Canadiens lose 5-4 in overtime after blowing four-goal lead to Jets

The Montreal Canadiens gave up a four-goal lead with 2:39 remaining in the third period and were defeated 5-4 in overtime by the Winnipeg Jets on Tuesday night. The Jets scored four goals in 126 seconds to tie the game and completed the comeback with Dylan Samberg’s overtime winner at 3:30 of three-on-three play.

Veteran centre Jake Evans said the loss was difficult for the team to process, adding, "I don't know, it's hard right now. I think we're all still swallowing it up."

Head coach Martin St. Louis described the event as unprecedented for him, stating, "The league doesn't care what we just went through, so we just got to own it. It was embarrassing, unacceptable. But you hope that we move on, we fix it, and we keep going."

Tyrel Bauer opened the Jets’ rally with his first NHL goal, a Gordie Howe hat trick that included a fight with Canadiens defenseman Arber Xhekaj and an assist on Morgan Barron’s goal. Kyle Connor added two goals with the extra attacker before Samberg’s overtime strike.

Canadiens rookie goalie Jacob Fowler, who had stopped the Jets’ first 36 shots, left the ice after the comeback, later commenting, "It sucks, whenever your team scores four goals you want to give it a chance to win."

Evans emphasized that the loss was not due to luck, saying, "We just weren't good enough. We need to be a lot better and can't rely on skill alone."

The defeat follows a pattern of early-season blown leads for Montreal, which has surrendered four two-goal advantages in its first nine games. The team remains second in the Atlantic Division with 21 points and will host the Utah Mammoth on Thursday, aiming to address issues highlighted by St. Louis, including defensive structure and face-off performance.