On a Sunday night in Montreal, the Nashville Predators quietly affirmed their resurgence, taking a 2-1 victory from Bell Centre on the strength of two Colton Sissons goals and the steady resolve of Juuse Saros between the pipes. The win extended Nashville's recent run to ten victories in thirteen games — a meaningful correction after a turbulent stretch — while Montreal, burdened by injuries and a power play that could not convert, found itself unable to sustain the momentum it had built the night before. In the larger rhythm of a long season, the game offered a familiar lesson: discipline and
Sissons' two goals lift Predators past Canadiens 2-1
Montreal carried that momentum into the third, outshooting Nashville 14-5.
Mark
So Sissons gets both goals—was this a dominant performance by Nashville, or did Montreal just beat itself?
Mimi
A bit of both. Sissons was clinical, especially on the rebound in the second, but Montreal's power play going 0-for-5 was genuinely self-inflicted. That's a huge opportunity cost.
Luke
Right, but let's be clear: Montreal outshot Nashville 14-5 in the third period alone. They had the better chances late. Saros made 37 saves. That's not Montreal beating itself—that's Nashville's goaltending and discipline holding up under real pressure.
Mark
The disallowed goal seemed to shift something emotionally for Montreal.
Mimi
It did. Evans scored thirty-five seconds later, but that waved-off goal—the goaltender interference call—that stung. You could feel it in the building.
Luke
The call was correct, though. Gallagher was in the crease. But yes, momentum is real, and Montreal lost it there.
Mark
What about the injuries? How much did that factor into Montreal's loss?
Mimi
Pearson getting hurt Saturday and now being out is another blow. They're already missing Dach for the season, Newhook for weeks, Harvey-Pinard for weeks. That's three forwards gone.
Luke
But Savard came back, which helps the defence. And we don't know yet how serious Pearson's injury is—the team said they'd have an update. So we can't say the injuries cost them this game specifically, only that they're playing short-handed.
Mark
So what's the takeaway?
Mimi
Nashville's on a run—ten wins in thirteen games—and they showed they can win tight games on the road. Montreal had chances but couldn't finish.
Luke
And Montreal's power play is a real problem. That's the thing to watch going forward.
Le Pouls
- Nashville arrived in Montreal carrying the sting of a 4-0 shutout loss to Toronto just 24 hours earlier, making Sunday's result feel like both a rebound and a statement.
- Colton Sissons struck twice — once deflecting a power-play shot past Allen, once burying a rebound into an open cage — giving the Predators a cushion that would prove just enough.
- Montreal's power play went 0-for-5, and a would-be goal was erased for goaltender interference, draining the crowd's energy at critical moments when the Canadiens needed a spark.
- Jake Evans' backhand goal with 35 seconds left in the second period ignited a furious third-period push — Montreal outshot Nashville 14-5 — but Saros held firm through 37 saves.
- A mounting injury crisis shadows Montreal's path forward, with Dach, Newhook, Harvey-Pinard, and now possibly Pearson all sidelined as the Canadiens prepare to host Pittsburgh on Wednesday.
On a Sunday night in Montreal, the Nashville Predators quietly affirmed their resurgence, taking a 2-1 victory from Bell Centre on the strength of two Colton Sissons goals and the steady resolve of Juuse Saros between the pipes. The win extended Nashville's recent run to ten victories in thirteen games — a meaningful correction after a turbulent stretch — while Montreal, burdened by injuries and a power play that could not convert, found itself unable to sustain the momentum it had built the night before. In the larger rhythm of a long season, the game offered a familiar lesson: discipline and opportunism, more than dominance, often decide the narrow margins.
The Nashville Predators left Montreal on Sunday night with a 2-1 victory and a growing sense of momentum, improving to ten wins in their last thirteen games after a sharp 4-0 loss to Toronto the night before. It was Colton Sissons who made the difference, scoring twice — first by deflecting a Filip Forsberg shot on the power play past Jake Allen at 11:41 of the first period, then by burying a rebound off Dante Fabbro's point shot early in the second. Juuse Saros was steady throughout, finishing with 37 saves.
