nbcsports
In a remarkable turn of events at the Bell Centre on Tuesday night, Dylan Samberg's overtime goal capped a stunning comeback as the Winnipeg Jets overcame a four-goal deficit to defeat the Montreal Canadiens 5-4, ending their nine-game skid.
Montreal appeared in control when Cole Caufield netted his second goal of the game and 10th of the season just 46 seconds into the third period, extending the lead to 4-0. However, the Jets responded with a furious rally, scoring four goals in a span of 2 minutes and 8 seconds to tie the game. Kyle Connor's power-play marker with 32 seconds left in regulation, his second of the contest, completed the comeback.
This marked the latest four-goal comeback in NHL history. Tyrel Bauer and Morgan Barron ignited the rally, ending Canadiens goaltender Jacob Fowler's shutout bid. The Jets, who were coming off a 7-0 loss to the Carolina Hurricanes on Sunday, showed resilience in the face of adversity.
Stuart Skinner made 18 saves for Winnipeg, while Mark Scheifele and Dylan DeMelo each contributed two assists. For Montreal, Owen Beck and Josh Anderson also scored, and Juraj Slafkovsky added two assists. Fowler stopped 42 shots in the losing effort.
On Beck's goal, Arber Xhekaj and Florian Xhekaj became the first brothers to record a point on the same Canadiens goal since Andrei Kostitsyn and Sergei Kostitsyn on Jan. 17, 2009.
Nick Suzuki missed his sixth consecutive game with a hand injury. The Canadiens captain had played 546 straight regular-season games to begin his NHL career. He appears close to returning after practicing without any obvious limitations on Monday and Tuesday morning.
Winnipeg reunited its prolific top line of Scheifele, Connor, and Gabriel Vilardi in search of a spark. The Jets piled on the shots and eventually broke Fowler late in the game.
Up next: The Jets host the Vancouver Canucks on Thursday night, while the Canadiens host the Utah Mammoth on Thursday night.
Key Analysis
The Jets' comeback not only snapped a lengthy losing streak but also demonstrated their ability to rally under pressure. Reuniting the top line paid dividends as Winnipeg dominated the shot count and finally solved Fowler. The historic nature of the comeback, the latest four-goal deficit overcome in NHL history, underscores the unpredictability of the sport. Montreal, despite the loss, saw promising performances from Caufield and the Xhekaj brothers, but the absence of captain Suzuki was palpable. The Canadiens will look to regroup as they await his return.
Originally reported by nbcsports.