Caufield celebrates with teammates after scoring the game-winning overtime goal against the Ottawa Senators at the Canadian Tire Centre in Ottawa on Saturday.Marc DesRosiers/Reuters
Montreal scored three straight goals, including Cole Caufield’s second of the game 33 seconds into overtime, to give the Canadiens a 6-5 come-from-behind win over the Ottawa Senators on Saturday.
The division rival matchup gave fans from both teams plenty to cheer about.
Trailing 5-3 late in the third period, Montreal pulled goaltender Samuel Montembeault and got within one with 4:40 remaining when Slafkovsky tipped a Lane Hutson shot for his second goal of the game. Alexandre Carrier tied it 65 seconds later when he beat Leevi Merilainen glove side.
Jake Sanderson, who also had three assists, had given the Senators what appeared to be insurance when he scored his 10th at 7:55 of the third, beating Montembeault short side to give the Senators a 5-3 lead.
Brady Tkachuk, Tim Stutzle, Dylan Cozens and David Perron also scored for the Senators (22-19-6). Merilainen stopped 13 shots.
Josh Anderson also scored for the Canadiens (27-15-7).
Ottawa Senators centre Dylan Cozens and Montreal Canadiens defenceman Alexandre Carrier battle for control of the puck in the first period.Marc DesRosiers/Reuters
The Senators started the second period with a two-man advantage. Tkachuk scored his 10th of the season just 42 seconds in. Ottawa tied it 2-2 on an incredible solo effort by Stutzle who dropped it back between his legs and backhanded it upstairs over Montembeault.
The Canadiens regained the lead when Anderson beat Merilainen blocker side, but Ottawa tied it back up. On the power play Stutzle found Cozens in the slot and he wristed a shot through traffic.
With 1:36 remaining, Artem Zub fired a shot from just inside the blue line and it went off Perron’s skate in the crease to give Ottawa its first lead.
Montreal took a 2-0 lead after the first.
The Canadiens opened the scoring on the power play when Caufield found Slafkovsky at the edge of the circle and ripped a shot high glove side.
Montreal had a goal called back midway through the period but got it back late in the period, on the power play again, when Nick Suzuki won a puck battle along the boards and fed Caufield who wristed a shot past Merilainen.