MONTREAL – Montreal Canadiens coach Martin St. Louis admitted the 4-3 overtime loss to the visiting New York Islanders left a bitter taste for his players.
Montreal led Thursday’s game 3-2 late in the third quarter, but the Islanders rallied with a game-winning goal in the final two minutes before scoring in extra time.
The way the game ended was a point of emphasis Saturday morning before the Canadiens hosted the visiting Washington Capitals.
“I think we learned from that,” Canadiens forward Cole Caufield said. “We weren’t too happy with ourselves and the way we handled the third period (against the Islanders). Of course, we knew we needed to start well and play the full 60 minutes (Saturday).”
The Canadiens entered the third period on Saturday with a 4-1 lead, thanks in large part to Caufield’s two first-half goals, the first of which came just 30 seconds into the game.
“When you get a goal on the first change of the game, it sets the tone for the rest,” said Canadiens captain Nick Suzuki, who finished the game with a goal and two assists.
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“It was a good start,” Caufield added. “We needed it tonight. It was nice to get both of them early, but of course getting the chances was the most important thing.”
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While the Capitals cut the deficit in half, thanks to captain Alex Ovechkin’s second goal of the night, Montreal was determined not to let the lead, or the game, get away from them again.
“What I liked most about this game was how we managed the third period,” St. John said. Louis. “I knew it was different from the night before because we had a bigger lead, but they scored to cut the deficit to two goals. We handled it better. We kept playing in the third quarter.”
Suzuki was also proud of his team’s commitment to finishing the match well.
“I think there were some points in the game where we were maybe too far behind,” Suzuki said. “Sometimes, you don’t feel comfortable when you keep losing leads. I think we did a better job of not trying to be too safe out there.”
The Canadiens have seen a third-period lead turn into a loss on eight occasions this season, including three times in regulation time.
Montreal currently sits third in the Atlantic Division standings with 75 points, just one behind the second-place Buffalo Sabres, who have played one more game than the Canadiens.
With the Detroit Red Wings trailing Montreal by just one point entering Sunday’s game, Caufield recognizes the importance of not letting the team back into the game, especially as the team prepares to enter the final two months of the regular season.
“This is a very important game,” Caufield said. “It’s a sprint to the finish line. Of course, every team in our division has been pushing in the same direction. All these points are important. That’s what makes it fun.”
HONORING THE OLYMPIANS
Before Saturday’s puck drop, the Montreal Canadiens honored the 11 athletes competing in the 2026 Milan Cortina Winter Olympics. In addition to Suzuki, Tom Wilson and Logan Thompson of the men’s ice hockey team, short track speedskaters Danaé Blais, William Dandjinou, Félix Roussel, Florence Brunelle, Kim Boutin, Courtney Sarault and Steven Dubois were saluted at center ice by the Montreal fans.
A standing ovation was also given to freestyle skier Mikaël Kingsbury, who took gold and silver in moguls at the 33-year-old’s last Olympics.
This report by The Canadian Press was first published March 1, 2026.
© 2026 Canadian Press
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