On a Sunday night in Montreal, the Nashville Predators found what struggling teams search for and contending ones learn to keep: composure in close quarters. Colton Sissons scored twice and Juuse Saros turned aside 37 shots as Nashville edged the Canadiens 2-1 at Bell Centre, a result that speaks less to dominance than to the quiet discipline of a team that has won ten of its last thirteen games. Montreal pressed hard and often, but special-teams futility and a thinning roster reminded observers that a team's depth is tested not in its best moments, but in its most depleted ones.
Sissons' two goals lift Predators past Canadiens 2-1
Saros made 37 saves. That's the answer.
Mark
So Sissons scored twice, but Montreal had more shots in the third period. How did Nashville actually win this?
Mimi
Saros made 37 saves. That's the answer. Montreal was pressing hard, especially after Evans cut it to 2-1, but they couldn't get past him when it mattered.
Luke
Right, but we should be clear: Montreal was outshot overall? Or just in the third?
Mimi
Just the third. Nashville had the better of it for most of the game. The Canadiens' power play was broken—0-for-5—so they couldn't generate chances on their own terms.
Mark
And Sissons' goals—were they both power-play situations?
Mimi
The first one was, yes. The second was even strength, a rebound off a point shot that bounced to him at the side of the net.
Luke
So Nashville was 1-for-2 on the power play, Montreal 0-for-5. That's a significant difference in a one-goal game.
Mark
What about the disallowed goal? That seemed to upset the crowd.
Mimi
Evans appeared to score with a minute left in the second, but Brendan Gallagher was in Saros's crease. Goaltender interference. It was the right call, but Montreal was frustrated.
Luke
And then Evans scored thirty-five seconds later anyway, so the momentum shift was real even if that first goal didn't count.
Mark
What's the bigger story for Montreal—the loss, or the injuries?
Mimi
Both. They're missing three forwards already, and now Pearson is hurt. Savard came back, which helps the defence, but the forward group is thin.
Luke
Do we know how serious Pearson's injury is?
Mimi
Not yet. The team said they'd have an update later. But given his history with hand injuries, there's reason to be cautious.
Der Puls
- Nashville controlled long stretches of the game but needed every one of Saros's 37 saves to survive a desperate Montreal push in the final period.
- The Canadiens went 0-for-5 on the power play, squandering their best chances to change the game's complexion and drawing audible frustration from the Bell Centre crowd.
- A Jake Evans goal that appeared to halve the deficit was waved off for goaltender interference, only for Evans to answer thirty-five seconds later with a backhand that actually counted — a moment of resilience in a night of near-misses.
- Montreal's roster troubles mounted further when Tanner Pearson left Saturday's game with a hand injury, adding to an already significant list of sidelined forwards including Kirby Dach, Alex Newhook, and Rafael Harvey-Pinard.
- Nashville, riding a stretch of form that has reshaped their season, now turns toward Philadelphia while Montreal prepares to host Pittsburgh with a patchwork lineup and questions still unanswered.
On a Sunday night in Montreal, the Nashville Predators found what struggling teams search for and contending ones learn to keep: composure in close quarters. Colton Sissons scored twice and Juuse Saros turned aside 37 shots as Nashville edged the Canadiens 2-1 at Bell Centre, a result that speaks less to dominance than to the quiet discipline of a team that has won ten of its last thirteen games. Montreal pressed hard and often, but special-teams futility and a thinning roster reminded observers that a team's depth is tested not in its best moments, but in its most depleted ones.
Colton Sissons scored twice and Juuse Saros made 37 saves as the Nashville Predators edged the Montreal Canadiens 2-1 at Bell Centre on Sunday, extending a run of form — ten wins in thirteen games — that has quietly redefined their season. Roman Josi added two assists, and Nashville converted one of two power-play opportunities, a modest but decisive edge over a Montreal side that went 0-for-5 with the man advantage.
Sissons opened the scoring in the first period, deflecting a Filip Forsberg shot past Jake Allen on the power play. He doubled the lead early in the second when he buried a rebound off Dante Fabbro's point shot into an open net. Montreal nearly responded before the period ended — Jake Evans appeared to score off a scramble, but the goal was disallowed for goaltender interference. Evans answered thirty-five seconds later with a backhand that counted, his first goal since opening night.
