Caufield’s Last-Second Goal Shocks Wild, Propels Canadiens to Dramatic 4-3 Victory

Alright, let me break it down for you—the Montreal Canadiens pulled off a heart-stopping victory against the Minnesota Wild, clinching the game 4-3 with none other than Cole Caufield lighting the lamp in the dying seconds. With just 15 ticks left on the clock, Caufield caught a slick feed from Nick Suzuki and let loose a bullet from the right circle that found the back of the net, marking his 25th goal this season—an absolute dagger for the Wild. But it wasn’t just Caufield’s moment; Phillip Danault snapped his scoring slump, Alexandre Carrier and young gun Lane Hutson chimed in, and rookie Ivan Demidov dished out two helpers, while Jakub Dobes stood tall with 16 saves. On the flip side, Vladimir Tarasenko put on a show with two goals, bolstered by Brock Faber’s effort, but it just wasn’t enough to hold off the Canadiens’ late surge. This showdown had it all—power plays, comebacks, and returns from injury—definitely a game that’s gonna be talked about for a while. LEARN MORE

MONTREAL (AP) — Cole Caufield scored the winner with 15 seconds remaining to lift the Montreal Canadiens to a 4-3 win over the Minnesota Wild on Tuesday night.

Caufield took a pass from Nick Suzuki and fired a shot from the top of the right circle for his 25th of the season.

Phillip Danault — with his first of the season — Alexandre Carrier and Lane Hutson also scored for Montreal.

Rookie winger Ivan Demidov provided two assists and Jakub Dobes made 16 saves.

Vladimir Tarasenko scored twice and Brock Faber also scored for Minnesota, which beat the Toronto Maple Leafs 6-3 on Monday. Jesper Wallstedt stopped 29 shots.

Tarasenko opened the scoring with a power-play goal at 10:44 of the first period, beating Dobes on Minnesota’s second shot with a one-timer.

Danault jammed in a rebound to break his goal drought and tie the game at 15:22.

Carrier doubled the lead with 52 seconds remaining in the opening period, redirecting Mike Matheson’s point shot after carrying the puck into Minnesota’s zone.

Faber equalized with a wrist shot from the point that trickled under Dobes’ left pad at 10:16 in the second, but Montreal regained the lead when Hutson hammered home a Demidov pass from a sharp angle at 12:35.

Penalties to Hutson and Matheson put the Wild on a 5-on-3 power play with 8:11 remaining in regulation, and Tarasenko converted his second of the game moments after Hutson exited the box to make it a 5-on-4.

Canadiens forward Kirby Dach returned to the lineup for the first time since breaking his foot from blocking a shot on Nov. 15. Winger Alexandre Texier missed the game with a lower-body injury.

The Wild played without forwards Marcus Johansson, Joel Eriksson Ek and Matt Boldy, and defensemen Jonas Brodin and Zach Bogosian.

Up next

Wild: Host Detroit on Thursday night.

Canadiens: Host Buffalo on Thursday night.

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AP NHL: https://apnews.com/hub/nhl