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Canadiens\u2019 Cole Caufield (13) celebrates his third period game-winning goal against the New York Rangers at Madison Square Garden on Thursday, April 2, 2026, in New York City. Bruce Bennett \/ Getty Images<\/p>\nThe Canadiens nearly blew a two-goal lead in the third period against the New York Rangers at Madison Square Garden on Thursday, but Cole Caufield scored with 5:05 left to seal a 3-2 win.<\/p>\n
The win was Montreal\u2019s seventh in a row.<\/p>\n
Caufield scored earlier in the night as well, putting him one goal away from hitting the 50-goal mark for the first time in his career at the end of the night. Only Nathan MacKinnon of the Colorado Avalanche has hit 50 so far.<\/p>\n
Canadiens\u2019 Cole Caufield (13) celebrates his third period game-winning goal against the New York Rangers at Madison Square Garden on Thursday, April 2, 2026, in New York City. Bruce Bennett \/ Getty Images<\/p>\n
Goalie Jacob Fowler started for the first time since Saturday and he made 22 saves for his eighth win of the season.<\/p>\n
After goose eggs in the first, Alex Newhook opened scoring in the second with a one-timer off a no-look pass from Ivan Demidov.<\/p>\n
Just 1:44 later, Caufield scored his first of the night. He completed a Harlem Globetrotter-esque passing sequence with linemates Juraj Slafkovsky and Nick Suzuki for No. 48 on the season.<\/p>\n
The Rangers haven\u2019t had much to celebrate this season, but the last-place team in the Metropolitan Division entered the game on a three-game winning streak and didn\u2019t quit in the third period.<\/p>\n
They peppered Fowler with 12 shots and managed to score twice on the Habs netminder. Defenceman Adam Fox had the first, jumping on a loose puck in front while Fowler was down.<\/p>\n
Less than five minutes later, the Rangers erased Montreal\u2019s lead on a goal from Will Cuylle that had head coach Martin St. Louis contemplating whether it was goalie interference. The Canadiens coach called a timeout to review the play, but elected not to challenge and it was all tied with 5:52 left in regulation.<\/p>\n
The Habs let a weaker opponent claw back into the game, but they got down to business 47 seconds later on a nifty play off the draw where Mike Matheson sent Caufield in on Igor Shesterkin by ringing the puck along the boards. Caufield beat the Rangers netminder\u2019s five-hole to put himself a goal away from a career milestone no Canadiens player has reached since Stephane Richer in 1989-90.<\/p>\n
Caufield\u2019s 12th game-winning goal also put him one back of Guy Lafleur for the season-high by a Hab.<\/p>\n
Some other Habs chasing neat point plateaus: Suzuki\u2019s two assists put him at 94 points, Demidov is one point away from 60, and Slafkovsky needs three points to hit 70.<\/p>\n
Caufield will get two chances to hit the 50-goal mark this weekend in a home-and-home series against the New Jersey Devils.<\/p>\n
By winning seven straight, the Habs have leapt past the logjam for the wild-card spots in the Eastern Conference standings. They\u2019re four up on the Boston Bruins for third place in the Atlantic Division and can devote their energies to the two teams ahead of them, the Tampa Bay Lightning and Buffalo Sabres.<\/p>\n
\t\tEditor\u2019s Picks\t<\/p>\n
The Ottawa Senators (who won), the Detroit Red Wings (who also won), and the Columbus Blue Jackets (who lost) are all tied at 88 points for the final wild-card spot. The Habs are 10 ahead of them, so fans can breathe easy with seven games left as they\u2019re sitting pretty in the playoff picture. But if they keep winning, home-ice advantage for the first round is attainable.<\/p>\n