caufield was stopped on a breakaway opportunity, and Michael Carcone gave Utah their first lead later in the period.
The third period brought more drama when Juraj Slafkovsky appeared to tie the game, only to have the goal overturned after a successful offside challenge by Utah coach André Tourigny. Undeterred, the Canadiens continued pressing and Suzuki scored the actual equalizer moments later, setting the stage for the game-winning goal.
Rookie Contributions and Key Performances
Montreal's victory featured contributions throughout the lineup, including six rookies who dressed for the game. Defenceman Adam Engstrom made his NHL debut, logging 10:42 of ice time with one shot on goal.
"Of course I was a little bit nervous at the start," Engstrom admitted. "Once you get into it, it's fine. It was an awesome experience. I felt good. I felt I made good plays."
Florian Xhekaj, playing his second NHL game, recorded 8:51 of ice time with one shot, one blocked shot, and two hits. The Canadiens also received strong performances from Lane Hutson, who contributed to the opening goal and saw penalty-killing duty, and Cole Caufield, who registered three of Montreal's 17 shots.
Captain Nick Suzuki emphasized the team's resilience after the game: "I'm proud of the guys' efforts to come back. I'm just trying to do my best out there. I get to play with a lot of great players. They've helped me get to where I am today."
The victory improves Montreal's record as they navigate a challenging schedule that includes 16 games over 28 days before the NHL's holiday break, featuring five pairs of back-to-back contests.
