You could feel it early at Bell Centre that Montreal had something going. Even though the final reads 4–3 for the St. Louis Blues, it really felt like a night where the Canadiens had them wobbling. Cole Caufield’s goal — the one that tied his career-long point streak — lit up the building. Add Lane Hutson’s slick finish, and you figured the Canadiens had the pace, the jump, the rhythm. They took a 2–1 lead into the first intermission and looked in control.

And then the second period arrived, flipping the whole script. Two Blues goals in 39 seconds — first Dylan Holloway, then Pavel Buchnevich — knocked the air out of the place. Suddenly, Montreal was chasing, and that’s a tough place to be against a veteran St. Louis group. Brayden Schenn’s second of the night in the third made the hill even steeper. Noah Dobson’s late goal gave the crowd one last push, but Jordan Binnington made the big stop at the buzzer that Montreal needed the other way.

It was a game full of “almosts” for the Canadiens.

Game Takeaways:

Takeaway One: Hot Start, Cold Reset

Montreal owned the first period. Hutson jumped at the right moment for his goal, and Caufield was buzzing. But the momentum evaporated as soon as St. Louis punched back. Once the Blues grabbed control early in the second, Montreal never quite found the handle again.

Cole Caufield, Montreal Canadiens

Takeaway Two: Jakub Dobes Fought Through It

Jakub Dobes started for the second straight night, and given the circumstances, he held up well. A tough read on the third goal, sure, but he competed and stayed composed. He wasn’t the problem — the breakdowns in front of him were.

Takeaway Three: Defensive Lapses Hurt… Again

Mike Matheson summed it up: two breakdowns, two goals. That’s the game. Montreal’s young defense has nights when it looks polished and nights when the learning curve is pretty visible. This one leaned toward the latter.

Not a Bad Effort By the Canadiens

This wasn’t a bad effort — just an opportunity that got away. There were bright spots: Lane Hutson’s confidence, Cole Caufield’s streak, Noah Dobson’s push late, and Jakub Dobes grinding through a tough back-to-back. But until the Canadiens start delivering full sixty-minute efforts, these narrow losses will keep showing up in the standings.

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