The Montréal Canadiens defeated the Chicago Blackhawks 4-1, fueled by Jake Evans' two goals, including a shorthanded game-winner that defied the odds.
The Chicago Blackhawks opened the scoring just over four minutes into the first period with Connor Bedard, assisted by Patrick Kane. Montréal responded late in the opening frame as Jake Evans found the equalizer. The turning point arrived midway through the second period when Evans secured his second goal of the night, a shorthanded marker assisted by Kaiden Guhle, giving the Canadiens their first lead. Guhle extended Montréal's advantage late in the second period. Mike Matheson sealed the victory for Montréal with an empty-net goal late in the third.
Jake Evans was the undisputed first star, driving Montréal's offense with two goals and an assist for a three-point night, adding a game-high +4 rating in 17.2 minutes. Second star Kaiden Guhle contributed a goal and an assist, playing 23.5 minutes with a +2 rating. Mike Matheson rounded out the three stars with his empty-net goal and a +1 rating. For Chicago, Connor Bedard's early goal was the only offense, finishing with a -2 rating, while Patrick Kane recorded an assist on Bedard's tally, also with a -2 rating.
Momentum.'s analytics model had predicted a challenging night for the Canadiens, giving them only a 31% chance to win this matchup. Montréal defied those expectations, delivering a convincing 4-1 road victory. The model's pick was ultimately wrong, as the Canadiens demonstrated resilience and opportunism to overcome the favored Blackhawks.
The whole night: Evans Explodes: Canadiens Stun Blackhawks with Dominant Performance →
