DALLAS — The Montreal Canadiens wrapped up a grueling seven-game road trip with a dramatic 4-3 overtime victory over the Dallas Stars on Sunday afternoon at the American Airlines Center, showcasing resilience in the face of exhaustion and a punishing schedule.
Playing their second game in just 22 hours after a lackluster loss to the St. Louis Blues on Saturday, the Canadiens refused to fade. Trailing in the third period, they rallied to force overtime, where rookie defenseman Lane Hutson delivered the game-winner, his shot finding the net to cap a come-from-behind effort. The win improved Montreal's road trip record to 4-1-2, earning them 10 of a possible 14 points since the journey began with a 4-3 shootout loss to the Pittsburgh Penguins on December 21.
The victory came amid an unusual NHL season disrupted by next month's Winter Olympics, which will pause play for three weeks. The Canadiens' schedule has been particularly demanding, with this seven-game trek feeling endless to players eager to return to their own beds in Montreal. According to reports, the league drew criticism for pitting the fatigued Canadiens against the Stars, who had been idle since Thursday. 'This is the NHL — not the CFL, where seemingly nothing makes sense,' noted one observer in coverage of the game.
Goaltender Samuel Montembeault anchored the effort, stopping 26 of 29 shots for an .889 save percentage. Despite early struggles, including a first-period mistake behind the net that led to Dallas's opening goal by Mavrik Bourque, Montembeault shone in the third period. Outshot 9-5, he allowed just one goal, making key stops on Stars defenseman Miro Heiskanen and forward Mikko Rantanen in the fifth minute, a sliding save on Sam Steel midway through, and a crucial breakaway denial on Wyatt Johnston in overtime. 'He came out of nowhere,' Montembeault told reporters in Dallas about Johnston's overtime rush. 'I didn’t think there was a player for them coming with that much speed. I was able to get my gap quick and read the shot well. It was a good save for us.'
Montembeault's performance marked his second straight win since returning from a conditioning stint with the AHL's Laval Rocket. The Canadiens' goaltending situation remains fluid, with a three-headed rotation creating uncertainty, but his recent success could pressure management to give him more starts.
Offensively, the Canadiens generated 29 shots to Dallas's 27, with the teams deadlocked at 25 apiece after regulation — a rare symmetry in an overtime game. Forward Brendan Gallagher snapped a drought, scoring his first goal since December 11 on an assist from newly acquired Phillip Danault, who notched his first point with Montreal in his sixth game since the trade from the Los Angeles Kings. It was Danault's 400th career point, followed by his 401st on an assist for Hutson's winner. 'We don’t care [about the wait],' one report emphasized regarding Gallagher's goal. The 33-year-old veteran finished with four shots, one block, and two hits, underscoring his value. 'I’d take the 33-year-old on our team any day of the week,' the coverage added.
Juraj Slafkovsky continued his hot streak, leading the team with 23 points since November 17 when lined up with Ivan Demidov and Oliver Kapanen. Against Dallas, he contributed a goal and an assist while firing four shots. 'It has been really good recently,' Slafkovsky told the media. 'I’m finding the ways to create plays, get pucks on the net and just doing a lot of good stuff. I feel really good on the ice. I just feel great overall.'
The second Canadiens goal came from a highlight-reel pass in the period, with Demidov wheeling around to set up Kapanen with a cross-ice beauty. However, not all chances converted; in the third, Owen Beck's setup to Joe Veleno sailed through the forward's legs, leaving Veleno stuck on two goals for the season.
Defensively, Hutson logged nearly 28 minutes, scoring on his lone shot, while Mike Matheson played 26:38 with two blocks and two hits. Noah Dobson contributed 23:08, blocking six shots and delivering three hits. Jayden Struble was limited to 7:56 but added three hits, Arber Xhekaj had two hits in 9:14, and Beck saw just 7:17. The Canadiens won 42.2 percent of faceoffs and outhit Dallas 30-15. A key moment came in overtime when Danault won a crucial faceoff against Johnston.
Special teams played a role, with Montreal going 1-for-5 on the power play after failing to score on four chances — including allowing a shorthanded goal — against St. Louis. Dallas, meanwhile, went 0-for-3, extending a skid to 0-for-10 on their last 10 man-advantage opportunities. A dumb penalty by Johnston, hooking Dobson in the third, negated the final 49 seconds of a Stars power play.
For Dallas, the loss extended their winless streak to 0-2-3 over five games, a stark contrast to their 12-2-1 run through late November and December. Johnston scored twice, including on the power play, but couldn't capitalize in overtime.
The Canadiens played without Josh Anderson, going 1-1 in his absence. Samuel Blais led with six hits, two more than Veleno, while Kapanen and Zachary Bolduc each had three shots.
Post-game, Gallagher praised the team's grit. 'This group is resilient,' he said. 'It’s a tough schedule. Tough travel. An early game in a tough building. I thought the guys played really good. It has been a great road trip. A tough road trip. You take whatever you get to recover and just get ready for the next one. That’s kind of the nature of the beast right now. Montembeault made some tremendous saves. We don’t win that game without him.'
This road trip marks the best for Montreal over the past two years, especially after a season that could have unraveled in recent weeks. Instead, the Canadiens return home with momentum, having navigated fatigue and back-to-back games without mailing in the effort. They could have settled for the single point from overtime, but pushed for the full two, demonstrating fortitude against a rested opponent.
Looking ahead, the Canadiens face a brief respite before the Olympic break, but the schedule's demands highlight ongoing league scheduling quirks. With Montembeault building confidence and young stars like Slafkovsky and Hutson stepping up, Montreal's playoff push gains traction. The win not only boosts their standings but reaffirms a team's ability to endure in a compressed season.