Caufield’s OT goal sends Habs past Sharks for third straight win
Published
MONTREAL - Cole Caufield's overtime goal propelled the Montreal Canadiens to a 4-3 win over the visiting San Jose Sharks on Thursday.
Caufield's goal was his team-leading 28th this season.
Canadiens captain Nick Suzuki scored two first-period goals for Montreal (28-26-5) to run his personal multi-point streak to three games. Alex Newhook also scored for the Canadiens for his first goal since Feb. 4.
Montreal's goalie Samuel Montembeault stopped 22 shots for the win. The Becancour, Que. native has started and won all three of Montreal’s games after the 4 Nations Face-Off break.
Fabian Zetterlund, Nico Sturm and Will Smith scored for the Sharks, (15-36-9) who lost their third straight game. San Jose, who remains in last place in the NHL standings, have lost seven straight games and 13 of its last 14 contests.
Alexandar Georgiev made 29 saves for San Jose in the loss. The Bulgarian netminder ran his personal losing streak to eight games and has now lost 14 of 16 with San Jose since being traded to the Sharks from the Colorado Avalanche on Dec. 9, 2024.
Canadiens’ rookie centreman Owen Beck earned his first NHL point in his ninth career game by assisting on Newhook’s third-period marker. It was the 21-year-old’s second straight game centring Montreal’s second line in place of the injured Kirby Dach.
TAKEAWAYS
Canadiens: Montreal trailed by a goal three separate times in regulation, ultimately answering back with goals of their own on each occasion.
Sharks: San Jose lost for the first time at the Bell Centre since March 21, 2015. The Sharks had won their last eight meetings against the Canadiens in Montreal.
KEY MOMENT
With his team trailing 2-1 with under a minute remaining on the clock in the first period, Suzuki accepted a feed from Hutson before firing a snap shot past Georgiev from the left face-off circle for his second goal of the period.
KEY STAT
Suzuki’s pair of first-period tallies were his first career goals against San Jose. The Canadiens captain had gone goalless in his eight prior meetings with the Sharks.
UP NEXT
Canadiens: Visit the Buffalo Sabres on Saturday.
Sharks: Visit the Ottawa Senators on Saturday.
This report by The Canadian Press was first published Feb. 27, 2025.