The Montreal Canadiens lost 3-1 to the Detroit Red Wings, extending their recent struggles despite strong play from top-line stars.
Juraj Slafkovsky opened scoring late in the second period on the power play, assisted by Cole Caufield and Nick Suzuki. The trio has combined for 14 goals in eight games since reuniting, with Slafkovsky now at 25 goals this season.
But Montreal’s second line-Alex Newhook, Ivan Demidov, and Oliver Kapanen-continued to underperform, posting just three goals in eight games together and a dismal 41% Corsi. They were on the ice for Detroit’s game-tying goal, which came off a fortunate bounce after passive defending.
Rookie Joe Veleno returned after 42 days and energized the lineup, forming a dominant shutdown unit with Phillip Danault and Brendan Gallagher that posted a perfect 100% Corsi.
The game was decided by a late turnover from defenseman Mike Matheson, who lost control of the puck in his own zone with three minutes left, allowing Alex Debrincat to score the winner unchallenged.
In AHL news, the Laval Rocket secured a playoff berth with a 5-1 win over Wilkes-Barre/Scranton. Prospect David Reinbacher has surged, logging heavy minutes and recording seven points in his last eight games. Florian Xhekaj added four goals in his last five contests.
Goaltending remains a concern: Kaapo Kahkonen’s .902 save percentage is adequate, but backup Hunter Jones sits at just .844 in limited action.