Montreal's evening was defined by missed opportunities and hard luck. The Canadiens went scoreless on five power-play chances while Nashville converted one of two. A Joel Armia goal late in the second period was waved off for goaltender interference — Brendan Gallagher had been in Saros's crease — drawing loud displeasure from the Bell Centre crowd. Thirty-five seconds later, Jake Evans answered with a backhand to make it 2-1, his first goal since opening night.
Montreal pressed hard in the third, outshooting Nashville 14-5 and pulling Allen in the final ninety seconds, but could not beat Saros. The loss landed against a backdrop of mounting injuries: Tanner Pearson left Saturday's game in Buffalo with a hand injury and did not play, joining Kirby Dach, Alex Newhook, and Rafael Harvey-Pinard on the sidelines. Defenceman David Savard did return after a 22-game absence, offering at least one note of encouragement for a team that will need to regroup before hosting Pittsburgh on Wednesday.
The Nashville Predators arrived at Bell Centre on Sunday night carrying momentum from a difficult stretch, and they left with a 2-1 victory that extended their recent run to ten wins in thirteen games. Colton Sissons scored twice—once on the power play, once on a rebound—while goaltender Juuse Saros turned aside 37 shots to hold off a Montreal team that pressed hard but couldn't find the equalizer.
Nashville's record improved to 15-13-0 with the win, a sharp turnaround from Saturday's 4-0 loss to Toronto. Montreal, sitting at 12-13-3, had beaten Buffalo 3-2 in a shootout the day before but couldn't sustain that momentum. The Canadiens' power play, which had been a source of frustration all evening, went scoreless on five chances. Nashville converted one of two.
Sissons opened the scoring at 11:41 of the first period, deflecting a Filip Forsberg shot on the power play past Jake Allen. The goal came after each team had taken three minor penalties in a first period that saw six infractions total. Nashville capitalized where Montreal could not. Seven minutes into the second period, Dante Fabbro's point shot bounced off Allen's right pad and found Sissons unmarked at the side of the net. Sissons buried the rebound into an open cage for his second of the night and ninth of the season, extending Nashville's lead to 2-0.
Montreal's frustration mounted when Joel Armia appeared to score with a minute remaining in the second period, cutting the deficit in half off a scramble in front. The goal was immediately waved off for goaltender interference—Brendan Gallagher had been buried in Saros's crease—a decision that drew audible displeasure from the Bell Centre crowd. Thirty-five seconds later, Jake Evans responded with a backhand past Saros to make it 2-1. It was Evans's second goal of the season and his first since opening night against Toronto on October 11.
Montreal carried that momentum into the third period, outshooting Nashville 14-5 and pressing relentlessly. The Predators didn't 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 struggle on the man-advantage, unable to convert despite multiple opportunities. With Allen pulled for the final ninety seconds, the Canadiens held the puck in Nashville's zone but couldn't beat Saros.
The Predators' defence tightened in the final minutes, and Nashville's forecheck came on strong as the period wound down. For Montreal, the loss came amid a mounting injury crisis. Tanner Pearson, who took a shot off his left hand in Saturday's win at Buffalo, did not return and was replaced by Michael Pezzetta. The 31-year-old Pearson had already missed most of last season with a broken left hand requiring multiple surgeries and had played just fourteen games. The Canadiens are also without forwards Kirby Dach (knee, out for the season), Alex Newhook (lower body, expected out ten to twelve weeks as of early December), and Rafael Harvey-Pinard (lower body, expected out eight weeks as of late November).
Defenceman David Savard returned for Montreal after a twenty-two-game absence due to a broken hand, rejoining Mike Matheson on the top pairing and replacing Gustav Lindstrom. The Canadiens sent defenceman Mattias Norlinder to their AHL affiliate in Laval to open a roster spot. Nashville hosts Philadelphia on Tuesday. Montreal welcomes Pittsburgh on Wednesday.
Citations marquantes
Montreal's power play went 0-for-5 all night, drawing jeers from the Bell Centre crowd.— Game report
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