Cole Caufield scored the tying goal with 20 seconds remaining in the third period and tallied again with three seconds left in overtime, fueling the host Montreal Canadiens to a 3-2 victory over the Nashville Predators on Thursday.
Canadiens defenseman Lane Hutson used his body to make a save at one end of the ice after Montreal pulled its goalie for an extra attacker. He then wired a stretch pass to Caufield, who beat Juuse Saros with a wrist shot from the left circle to level the contest.
Caufield capped the comeback by one-timing a centering feed from captain Nick Suzuki for his second multi-goal performance in as many games and his fifth goal in the past three contests overall.
Oliver Kapanen scored early in the third period, Hutson had two assists and Jakub Dobes made 17 saves for the Canadiens, who recorded their fourth win in a row since dropping their opener.
Nashville’s Steven Stamkos scored a goal in the second period and defenseman Nick Perbix tallied in the third for his second goal in as many games.
Saros turned aside 27 shots for the Predators, who fell to 1-1-1 on their four-game road trip.
Saros extended his right pad to deny defenseman Mike Matheson at one end before Perbix skated up the ice and wired a shot from the right circle that handcuffed Dobes to give Nashville a 2-1 lead at 11:21 of the second period.
Entering the game 1-for-17 on the power play, the Predators gained a man advantage midway through the second period when Zack Bolduc was whistled for hooking Tyson Jost.
On the ensuing power play, Stamkos, stationed in the left circle, attempted a shot-pass in the direction of Michael Bunting. The puck deflected off sliding defenseman Kaiden Guhle and into the net.
Ryan O’Reilly scored Nashville’s lone other power-play goal in a 2-1 win over the Columbus Blue Jackets in the season opener on Oct. 9.
Kapanen cleaned up a rebound in front of the net to forge a 1-1 tie at 6:02 of the third period. The goal was Kapanen’s third of the season.
Jost skated in his 500th career game.
–Field Level Media
