Five Turning Points Behind Nashville’s Comeback

The Montreal Canadiens appeared to have Thursday’s game under control. They owned the early momentum, moved the puck effectively and built a 2-0 advantage at Bell Centre before the Nashville Predators completely changed the script.

By the final horn, Nashville had scored five consecutive goals and secured a 5-2 victory. Ryan O’Reilly’s power-play deflection with 3:16 left in regulation provided the decisive goal, while two empty-net tallies made the final margin look more comfortable than the game truly was.

The defeat extended Montreal’s winless run to three games and left the Canadiens with a 1-2-1 record. The result was especially frustrating because Montreal was competitive for long stretches and created enough opportunities to win.

Montreal Built the Right Start but Not a Big Enough Cushion

Montreal controlled much of the opening half of the contest, even though the first period ended without a goal. The Canadiens spent extended shifts in Nashville’s zone and forced the Predators to defend rather than attack.

Nick Suzuki finally broke through 3:12 into the second period during four-on-four play. He found a loose puck near the crease and finished the scramble with a backhand shot that beat Juuse Saros, giving the captain his third goal of the season.

The Canadiens kept pressing after Suzuki’s goal. At 8:50, Alex Newhook doubled the lead by converting Josh Anderson’s setup after another long sequence of Montreal pressure.

At 2-0, the game seemed to be moving in Montreal’s direction. The Bell Centre crowd was fully engaged, Nashville was having trouble generating sustained offense and the Canadiens looked capable of creating an even larger advantage.

That opportunity never arrived. Montreal’s inability to add a third goal allowed the Predators to remain within reach, and Nashville eventually took advantage of every opening that followed.

Five Moments That Shifted the Game

1. Saros denied Montreal’s best chances. Juuse Saros kept Nashville alive with 32 saves, many of them during periods when Montreal carried the play. His work prevented the Canadiens from turning territorial control into a decisive lead.
2. Kerfoot cut the deficit late in the second. Alexander Kerfoot redirected a point shot with 4:54 remaining in the period, reducing Montreal’s lead to 2-1 and giving Nashville its first meaningful surge of the night.
3. Wood tied the game before intermission. With only 32 seconds left in the second period, Matthew Wood scored on the power play. Montreal went from holding a two-goal advantage to entering the third period tied, while Nashville gained a major psychological boost.
4. Anderson could not restore Montreal’s lead. Josh Anderson broke in alone against Saros with roughly eight minutes remaining in regulation. Saros stopped the attempt with his left pad, preserving the tie and denying Montreal a chance to regain control.
5. O’Reilly punished a late penalty. Mike Matheson was called for tripping Steven Stamkos late in the third period. At 3:16, Ryan O’Reilly redirected Roman Josi’s point shot past Jacob Fowler to give Nashville its first lead.

Those sequences explain the outcome better than the final score alone. Montreal had the first advantage, but Nashville handled the critical moments more effectively.

Missed Chances and Special Teams Defined the Result

The Canadiens’ biggest five-on-five issue was finishing. They generated pressure, recovered pucks and created several promising looks, but Saros made enough saves to keep the deficit manageable.

A 2-0 lead can disappear quickly in the modern NHL, particularly when the trailing team has an effective power play. Montreal needed to use its strong stretches to create separation. Instead, Nashville remained close enough for one goal to change the emotional balance.

Special teams then tilted the game. The Predators scored twice with the man advantage, including Wood’s tying goal and O’Reilly’s winner. Montreal did not receive the same impact from its own power-play opportunities.

That difference was decisive. When a team is facing a goaltender who has already made difficult saves, the power play must create an alternative path to offense. Nashville found that path, while Montreal allowed its penalty problems to become central to the comeback.

Matheson’s late tripping penalty was particularly costly. The game was tied, and Montreal had a chance to reach overtime. Instead, Nashville converted before the Canadiens could recover.

Fowler Faced a Difficult Assignment

Jacob Fowler made his first NHL start of the season after Montreal recalled him from the Laval Rocket. Samuel Montembeault had suffered a lower-body injury during Wednesday’s practice, leaving the Canadiens with uncertainty in the crease.

Fowler stopped 15 shots, and the basic 5-2 score does not fairly describe his night. Nashville scored three goals while he was in the net, while its final two goals came into an empty net after Montreal pulled him for an extra attacker.

