Montreal won the faceoff battle they lost and the shot battle they lost — because they won the only battle that counted: discipline, transition, and the shootout.
New Jersey controlled possession, won faceoffs by 15.2 percentage points, and out-shot Montreal 38–29, yet still lost — because execution in high-leverage moments consistently failed them. This was a game decided by special teams chaos, late-game discipline, and a shootout where Montreal's composure held and New Jersey's didn't.
⚡TURNING POINT
Kapanen's shootout conversion was the only goal scored in the extra session, making it the singular moment that separated a point from two. With regulation and overtime unable to break the tie, a single shooter decided which team walked out of Prudential Center with the win.
🏆WHY MTL WON
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Special teams created the decisive structural advantage: Montreal converted 1-of-4 power plays while New Jersey went 0-of-1, and the 10 PIM New Jersey took handed Montreal repeated opportunities to pull ahead.
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Takeaway differential was 6–1 in Montreal's favor, generating transition chances that offset a losing faceoff percentage and inferior shot volume.
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Dobes conceded 0.80 goals below league average on 38 shots — in a one-goal game decided by shootout, that margin kept Montreal alive long enough to win it.
📉WHY NJD LOST
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A shorthanded goal surrendered mid-second period erased the structural benefit of killing Montreal's power play — turning a penalty kill into a net liability.
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New Jersey's 13 blocked shots indicate sustained defensive retreat rather than offensive zone control, limiting their ability to convert shot volume into actual danger.
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Allen conceded 0.10 goals above average on 29 shots — a thin margin, but in a game this tight, any shortfall carries weight.
Three Stars
Jack Hughes1st
NJD, C
1G 1A2P5 SOG26:26 TOI
Hughes generated offense at both even strength and shorthanded, and his ice time reflects how heavily New Jersey leaned on him to sustain any offensive structure.
Cole Caufield2nd
MTL, R
0G 2A2P5 SOG22:15 TOI
Both assists came on Montreal goals that built the early lead, making Caufield the primary architect of the offensive sequences that forced New Jersey to chase the game.
Timo Meier3rd
NJD, R
1G 1A2P7 SOG+25 hits
Meier's 7 shots on goal led all skaters and his physical presence was constant — his late third-period goal forced overtime and nearly rescued a point New Jersey ultimately didn't earn.
