On a Wednesday night in Anaheim, the Montreal Canadiens found a way through a game that had slipped away from them twice, as Alex Newhook's late goal broke a 3-3 tie and ended a four-game stretch of losses. It is the kind of result that asks more of a team than talent alone: to hold a lead, to recover from one, and to believe the work can still count. For Montreal, a road win in a long trip begins with this one, and for Anaheim, a team learning to win close games, the night was a reminder of both promise and fragility.
Newhook Scores Twice as Canadiens Edge Ducks 4-3 to End Four-Game Skid
Montreal blew leads of 2-0 and 3-1 before Newhook finished it
Mark
Montreal won, but it sounds like they nearly blew it. Why does this one matter?
Mimi
It ended a four-game skid, and it was only their third win in 10 games. They'd also had a habit of falling behind early, and here they scored first, twice in the first six minutes.
Mark
Yet they lost two leads.
Luke
Right, 2-0 and 3-1 both vanished. Evans himself said the team was gripping its sticks in the third. A win is a win, but the reporting shows a team that needed a late goal, not one that has fixed things.
Mark
What about Anaheim's young players?
Mimi
Four players under 21 got points: McTavish, Luneau, Carlsson and Mintyukov. Only four teams in 30 years have done that in a game.
Mark
Does that mean Anaheim is on the right track?
Luke
The stat is confirmed, but it doesn't say anything about the trend. Cronin's own read was more cautious: the McTavish line was dominant, but they rely on it nearly every night.
Mimi
And he said they were winning these close games a month ago. That's the frustration.
Mark
Anything the story leaves open?
Luke
Whether Montreal's road trip goes well. This is one game, and the first of about 10 days away. Nothing here tells us how the rest goes.
El Pulso
- Montreal's two-goal leads evaporated twice, and the Canadiens spent the third period gripping their sticks, afraid of letting another one slip.
- Mason McTavish's line kept Anaheim alive, scoring twice in the second and forcing a tie that threatened to turn the night sour.
- Newhook's rush off a 2-on-1, set up by Jake Evans, broke the deadlock with 3:20 left and settled a game that had teetered for minutes.
- Montembeault's 30 saves held the door shut, and Montreal leaves on a roughly 10-day road trip, opening it with its first win in a stretch of fragile results.
- Ducks coach Greg Cronin warns that relying on one line is not sustainable, and Anaheim must find depth before Friday's game against Los Angeles.
On a Wednesday night in Anaheim, the Montreal Canadiens found a way through a game that had slipped away from them twice, as Alex Newhook's late goal broke a 3-3 tie and ended a four-game stretch of losses. It is the kind of result that asks more of a team than talent alone: to hold a lead, to recover from one, and to believe the work can still count. For Montreal, a road win in a long trip begins with this one, and for Anaheim, a team learning to win close games, the night was a reminder of both promise and fragility.
Alex Newhook scored with just over three minutes left in the third period in Anaheim, his second goal of the night, and the Montreal Canadiens escaped with a 4-3 win that ended their four-game losing streak. It was a result that came close to slipping away. Montreal had led 2-0 and then 3-1, and both leads vanished. The win was only their third in ten games and just their second on the road in six tries.
The Canadiens started sharply, with Newhook opening the scoring early in the first and Kaiden Guhle adding another soon after. Anaheim answered quickly. Mason McTavish cut the margin in the second and then scored again, tying the game with help from Frank Vatrano's persistent work along the boards. Montreal responded with a wrist shot from Mike Matheson that briefly restored its lead, but the Ducks kept pushing back.
In the third, the Canadiens were visibly tense, gripping their sticks and worried about losing a lead they had worked to build. Newhook's winner, set up by Jake Evans on a 2-on-1, came when it mattered most. Sam Montembeault stopped 30 shots, and Montreal left Anaheim knowing the trip had started on the right note, even as Evans acknowledged there was more to clean up.
For Anaheim, the night carried a bright spot. McTavish, Tristan Luneau, Leo Carlsson and Pavel Mintyukov all recorded points, a rare feat for players so young. Coach Greg Cronin praised the McTavish line but warned that his team cannot rely on one unit night after night. He believes the close losses can still turn into wins, as they did a month ago.
Alex Newhook scored with 3:20 left in the third period on Wednesday night in Anaheim, his second goal of the game, and the Montreal Canadiens beat the Ducks 4-3 to end a four-game losing streak.
The winner came off a 2-on-1 rush set up by Jake Evans, and it capped a game Montreal very nearly gave away. The Canadiens had led 2-0 and again 3-1, and both leads disappeared. The win was only their third in 10 games, and just their second road victory in six tries.
Montreal started fast. After allowing the first goal in four of their previous five games, the Canadiens scored first this time: Newhook put them ahead 5:59 into the opening period, right after a power play expired. Kaiden Guhle added his second goal of the season 38 seconds later. Evans said the early surge gave the group confidence and that the team was coming in waves at the start.
Anaheim answered quickly in the second. Mason McTavish cut it to 2-1 less than a minute into the period, tipping in a Leo Carlsson pass on a power play. Montreal responded 56 seconds later, when Mike Matheson beat John Gibson with a wrist shot from the high slot to restore the two-goal margin.
McTavish then scored again at the six-minute mark of the second, his second multi-goal game of the season, making it 3-2. Frank Vatrano set it up by chasing down a pass from Tristan Luneau, spinning around and sending a centering pass. Vatrano tied the game at 3 with 8:29 left in the third, beating Sam Montembeault five-hole for his 13th goal of the season. McTavish finished with two goals and an assist, and Vatrano with a goal and an assist.
Montembeault stopped 30 shots, and Gibson made 24 saves for Anaheim. Evans admitted that in the third period the Canadiens were gripping their sticks and worried about losing the lead. He said it was great to pull it out but that there was more to clean up. Montembeault said the win mattered because Montreal is on the road for about 10 days and wanted to take the first game of the trip.
There was a notable footnote for Anaheim. McTavish, Luneau, Carlsson and defenceman Pavel Mintyukov, who had the secondary assist on the McTavish goal, all recorded points. That made the Ducks the fourth team in the past 30 years with four players under 21 all earning a point in one game, and the first since the 2011-12 Colorado Avalanche. It was Luneau's first career point in three games; he was the 53rd overall pick in the 2022 draft.
Ducks coach Greg Cronin praised the McTavish line as dominant but said Anaheim cannot be a one-line team, noting they rely on one line almost every night and that it is hard to win that way. Of the four straight losses, he said they are close games that can be won, and that Anaheim was winning them a month ago. Montreal coach Martin St. Louis said he loved his team's compete level and acknowledged it could have gone the other way.
Both teams play Friday: the Canadiens visit San Jose, and the Ducks host Los Angeles.
Citas Notables
We can't be a one-line team. We're relying on one line almost every night and it's hard to win that way.— Greg Cronin, Anaheim Ducks coach
Could it have gone the other way? Absolutely. But this team needed a win tonight, and we found a way.— Martin St. Louis, Canadiens coach
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