The young goaltender also faced two important power-play situations, including the chance that produced O’Reilly’s winning goal. The deflection from Josi’s shot gave Fowler little opportunity to react.

That does not mean Fowler was perfect. He will likely identify plays he would like to handle differently, as any goaltender does after a loss. Still, the defeat was not primarily a goaltending failure.

Montreal’s larger problems were its missed chances, its late penalty and its inability to protect a two-goal lead. Blaming Fowler would overlook the circumstances surrounding his first start of the season.

Montembeault’s Status Adds Pressure

The Canadiens’ goaltending situation now deserves close attention. Montembeault’s injury occurred at an awkward point in the schedule, and Montreal did not have the luxury of easing Fowler into action.

Fowler does have previous NHL experience. Last season, he appeared in 17 games and recorded a 9-6-2 record, a 2.43 goals-against average and a .908 save percentage.

Those numbers suggest that Fowler can handle NHL responsibility, but a longer absence for Montembeault would place more pressure on him than Montreal originally anticipated. The team will need to protect its goaltender through better defensive structure, cleaner penalty killing and improved control around the crease.

Reducing second chances will matter as much as making saves. Montreal cannot consistently give opponents power plays, net-front opportunities and extended offensive-zone possessions while asking an inexperienced starter to rescue every difficult situation.

The Final Margin Hid a Competitive Performance

Nashville’s empty-net goals distorted the appearance of the game. Adam Edstrom scored twice after Montreal removed Fowler, turning a one-goal contest into a 5-2 result.

That distinction should not excuse the collapse, but it does provide useful context. Montreal was not outplayed by three goals at five-on-five, nor did the Canadiens spend the entire night chasing the Predators.

The Canadiens controlled long stretches and held a 2-0 lead. Their problem was closing the game once Nashville began applying pressure. Strong teams convert early advantages, limit penalties and respond immediately when momentum changes.

Montreal failed in each of those areas on Thursday. The loss therefore exposes an execution problem rather than a complete breakdown in the team’s overall ability to compete.

Suzuki Remains a Major Bright Spot

Nick Suzuki provided one of the clearest positives. His goal came from aggressive work around the net, exactly the kind of direct offense Montreal needs from its captain.

With three goals early in the season, Suzuki has been one of the Canadiens’ most reliable offensive threats. His ability to create offense in traffic remains especially valuable while Montreal deals with injuries and searches for greater consistency throughout the lineup.

Alex Newhook also made an important contribution by finishing Anderson’s pass for the second goal. Those individual efforts show that Montreal can generate offense; the larger challenge is sustaining that production when the opponent responds.

Three Adjustments Needed Against Detroit

The Canadiens will have an immediate chance to respond when the Detroit Red Wings visit Bell Centre on Saturday. Montreal does not need to reinvent its entire approach, but three corrections are essential.

1. Turn pressure into separation. When Montreal controls a shift or a period, it must create more than possession. Shots through traffic, net-front presence and second-effort chances can transform territorial dominance into a safer lead.
2. Eliminate avoidable penalties. Nashville’s comeback was powered by its power play. Montreal must make disciplined decisions late in close games, especially when one minor penalty can determine whether the night ends in victory or defeat.
3. Make the crease easier to defend. Whether Fowler starts again or another goaltender takes over, the Canadiens need to limit rebounds, clear the slot and prevent unnecessary traffic from developing in front of the net.

Saturday’s matchup offers a useful test because Detroit can punish the same mistakes. Montreal must show that it can protect a lead without surrendering momentum through penalties or missed defensive assignments.

A Frustrating Loss With a Clear Lesson

Thursday’s defeat was not a sign that Montreal cannot compete. It was a demonstration of how quickly a promising performance can unravel when the team fails to finish its chances.

The Canadiens led 2-0, received strong contributions from Suzuki and Newhook, and controlled much of the game. Nashville responded with timely goals, excellent goaltending and superior execution on special teams.

That combination produced five unanswered goals and a third straight game without a win. Montreal’s record is not yet a reason for panic, but the pattern is worth addressing immediately.

The Canadiens must learn to make their best stretches count. More offensive precision, fewer penalties and stronger support for the goaltender would have changed the outcome against Nashville.

The opportunity to apply those lessons arrives quickly against Detroit. A better response would not erase the collapse, but it would show that Montreal is learning how to turn competitive performances into complete games.