Cole Caufield ties the game with Vincent Damphousse on a dramatic overtime goal

After a tough weekend, the Habs were back in action tonight in a crucial game, hosting the Bruins (a direct rival in the playoff race) at the Bell Centre.
For the occasion, Zachary Bolduc and Jayden Struble were back in the H lineup. Jakub Dobes was in net.

The defensive pairings were also changed. Here's how they looked:

Tonight's lineup
Tonight's lineup#GoHabsGo | @mtlgazette pic.twitter.com/o17FzRVE2u
— Montreal Canadiens (@CanadiensMTL) March 17, 2026

For the Bruins, Jeremy Swayman was in net.

Here's what the visiting team's lineup looked like:

A Sway Day vs. the Habs. pic.twitter.com/nd2Sc1OmjY
— Boston Bruins (@NHLBruins) March 17, 2026

Very early in the game, Alexandre Carrier was assessed a four-minute penalty for high sticking.

Pavel Zacha took advantage of the opportunity to open the scoring on the power play.

PAV STAYS HOT pic.twitter.com/TfgFLV1y63
— Boston Bruins (@NHLBruins) March 17, 2026
But a few minutes later, the Habs' first line responded. Cole Caufield and Juraj Slafkovský set up Nick Suzuki… who scored a beautiful goal.

Having Slaf back really helped those two guys in 5-on-5 play.

Backhand and goodbye

Forehand, backhand, tie game#GoHabsGo pic.twitter.com/zpaxofDZD9
— Montreal Canadiens (@CanadiensMTL) March 17, 2026

After 20 minutes, the score was 1-1.
In the second period, the Habs were still sloppy in their defensive zone… and it cost the team dearly.

Zacha (him again) put his team back in the lead with his 22nd goal of the season, a career high for him.

A NEW CAREER-HIGH FOR PAV pic.twitter.com/PFAKzndnA3
— Boston Bruins (@NHLBruins) March 18, 2026

But once again, the Habs came back strong. This time, it was a shot by Lane Hutson redirected by Josh Anderson that allowed the team to tie the game.

Brendan Gallagher earned an assist on the play.

Pressure, pressure, good impression
Andy starts it, Andy finishes it#GoHabsGo pic.twitter.com/Fk8a5mBDK3
— Montreal Canadiens (@CanadiensMTL) March 18, 2026

After 40 minutes, the score was 2-2.
In the third period, the Habs nearly scored late in the frame following a nice play by Cole Caufield, but Andrew Peeke came through as the hero for the Bruins.

The defenseman turned into a goalie to help his team protect the tie.

ANDREW PEEKE SAVES THE GAME FOR THE BRUINS pic.twitter.com/O4SCbwu6vS
— TSN (@TSN_Sports) March 18, 2026
We then saw both teams content to send the game into overtime. So we needed overtime.
In overtime, the Habs spent a lot of time on the defensive, but an incredible effort by Lane Hutson after more than two minutes on the ice allowed the team to salvage the game.
Then, after Jakub Dobes stopped Pavel Zacha on a breakaway, Cole Caufield scored his 40th goal of the season (and he did it in dramatic fashion, as he usually does) to give the Habs the win.
He also became the club's first 40-goal scorer since Vincent Damphousse in 1993-94. He is therefore the first to do so since the club began playing its games at the Bell Centre.

COLE CAUFIELD.

40 GOALS • 40 GOALS #GoHabsGo pic.twitter.com/909kUvvTl8
— Montreal Canadiens (@CanadiensMTL) March 18, 2026
Final score: 3-2 Montreal (OT)
The Canadiens will be back in action Thursday night when they face the Red Wings in (yet another) huge game right in the thick of the playoff race.

Overtime
– In what was the most important game of their season, the Habs showed resilience. They saw the Bruins take the lead twice, but quickly tied the game both times. It wasn't a masterpiece, but the team still came away with the two points.
– Jakub Dobes was very good tonight. The goaltender was solid despite being left on his own on several occasions, and he found a way to help his team win a crucial game in the race for the playoffs. It's hard to ask for more from him.

What a save by Jakub Dobeš against Charlie McAvoy! pic.twitter.com/NDgyEDg2XD
— RDS (@RDSca) March 18, 2026

– The Habs' defensive play is really, but really lacking these days. It was painful to watch again tonight, even though Martin St-Louis shook things up by changing his defensive pairings. Will David Reinbacher be called up ahead of Thursday's game?
– Brendan Gallagher played his 900th NHL game tonight. To mark the occasion, the Habs released a video in his honor… and the fans responded by giving him a standing ovation. After being left out on Saturday, that must have felt good for Gally.

Brendan Gallagher receives a standing ovation for his 900th NHL game! pic.twitter.com/qWv92fg7d1
— NHL (@NHL_FR) March 17, 2026