Slafkovsky Shines, Canadiens Rally Late in Wild Win Over Senators
Juraj Slafkovsky is heating up at just the right time. The 19-year-old forward scored twice for the Canadiens, bringing his season total to 19 goals - already one more than he managed all of last year.
With his career high of 20 set just last season, it’s clear Slafkovsky is trending in the right direction, and fast. His offensive instincts are sharpening, his confidence is growing, and Montreal is reaping the rewards.
But this one wasn’t just about Slafkovsky. It was a night packed with chaos, controversy, and a little bit of magic - the kind of game that reminds you why hockey can be so unpredictable and thrilling.
A Strange Moment on the Bench
Early in the first period, things got weird. Jake Evans had his stick yanked right out of his hands by someone on the Ottawa bench - and somehow, no penalty was called.
It was a bizarre, blink-and-you’ll-miss-it moment that left fans scratching their heads. When did that become legal?
For Evans, it was his first game back after missing 13 contests due to a knee-on-knee collision with Pittsburgh’s Justin Brazeau. He deserved a smoother return than that.
Bolduc’s Goal Drought Continues
Zachary Bolduc can’t seem to catch a break. He’s now gone 12 straight games without lighting the lamp.
He thought he finally broke through in the first period - only for the goal to be wiped out after a successful Ottawa challenge showed Evans was offside on the play. That one stings.
A Friendly Fire Mishap
There was a moment of pure slapstick in the second period when Shane Pinto accidentally tripped his own teammate, Michael Amadio. Amadio tumbled into Canadiens goalie Samuel Montembeault, sending the netminder sprawling. It was the kind of play you’d expect to see in a blooper reel, not a tight divisional matchup.
Second Period Struggles Continue
The Canadiens’ second-period woes showed up again in full force. Outscored 4-1 in the middle frame, Montreal saw their deficit in second-period goals this season balloon to 64-51. For whatever reason, the middle 20 minutes continue to be their Achilles’ heel - a Bermuda Triangle where leads disappear and momentum shifts hard the other way.
Montembeault’s Redemption Save
Despite the chaos, Montembeault came up with a huge stop in the third. With Ottawa leading 5-3, Pinto broke in alone - but Montembeault turned him away with what might’ve been the save of the night. It didn’t erase the earlier struggles, but it kept the Canadiens within striking distance.
Faceoff Win Sets Up Slafkovsky’s Second
Phillip Danault delivered a clutch faceoff win against Claude Giroux that led directly to Slafkovsky’s second goal, cutting the deficit to 5-4. It was a small moment with a big impact - the kind of detail that often gets overlooked, but in this case, helped swing the momentum.
Overtime Heroics
Tim Stützle had a golden chance to end it in overtime on a two-on-one with Giroux, but he couldn’t connect. That opened the door for Cole Caufield, who raced the other way and buried the game-winner - his 12th career overtime goal. Just like that, Montreal stole two points in dramatic fashion.
By the Numbers
Caufield and Nick Suzuki each fired three shots on goal. Joe Veleno led the physical charge with five hits, one more than Slafkovsky.
Bolduc, Brendan Gallagher, and Kaiden Guhle each added three hits of their own. On the blue line, Mike Matheson blocked five shots, while Lane Hutson logged a team-high 26:22 of ice time.
Arber Xhekaj, meanwhile, saw just 7:40 on the night. Montembeault finished with a .853 save percentage on 34 shots.
The Canadiens edged Ottawa in the faceoff circle (53.3%) and outhit them 28-26.
Postgame Soundbites
Head coach Martin St. Louis acknowledged the second-period issues but didn’t think the team was cheating the game.
“They were executing at a much higher level, especially in the second period,” St. Louis said.
“They caught us out there for a long time. Fatigue builds up.
Momentum shifts. We took some penalties.
There was a lot that went into it. Our power play wasn’t good in the second.
There’s games like that.”
Caufield, the overtime hero, pointed to the team’s resilience.
“We’ve been in this situation too many times this year,” he said. “We know we can fall back on our details, being resilient and finding a way.
We had to win a period there and somehow we found a way. This was a pretty special comeback win for us that we can definitely look back on going forward.”
Suzuki echoed those thoughts, emphasizing belief and unity in the locker room.
“We showed that we can climb out of any hole,” he said. “It’s a huge win against them.
Our division is so tight now. Staying positive is a huge motivator and aspect for us.
We have a lot of belief in the guys in the room to score those big goals in big moments.”
Evans, always grounded, offered a measured take.
“You’d be happy about the result, but being satisfied and thinking we can win doing that - it’s not going to happen often,” he said. “We’re playing to become a top team and make it far in the playoffs.”
Final Word
This was a comeback win that had a little bit of everything - controversy, comedy, and clutch performances. Slafkovsky continues to blossom, Caufield delivered in overtime, and the Canadiens once again showed they can dig themselves out of a hole. But if they want to keep climbing the standings, they’ll need to figure out that second-period riddle - and fast.