Dec 3, 2025; Montreal, Quebec, CAN; Montreal Canadiens center Joseph Veleno (90) skates away with the puck in front of goalie Jakub Dobes (75) against the Winnipeg Jets during the second period at Bell Centre. | Credit: David Kirouac-Imagn Images
Could you imagine Sportsnet not showing a tribute to a Toronto Maple Leafs player? It would never happen.
A full shakeup has been made to the forward lines. I’m not sure about putting Slafkovský back on the top line because he seemed to be doing good work on the second one.
I’m glad this game is also on RDS so I don’t gave to listen to Garry Galley’s giggling every time Montreal gets scored on.
First period
Mike Matheson advances up into the slot to take an open shot, and misses the net.
Arber Xhekaj doesn’t miss, and it’s never a bad thing to just make a goaltender with an .893 save percentage handle the puck.
Jakub Dobeš makes a couple of good saves and follows the rebounds well. In stark contrast to Samuel Montembeault right now.
Nice work from Joe Veleno to fly down the wing and get a shot on net. You don’t always get that second thing from him.
Jayden Struble moves in from the point and rings a shot off the post.
A reunited top line with Juraj Slafkovský back up gets two point-blank chances, and Comrie stops both Nick Suzuki and Cole Caufield.
Josh Anderson leads a two-on-one, and makes the right decision to go to the net for his own chance with the passing lane shut. He gets a shot and is then knocked down to slide through Comrie into the net.
Dobeš looks confident. It’s good that the loss in Colorado doesn’t seem to have affected him for this game.
Montreal honoured one great Russian player, and it seems the Jets have employed prime Vladislav Tretiak to play in their net tonight. Comrie denies Brendan Gallagher after a turnover, then robs Jake Evans on the rebound.
Montreal not out could have about five goals, they should have three that have been spectacular saves instead.
Xhekaj and Adam Lowry drop the gloves at centre ice. Xhekaj scores the takedown and the crowd shows its appreciation.
That’s gonna be a big win for Arber Xhekaj over Adam Lowry
— Scott Matla (@scottmatla.bsky.social) December 3, 2025 at 9:22 PM
Josh Anderson is being very aggressive trying to keep a Jet out of the crease, and I think that’s a pretty good use of him in the defensive zone if they just want to keep doing that.
They played almost 19 minutes well, but the top line gets caught up ice leaving Matheson and Noah Dobson to defend three rushing Jets. Mark Scheifele opens the scoring.
It’s not a popular outcome in the building.
A cruel fate to be trailing a goal after getting so many scoring chances, but the important thing is to not let one goal against take them away from the way they were playing like we saw in Denver.
Second period
Demidov wriggles his way past a check and sends a pass across to Alexandre Texier. Comrie makes another great save.
A puck deflects off Slafkovský to take it off a trajectory toward Dobeš and across the crease to a waiting Jet, but Suzuki intervenes to clear it away before bad luck can create a second goal.
Gallagher picks off another puck, and Comrie leaves such a large rebound that it bounces past an open Anderson.
We haven’t seen one of those give-and-goes from Hutson and Demidov in a while, but they just drew a slashing call on one of them.
The power was the only thing that looked good last night. They need it to generate a goal here.
And there it is, off the stick of Slafkovský from Caufield and Suzuki.
It’s almost too easy, Caufield to Slafkovsky on the power play and we are tied up!
— Scott Matla (@scottmatla.bsky.social) December 3, 2025 at 10:10 PM
There is a literal rugby scrum in front of Dobeš involving about eight players. The puck finally comes loose, but it’s the Jets who take it, against Slafkovský being forced to defend without a stick no less. The end result is a 2-1 goal for Kyle Connor.
The only really dangerous line the Jets have has scored twice in this game.
Demidov goes in deep to collect a dump-in, shielding off a defender with one hand corralling the puck with the other, and he hits Oliver Kapanen in the slot to tie the game right back up.
Incredible assist from Ivan Demidov as Oliver Kapanen scores to tie the game up once again!
— Scott Matla (@scottmatla.bsky.social) December 3, 2025 at 10:19 PM
After a good shift from Caufield, the second line comes out and has another great presence led by Demidov. Kapanen gets a shot off from the slot, but Comrie was dragging his foot as he lunged across the crease, and the puck went off his toe.
Martin St-Louis smells blood in the water and sends his top line right back out there. The Jets get saved by a TV timeout before Montreal can take advantage of the pressure.
Well now the second line is getting a little too confident, and just made one too many passes with a good scoring chance ready for the taking.
Montreal scores two goals to the Jets’ one and takes a tie into the intermission. If their third period looks like the latter half of the that period or the majority of the first, they will earn themselves a chance for a regulation win. It’s two lines versus one in creating chances right now, They should be able to make it happen.
Third period
Matheson decided he was going to throw the puck across the blue line to Dobson, and it didn’t matter that there was a Jets forward standing between them. He’s lucky that wasn’t a breakaway.
A powerful point shot from Morrissey, a confident stop from Dobeš.
Demidov heads to the box for a stick lift that hit Cole Perfetti’s chin and not his stick.
A quality kill from Montreal, with the only Jets shot an open look for Dobeš from 40 feet.
The Jets are stringing a few cycling shifts together. Dobeš makes a couple of good saves from close range to maintain the tie.
Slafkovský wins the puck in the corner and slings it to Caufield gliding in to the crease and the shot goes just wide.
Dobson sets up Caufield but the puck is a bit too far forward, and by the time Cole kicks it to his stick Comrie has gotten across.
It really feels like the Jets just want the point. They’re killing time on their O-zone shifts.
With about three minutes to go, I have to say these officials have called the game well tonight. Nothing called that didn’t need to be, and no glaring misses either. Now don’t let that be a jinx.
Well they missed a borderline too many men situation with the puck in front of the Jets’ bench. But we all would have been upset if that call had been made on Montreal in the same situation.
Looking for the winning goal, it’s the second line that comes onto the ice for the final shift. Demidov blasts a wild shot just wide on the final chance of regulation.
Overtime
The Jets will take the first possession.
Hutson extends the opening shift to try to catch the Jets on a change. He sends it to Caufield for a shot, and Caufield almost knocks the puck in when Comrie tries to play it.
Demidov creates a lane around the outside and Comrie robs him with the glove. Both players have had a great game and will likely be named stars.
Texier gives his possession away too easily on an ambitious cross-ice pass to Slafkovský.
Demidov leads a three-on-one up the ice, but Kapanen gets the pass in his feet.
A quick passing play has the puck come to Matheson, but for the second time in about three shifts, his stick abandons him as he goes to shoot.
It was a fun OT, with not a whole lot regrouping, just a number of attempts to win it.
Now from that to a slow-as-molasses shootout.
Shootout
Will this be the first shootout Montreal wins this year?
Caufield slows down after hitting the blue line, but then speeds up, sending Comrie back, and goes five-hole to open the scoring.
Kyle Connor brings more speed on his attempt. Dobeš keeps his stick in the five-hole for the stop.
Texier gets his first attempt as a Hab, but shoots off Comrie’s blocker.
Dobeš makes his own blocker save. Now a goal or a Dobeš will win it.
Suzuki is denied blocker-side again, so it’s up to the Habs’ starter.
Gabe Vilardi hits the post, and that’s a Habs win.
Back up into second in the Atlantic, with a date in Toronto with the Maple Leafs next up.
EOTP 3 Stars
3) Maybe Sunday, too
2) He looks like a solid add
1) I guess we do need to call it when it happens. That seems to be the winning play
