Cole Caufield is a natural-born goal-scorer — one thing the Canadiens haven’t had for a really very long time.
Caufield scored all three targets for the Canadiens on Saturday evening in Boston — together with two on the facility play — however it wasn’t sufficient as they misplaced 4-3 to the Bruins after blowing 2-1 and 3-2 leads. Caufield now has 29 targets in 52 video games this season and is on tempo to complete the season with 46 targets.
The Canadiens haven’t had a 40-goal scorer since Vincent Damphouse had 40 targets in 1993-94. Caufield, 25, is the primary Canadien to document a hat-trick in Boston since Mark Recchi scored three targets in a 6-2 win over the Bruins on Nov. 21, 1996.
Scoring targets hasn’t been an issue for the Canadiens as a staff this season. Heading into Saturday’s recreation they ranked fourth within the NHL in offence, scoring a mean of three.37 targets per recreation. Additionally they ranked twenty fourth in defence, permitting a mean of three.27 targets per recreation.
Quite a lot of that has to do with some shaky goaltending.
Canadiens head coach Martin St. Louis determined to begin Samuel Montembeault for a second straight recreation Saturday evening after he allowed three targets on 16 pictures in a 4-2 loss to the Buffalo Sabres on Thursday evening on the Bell Centre, with the ultimate purpose an empty-netter. Montembeault allowed 4 targets — together with three on the facility play — on 21 pictures Saturday evening as his profession document in opposition to the Bruins dropped to 3-8-1. Montembeault’s save share for the final two video games is .811. His document this season is now 9-8-2 with a 3.46 goals-against common and a .869 save share.
Le souper est prêt! Matty met la desk pour Cole!”That is why they name me Mr. Saturday Night time” – Cole, in all probability #GoHabsGo pic.twitter.com/uYwf9HcMu0
— Canadiens Montréal (@CanadiensMTL) January 25, 2026
The Canadiens outshot the Bruins 25-21 within the third of 4 conferences between these two groups this season. The Bruins gained 3-2 on Nov. 15 on the Bell Centre and the Canadiens gained 6-2 in Boston on Dec. 23. Their closing assembly shall be March 17 on the Bell Centre.
St. Louis determined to go along with Montembeault for the second straight recreation Saturday regardless of the very fact Jakub Dobes has a 5-0-1 document in his final six video games and is 15-5-3 this season with a 3.01 GAA and a .887 save share. Montembeault is now 1-2-1 in his final 4 begins.
Dans le cours d’aujourd’hui : l’effet CO₂ 🧪Chilly outdoors, Cole inside#GoHabsGo pic.twitter.com/Qe2Gyzin0c
— Canadiens Montréal (@CanadiensMTL) January 25, 2026
This was a giant loss for the Canadiens, who fell to fourth place within the Atlantic Division with a 28-17-7 document. They’re tied in factors with third-place Buffalo, however the Sabres (29-17-5) have performed one much less recreation. The Canadiens now maintain the primary wild-card playoff spot within the Jap Convention, one level forward of the Bruins (30-20-2).
The Canadiens went into the primary intermission in Boston main 1-0 after outshooting the Bruins 7-2 and went into the third interval main 3-2.
The Bruins’ Fraser Minten tied the rating 3-3 at 13:55 of the third interval after which Morgan Geekie scored 12 seconds afterward an influence play with Canadiens defenceman Alexandre Service within the penalty field for holding.
TOUR DU CHAPEAU, COLE CAUFIELDIT’S A COLE CAUFIELD HAT TRICK#GoHabsGo pic.twitter.com/M86nPjhJtM
— Canadiens Montréal (@CanadiensMTL) January 25, 2026
“This recreation occurs fast,” Caufield advised reporters in Boston after the sport. “These moments are enormous and these are the moments you look again on and also you hope it doesn’t chunk you within the ass as a result of you may have the lead going into the third in opposition to a fairly good staff that’s chasing us, that wants these factors. We obtained to have that very same urgency.”
This loss wasn’t all on Montembeault — with three Boston targets approaching the facility play — however the Canadiens must get a lot better goaltending in the event that they need to make the playoffs for a second straight season. It’s a must to assume Dobes will get the beginning when the Canadiens play their subsequent recreation Tuesday on the Bell Centre in opposition to the Vegas Golden Knights
(7 p.m., TSN2, RDS).
HE SCORED!! pic.twitter.com/1fJlZLlZGp
— Boston Bruins (@NHLBruins) January 25, 2026
“We simply didn’t execute performs, didn’t get pucks in and the PK fell brief tonight,” Jake Evans, who’s a part of the Canadiens’ penalty-killing unit, advised reporters in Boston. “For those who quit three PK targets you’re in all probability going to lose the sport.
“Missed clears, missed blocks, misplaced faceoffs,” Evans added in regards to the penalty-killing issues. “There’s only a lot. It’s not structure-wise, it’s missed executing on sure particulars of it and numerous it was on me, in order that sucks.”
The evening may have been even worse for the Canadiens. Kirby Dach — enjoying his third recreation since lacking two months with a fractured foot — went to the locker room with a bloodied proper hand late within the first interval after getting right into a struggle with Jonathan Aspirot. However Dach returned to the sport late within the second interval.
KIRBY DACH AND JONATHAN ASPIROT DROP THE GLOVES 👊 pic.twitter.com/lr54AZfoKC
— Sportsnet (@Sportsnet) January 25, 2026
After enjoying two video games on the primary line, Dach misplaced his spot with Nick Suzuki and Caufield to Alexandre Texier, who returned to the lineup after lacking two video games with a lower-body damage. Dach was on the third line to begin the sport with Evans and Zachary Bolduc, whereas Joe Veleno was made a wholesome scratch for the primary time because the fifth recreation of the season. Defenceman Arber Xhekaj additionally returned to the lineup, taking Jayden Struble’s spot, after being a wholesome scratch for the earlier two video games.
“It’s clearly irritating,” Caufield advised reporters in Boston in regards to the loss. “But it surely’s a staff recreation and I feel all of us may have been higher tonight.
“This was an enormous two factors that we wanted,” Caufield added. “So again to work subsequent week and obtained to be taught from this one.”
Additionally they need to get higher goaltending.
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