MONTREAL — The Canadiens thought they had an easy win on their hands, but they ultimately paid dearly for a brief dip in form in the second period on Thursday evening at the Bell Centre. Ryan O’Reilly broke the deadlock late in the third period, and the Nashville Predators scored five goals in a row to secure a 5-2 victory over the Montreal side. Head coach Martin St-Louis had reshuffled his line-up for the occasion, notably pairing Juraj Slafkovsky with Nick Suzuki and Cole Caufield. The line-up seemed to be working until the Predators scored twice late in the second period to overturn a 2-0 deficit. The Canadiens regained their lead after the break, but O’Reilly sealed the win with 3:16 remaining, whilst Mike Matheson was in the penalty box for a needless tripping offence. Suzuki and Alex Newhook found the net for the Canadiens (1-2-1). Recalled from the Laval Rocket after Samuel Montembeault appeared to suffer a lower-body injury during Wednesday’s training session, Jacob Fowler made 15 saves. Alexander Kerfoot, Matthew Wood and Adam Edström – who scored twice into an empty net – also found the net for the Predators (2-1-1). Juuse Saros made 32 saves. Defender Adam Engström made his first appearance for the Canadiens this season. Jayden Struble was left out of the line-up. The Canadiens will play their next match on Saturday, when they host the Detroit Red Wings at the Bell Centre. An unexpected result The new line-up featuring Chris Kreider, Josh Anderson and Newhook quickly sparked some magic. Kreider found the net twice, beating Saros following passes from Newhook. However, the goal was ultimately disallowed as there had been an offside when the puck entered the zone. Saros then made a fine save against Zachary Bolduc. The Predators’ goalkeeper also thwarted Jake Evans during a Canadiens two-on-one attack whilst shorthanded. The Canadiens’ first line also made their mark late in the first period. Suzuki missed the target, then Slafkovsky was just unable to squeeze the puck between the post and Saros’s left pad. The Canadiens finally beat Saros at 3:12 of the second period, during a four-on-four situation. Saros saved Caufield’s initial shot, but Suzuki slipped the loose puck between the Predators’ goalkeeper’s pads. Newhook extended the lead at 8:50. Shortly after a long spell of Canadiens pressure in the Predators’ zone, Anderson set up Newhook, whose shot – partially blocked by an opponent – caught Saros off guard. The Canadiens appeared to be in complete control of the match, but the Predators managed to fight their way back before the end of the second period. Kerfoot deflected a shot from Adam Wilsby past Fowler at 15:06. Then, Wood capitalised on a scramble in front of the Canadiens’ net to equalise with 31.5 seconds remaining in the period, whilst on the power play. The Canadiens’ net had been dislodged by the end of the sequence. However, the referees ruled that Anderson had jostled Steven Stamkos against the post, which had dislodged the net from its moorings, and the Canadiens never regained possession of the puck thereafter, which would have led to the officials blowing their whistles to stop play. Saros kept the tension alive in the third period with some fine saves, including one against Anderson, who had broken clear. His teammates rewarded him with 3:16 remaining, whilst on the power play. O’Reilly then deflected a shot from Roman Josi, leaving Fowler with no chance. Edstrom scored into an empty net with 2:37 and 1:26 left on the clock. This report by The Canadian Press was first published in French on Oct. 8, 2026.