The Canadiens carried that energy into the third, outshooting Nashville 14-5 and pulling Allen late, but could not find the equalizer. Saros held firm, and Nashville's defence tightened when it mattered most.
Montreal's night was further complicated by roster attrition. Tanner Pearson did not play after taking a shot off his left hand in Saturday's game — a worrying development given his history of hand injuries. The Canadiens are already without Kirby Dach for the season, Alex Newhook for ten to twelve weeks, and Rafael Harvey-Pinard for eight. Defenceman David Savard offered a rare piece of good news, returning after a twenty-two-game absence to rejoin the top pairing. Nashville moves to 15-13-0 and heads to Philadelphia on Tuesday; Montreal, at 12-13-3, hosts Pittsburgh on Wednesday.
Colton Sissons left the Bell Centre ice Sunday night having done what the Nashville Predators needed most: he scored twice, and his team held on. The Predators beat the Montreal Canadiens 2-1, a result that felt narrower than it might have, given how much territory Nashville controlled for stretches and how desperately Montreal pressed at the end. Juuse Saros, the Predators' goaltender, stopped 37 shots. Roman Josi, Nashville's captain, collected two assists. The win extended a recent run that has defined the Predators' season: they have won ten of their last thirteen games, a stretch that began after a 4-0 loss to Toronto the night before.
Nashville struck first on the power play. Sissons deflected a Filip Forsberg shot past Jake Allen at 11:41 of the first period, a clean finish on a man-advantage opportunity. Montreal's special teams, by contrast, never found their footing. The Canadiens went 0-for-5 on the power play, a futility that drew audible frustration from the home crowd as the night wore on. Nashville converted one of two power-play chances, a margin that ultimately mattered.
Sissons doubled the lead early in the second period. Dante Fabbro's point shot bounced off Allen's right pad and found Sissons unmarked at the side of the net. He buried the rebound into an open cage at 7:03. It was his ninth goal of the season, and it looked, for a moment, like the game might be decided. Montreal, however, had other ideas. The Canadiens carried momentum through the final ten minutes of the second, and Jake Evans nearly cut the deficit in half when he appeared to score off a scramble with a minute remaining. The goal was waved off immediately—goaltender interference, the officials ruled, with Brendan Gallagher in Saros's crease. The Bell Centre crowd made its displeasure known. Evans responded thirty-five seconds later with a backhand past Saros that counted. It was his second goal of the season, his first since opening night in October.
Montreal carried that momentum into the third period, outshooting Nashville 14-5. The Predators did not record their first shot until 8:59 into the period—a breakaway chance from Cole Smith on the penalty kill that Allen turned aside. Montreal continued to press, pulling Allen for the final ninety seconds, but could not find the equalizer. Nashville's forecheck and defence tightened in the final minutes, and Saros made the saves he needed to make.
The Canadiens' roster troubles deepened before the game began. Tanner Pearson, a forward, took a shot off his left hand during Saturday's win over Buffalo and did not return. The team offered no immediate update on his status, though Pearson's injury history—he missed most of last season with a broken left hand requiring multiple surgeries—suggested caution. Michael Pezzetta replaced him in the lineup. Montreal is already without Kirby Dach for the season with a knee injury, Alex Newhook for ten to twelve weeks with a lower-body issue, and Rafael Harvey-Pinard for eight weeks with a similar problem. Defenceman David Savard returned from a twenty-two-game absence due to a broken hand, rejoining Mike Matheson on the top pairing and displacing Gustav Lindstrom. The Canadiens sent defenceman Mattias Norlinder to their AHL affiliate in Laval to create the necessary roster space.
Nashville, now 15-13-0, travels to Philadelphia on Tuesday. Montreal, 12-13-3, hosts Pittsburgh on Wednesday.
Bemerkenswerte Zitate
Montreal's power play went 0-for-5, while Nashville converted 1-of-2 power-play chances— Game statistics
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