The Montreal Canadiens appeared to have Thursday’s matchup under control after building a two-goal advantage at Bell Centre. Instead, Nashville responded with five consecutive goals and left Montreal with a 5-2 victory.
The defeat extended Montreal’s winless run to three games and moved the Canadiens to 1-2-1 early in the season. The result was especially frustrating because the home team controlled long stretches, outshot Nashville 34-18 and created several chances that could have produced a much different ending.
Montreal’s first period ended without a goal, but the Canadiens carried much of the play into the second. Their puck movement improved, forechecking created turnovers and Nashville spent extended shifts defending in its own zone.
Nick Suzuki finally broke through at 3:12 of the second period during four-on-four action. He found a loose puck in front of the net and finished with a backhand shot through Juuse Saros for his third goal of the season.
Montreal added another goal at 8:50. Josh Anderson forced a turnover behind the Nashville net before sending the puck toward Alex Newhook, who converted from close range to make it 2-0.
At that moment, the Canadiens had the momentum, the crowd behind them and enough territorial control to make the game feel close to settled. The problem was that they did not build on the advantage. Nashville remained within reach, and Saros repeatedly prevented Montreal from turning pressure into a larger deficit.
Nashville’s comeback began with 4:54 left in the second. Alex Kerfoot redirected a point shot from Adam Wilsby past Jacob Fowler, cutting the Montreal lead to 2-1.
The goal gave the Predators a foothold, but the most damaging moment arrived just before intermission. Matthew Wood scored on the power play with only 32 seconds remaining, sending the teams into the third period tied 2-2.
That sequence erased Montreal’s early advantage in less than five minutes. Rather than protecting a two-goal lead and dictating the pace, the Canadiens entered the final period facing a Nashville team that had regained confidence.
The timing also magnified Montreal’s earlier missed chances. A larger lead would have made Nashville’s comeback much more difficult, while the narrow margin allowed one goal to change the entire emotional direction of the game.
These problems were connected. Montreal’s inability to finish chances kept the game close, the late second-period goals shifted the momentum and the penalty gave Nashville a high-quality opportunity at the most dangerous stage of the contest.
Juuse Saros was the difference whenever the Canadiens threatened to restore their lead. He stopped 32 of Montreal’s 34 shots and kept Nashville alive during stretches when the Predators were struggling to create sustained offense.
His most important save came in the third period. Josh Anderson broke in alone with roughly eight minutes left in regulation, giving Montreal a chance to move ahead 3-2. Saros stayed with the play and stopped the attempt with his left pad.
That save proved decisive. Montreal failed to score on the opportunity, and Nashville moved ahead only a few minutes later. In a close game, the difference between a goal and a save can be measured in seconds; here, the Anderson chance came immediately before Nashville seized the lead.
Montreal’s performance was therefore not a case of being outplayed from start to finish. The Canadiens created enough offense to win, but Nashville’s goaltender prevented those chances from becoming a comfortable advantage.
Nashville’s power play produced the goals that mattered most. Wood’s late second-period marker tied the game, and Ryan O’Reilly’s third-period deflection gave the Predators their first lead of the night.
O’Reilly scored with 3:16 remaining after Mike Matheson was called for tripping Steven Stamkos. Roman Josi sent the puck toward the net, and O’Reilly redirected the shot past Fowler to make it 3-2.
The penalty was particularly costly because Montreal had survived the earlier momentum swing and still had time to win. Instead, the Canadiens handed Nashville a man advantage in a tied game and allowed the Predators’ experienced special-teams group to decide the outcome.
Montreal did not need a dominant power play to win Thursday. It simply needed its special teams to match Nashville’s impact. That did not happen, and the difference was enough to turn a competitive game into a loss.
Jacob Fowler made his first start of the season after being recalled from Laval when Samuel Montembeault suffered a lower-body injury during practice on Wednesday. The 21-year-old made 15 saves in the defeat.
The final score does not fully represent Fowler’s night. Nashville scored twice into an empty net after Montreal pulled its goaltender, meaning Fowler allowed three goals while playing in the net.
He also faced difficult circumstances on Nashville’s power-play chances, including the late O’Reilly goal. The young goaltender would likely want certain plays back, but assigning the entire defeat to him would overlook the larger issues in front of him.
Montreal’s defense needed to limit penalties, clear traffic and prevent Nashville from gaining repeated opportunities around the crease. The Canadiens did not consistently provide that protection, particularly once the game became tight in the third period.
Montembeault’s availability remains an important question for Montreal. Fowler has previous NHL experience, having appeared in 17 games last season while posting a 9-6-2 record, a 2.43 goals-against average and a .908 save percentage.
Those numbers show that Fowler is not entering the league without preparation. However, there is a difference between occasional NHL action and handling a heavier workload on short notice while the team is still searching for consistency.
If Montembeault misses more time, Montreal will need to support Fowler with cleaner defensive play. That means fewer avoidable penalties, better rebound control and stronger coverage in front of the crease.
Adam Edstrom scored twice into an empty net in the final minutes, converting a one-goal Nashville advantage into a three-goal final margin. Those goals count, but they also provide important context for evaluating Montreal’s performance.
At five-on-five, the Canadiens were competitive and often carried the play. They were not overwhelmed for 60 minutes, nor did they look like a team that had no path to victory.
The loss instead reflected poor execution in critical situations:
Those details explain why the game felt closer than the final score while still exposing real weaknesses that Montreal must address.
Suzuki provided one of the night’s clearest bright spots. His goal was his third of the season, and he created it by attacking the dangerous area around the Nashville net rather than waiting for a low-percentage opportunity from the perimeter.
Montreal will need more of that directness from its captain. When the Canadiens are controlling possession but struggling to score, Suzuki’s ability to create offense in tight spaces becomes especially valuable.
Newhook also made an impact by finishing Anderson’s setup, while Anderson’s forechecking helped create the turnover that led to the goal. The issue was not a complete absence of offensive contributions; it was the failure to sustain that production after taking the lead.
The Canadiens have a quick opportunity to respond when the Detroit Red Wings visit Bell Centre on Saturday. Thursday’s loss should not trigger panic at 1-2-1, but it should provide a clear checklist.
Montreal cannot assume that possession and zone time will eventually produce a win. When an opponent is struggling to generate offense, the Canadiens must create enough separation to survive one bad shift or one timely save.
Two Nashville power-play goals directly shaped the comeback. Montreal must avoid giving opponents late opportunities, especially when the score is tied or the Canadiens are protecting a one-goal margin.
Whether Fowler starts again or another option takes the crease, Montreal’s skaters need to reduce traffic, clear rebounds and prevent avoidable penalties. A developing goaltender cannot be expected to overcome repeated special-teams breakdowns.
The second-period collapse showed how quickly confidence can move from one bench to the other. Montreal needs a calmer response after conceding a goal, particularly when the team has already played well enough to establish control.
Montreal left Thursday’s game without a point despite leading 2-0, controlling long stretches and creating more offensive pressure than Nashville. The Canadiens were close to winning, but close was not enough once execution broke down.
Nashville finished its chances, received outstanding goaltending from Saros and took advantage of Montreal’s penalties. Montreal had the better beginning, but the Predators managed the decisive moments more effectively.
That is the lesson the Canadiens must carry into Saturday’s game. Strong shifts and attractive puck possession matter, but successful teams also finish chances, protect leads and stay composed when the game begins to turn.
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