Another Overtime Heartbreaker in St. Paul Keeps Habs Winless There Since 2011
If you’re a Canadiens fan, you’ve seen this movie before - and Monday night’s game in Minnesota was a familiar sequel with a frustrating twist.
Despite a gutsy push and a late-game spark, Montreal couldn’t snap their long-standing curse in St. Paul, falling 4-3 in overtime to the Wild.
It’s now been over a decade since the Habs last left the Xcel Energy Center with two points - that 2011 blowout featuring a P.K. Subban hat trick feels like ancient history.
This time, it was Kirill Kaprizov playing the role of heartbreaker. The Wild’s star winger tallied twice, including the overtime winner on a 4-on-3 power play, capping off a game where the Canadiens showed flashes of resilience but couldn’t quite seal the deal.
Déjà Vu from the Drop of the Puck
Call it Groundhog Day, call it bad luck - whatever it is, the Habs are making a habit of giving up goals on the first shot they face. Monday marked the sixth time this season that trend reared its head, with Minnesota striking just moments into the game.
The Wild doubled their lead soon after, thanks to a beautiful bit of puck movement that left Montreal’s defense scrambling. Quinn Hughes, who was everywhere all night with three assists, helped set up Kaprizov for a clean look in the slot. He didn’t miss.
But Brendan Gallagher, doing what Brendan Gallagher does, gave the Canadiens a lifeline before the first intermission. With just over a minute to go in the period, the veteran forward muscled his way past Hughes, cut inside, and beat Filip Gustavsson on the backhand to make it 2-1.
Second Period: Chaos, Controversy, and a Timely Equalizer
The second frame was a bit of a grind, with both teams combining for just 17 shots. But don’t let the numbers fool you - the action was anything but dull.
Minnesota generated several odd-man rushes, forcing Jakub Dobes to come up big. The young netminder had a few fortunate bounces go his way, including one that deflected off the post, then his helmet, and landed on top of the net. Still, he held strong, stopping 20 of 24 shots overall and continuing his streak of avoiding regulation losses since December 9.
The period also brought some officiating heat. A controversial non-call on what looked like a clear slash against Ivan Demidov had fans - and analysts - up in arms. Demidov’s stick shattered as he tried to get a shot off from the slot, and the replay didn’t do the refs any favors.
But Demidov would get his revenge.
With less than a minute left in the second, Lane Hutson turned on the jets down the left wing, drawing three Wild defenders his way. That opened up space across the ice, and Hutson threaded a perfect cross-ice pass to Demidov, who hammered home a one-timer to tie the game at 2-2.
Third Period: The Kids Take the Lead
It didn’t take long for Montreal to grab their first lead of the night.
Just 17 seconds into the third, the newly formed line of Nick Suzuki, Cole Caufield, and Kirby Dach showed exactly why they’ve been generating buzz. Caufield tipped the puck to Suzuki, who worked the puck low in the zone before threading a perfect feed to a crashing Dach. One touch, one goal, and the Habs were suddenly on top 3-2.
Suzuki, ever the cerebral captain, said postgame he anticipated Dach’s net drive based on the team’s structure - and clearly, the chemistry is already clicking.
But Minnesota wasn’t going away.
The Wild turned up the pressure midway through the third, buzzing through the neutral zone and crashing the blue line with purpose. That aggression paid off when Brock Faber found space and beat Dobes with a low wrister to knot things up again.
Overtime: Kaprizov Closes the Curtain
In the extra frame, both teams had their chances, but it was a defensive lapse that proved costly.
Phillip Danault got caught flat-footed trying to contain Kaprizov, and it led to a tripping penalty that gave the Wild a 4-on-3 power play. With that kind of space, Minnesota didn’t hesitate - and Kaprizov, with all the time he needed, rifled home the winner.
Final score: Wild 4, Canadiens 3 (OT).
Shots on goal favored Minnesota 24-20, but the game was closer than the numbers suggest. Montreal showed grit, had moments of brilliance, and pushed one of the West’s tougher teams to the brink.
But in the end, the streak in St. Paul lives on.
Takeaways
- Jakub Dobes continues to impress in net. While he wasn’t perfect, he made key stops and kept Montreal in it during some heavy Wild pressure.
- Lane Hutson and Ivan Demidov are showing real signs of becoming a dynamic duo.
That second-period goal was a thing of beauty - and a glimpse of what the future could hold.
- Suzuki-Dach-Caufield might be the Canadiens’ most exciting line combination right now. The chemistry is real, and the production is starting to follow.
- Penalty kill miscues in OT remain a problem. Montreal’s inability to shut down elite scorers in sudden-death scenarios has cost them more than once this season.
Montreal may have left St. Paul with just a point, but they didn’t leave empty-handed. There’s growth happening - it’s just coming with a few growing pains along the way.