Canadiens recover, top Devils in shootout for 8th straight win

NEWARK, N.J. -- Cole Caufield had two assists and the Montreal Canadiens recovered to win their eighth straight game, 4-3 in a shootout against the New Jersey Devils at Prudential Center on Saturday.

Oliver Kapanen sealed the win when he scored in the bottom of fifth round of the tie-breaker.

The Canadiens opened a 3-0 lead before the Devils scored three straight goals to tie the game.

"I think we're a good team but it's not because you're a good team that it's going to be perfect all the time," Montreal coach Martin St. Louis said. "It's not because you're a good team that you're not going to slip in some areas. We're just trying to stick with our process and talk the truth about where we are. I feel tonight wasn't our best, but we found a way."

Timo Meier scored on a snap shot from the top of the right face-off circle with Jake Allen pulled for an extra attacker to pull the Devils into a 3-3 tie at 17:45 of the third period.

Jayden Struble, Ivan Demidov and Lane Hutson each scored for the Canadiens (45-21-10; 100 points), who have put together their second-longest win streak in the past 30 years after eight-game runs in 2016-17 and 2005-06. They won nine straight in 2015-16.

Jakub Dobes made 35 saves to win his fifth straight start for the Canadiens.

"I felt like my confidence was always there; it's just feeling comfortable, feeling good, and playing good hockey with the team," Dobes said. "That's really important right now."

Montreal is two points behind the first-place Tampa Bay Lightning in the Atlantic Division, and tied with the Buffalo Sabres. The Canadiens reached 100 points for the first time since 2016-17 (103). They host the Devils in the second of a home-and-home at Bell Centre on Sunday.

"I feel 100 points is good, but we're trying to get the best possible position for us to start (the Stanley Cup Playoffs) at home," Dobes said. "We're trying to finish first; that's the main focus right now."

Jack Hughes and Meier each had a goal and an assist for New Jersey (39-34-3), which is 7-3-1 in its past 11. Allen made 26 saves in his second straight start.

"Overtime is a crap shoot; there's no theories, no structure, no nothing," Allen said. "It's let your skill take over and you're going to win some, and going to lose some. But there were great chances at both ends. I think the fans got all the price of admission."

Struble gave Montreal a 1-0 lead on a wrist shot from the left face-off circle that dipped under the crossbar at 15:58 of the first period.

Demidov made it 2-0 with a power-play goal on a one-timer from the bottom of the right circle off Caufield’s cross-ice pass at 8:12 of the second period.

Hutson pushed it to 3-0 on a wrist shot from the high slot at 9:28.

"We got to continue to build our game and put ourselves in a good spot going into playoffs," Hutson said. "We've kind of been stressing the details and the habits all year. It's nice to string together quite a few wins. Sometimes you get the bounces when you take care of your habits, and we've definitely gotten that so it's nice to get rewarded."

Mercer cut it to 3-1 for the Devils on a wrist shot from a tough angle from the bottom of the right circle at 13:08.

Hughes converted a short-handed goal for New Jersey off a 2-on-1 with Jesper Bratt, scoring on a tip-in from the slot at 17:40 of the second to make it 3-2.

"A goal late is always helpful and brings some momentum and life to the group and puts a lot more pressure on the other team," Bratt said. "Coming in on a 2-on-1 with Jack, obviously I'm ready to pass it if there's a chance."

NOTES: Caufield had five shots on goal but didn't score and remains one goal from becoming the first Canadiens player to score at least 50 goals in a season since Stephane Richer had 51 in 1989-90. He did extend his point streak to five games (nine points; five goals, four assists). ... Demidov scored his fifth power-play goal of the season, marking the most by a Canadiens rookie in a single season since Caufield scored five in 2021-22. ... Hughes has 34 points (13 goals, 21 assists) in 19 games since helping the United States win the gold medal at the 2026 Winter Olympics. ... Bratt has 19 points (six goals, 13 assists) in his past 12 games. ... Hischier extended his point streak to seven games (two goals, eight assists).