Caufield’s 2nd goal of game lifts Canadiens past Predators late in OT

MONTREAL -- Cole Caufield scored his second goal of the game with three seconds left in overtime, and the Montreal Canadiens rallied for a 3-2 victory against the Nashville Predators at Bell Centre on Thursday.

Caufield won it with a one-timer from between the circles off a backhand pass from Nick Suzuki.

It was the fifth goal in three games and second straight overtime goal for Caufield, who scored at 3:25 to give the Canadiens a 5-4 win against the Seattle Kraken on Tuesday.

“We’re a team that loves to battle and we’re never out of a game,” Caufield said.

Caufield drew Montreal even at 2-2 with 20 seconds remaining in the third period and goalie Jakub Dobes pulled for an extra attacker. He snapped a shot past Saros from the left face-off circle after taking a long pass from Lane Hutson, who had just stopped Jonathan Marchessault’s shot that was headed toward an empty net.

“That’s just competing for 60 minutes,” Caufield said of Hutson’s block.

Oliver Kapanen scored, Hutson had two assists, and Dobes made 17 saves for Montreal (4-1-0), which got its fourth straight win.

“I think we’re just a relentless, hungry group and we never feel out of a game,” Hutson said. “I don’t think there’s a position in the game we don’t like but there’s definitely better positions to be in, that’s for sure.”

Steven Stamkos and Nick Perbix scored, and Juuse Saros made 27 saves for Nashville (2-1-2), which has lost consecutive games (0-1-1).

“It’s a pretty sour taste in your mouth, being up with 30 seconds to go,” Perbix said. “We played well a lot of the night, we’ve just got to finish.”

Stamkos gave the Predators a 1-0 lead with a power-play goal at 11:36 of the second period. His slap pass toward Michael Bunting at the edge of the crease struck Canadiens defenseman Kaiden Guhle’s right skate and deflected past Dobes’ glove into the net.

Kapanen tied it 1-1 at 6:02 of the third when he put his own rebound between Saros’ pads.

Perbix put Nashville up 2-1 at 11:21 with a wrist shot past Dobes’ right pad from the right face-off circle. The goal came eight seconds after Saros stopped Mike Matheson with the pad at the left post.

“I liked our game, we gave ourselves a really good chance to win, and I guess every second counts,” Predators coach Andrew Brunette said. “‘Marchy’ had it, I think we thought it was over and we kind of gave up on the play a little bit.”

NOTES: Caufield scored his 10th overtime goal to move ahead of Aurel Joliat and tie Howie Morenz and Max Pacioretty for the most in Canadiens history. He also extended his point streak to four games (seven points; five goals, two assists). … It marks the second time Caufield has scored overtime goals in consecutive games. He also accomplished the feat May 1 and 3, 2021. Suzuki (Jan. 6 and 10, 2025), Alex Galchenyuk (Feb. 27 and 28, 2017), Pacioretty (Jan. 3 and 4, 2017) and Pit Lepine (Jan. 30 and Feb. 1, 1927) are the only other Montreal players to do it. … Suzuki has seven assists in a four-game assist streak. … Guhle (undisclosed) didn’t play the final 7:31 of the third or in overtime. … Predators forward Erik Haula had a four-game, season-opening point streak end (two goals, two assists).