The Canadiens came to Winnipeg for the Heritage Classic, played at Princess Auto Stadium, and left with a 2-1 win over the Jets. Lane Hutson and Kaiden Guhle scored in the second period, Jacob Fowler stopped 33 of 34 shots, and Montreal held on through a late push with the Jets’ goalie on the bench. It is the second straight win without Nick Suzuki, after the 4-1 win in Chicago, and it makes the Canadiens 6-3-2 with 14 points and a point in four straight games (3-0-1). Winnipeg is 4-4-3 and has lost five in a row (0-3-2).
The Jets outshot Montreal 34-21 and had the better of the total expected goals, so this was not a game the Canadiens controlled. It was a game they managed: patient, organized, and sharp when the chances came. Here is how it was won, and what the numbers say about it.
First Period: The Jets Push, Montreal Absorbs
The first period was scoreless and the Jets held a 10-8 edge in shots. Mark Scheifele, Kyle Connor and Cole Perfetti accounted for 8 of Winnipeg’s 10 shots, so the Jets’ best players tested Fowler early. Alexandre Carrier went to the box for interference at 16:14, which gave Winnipeg the first power play of the night late in the period.
The pattern of the period is worth noting. At five-on-five, Montreal had more shot attempts (21-15), but Natural Stat Trick has Winnipeg ahead in expected goals, 0.81 to 0.56. The Canadiens had the puck more, and the Jets still got the better chances. That is the kind of period where the goalie decides whether it stays 0-0, and Fowler made 10 saves to keep it there.
Second Period: Hutson and Guhle Break It Open
The game stayed scoreless until 7:19 of the second, when Lane Hutson scored at five-on-five. Noah Dobson and Cole Caufield had the assists, and Dobson’s pass across the slot set up the shot. It was Hutson’s third goal of the season and the 21st of his NHL career, and it came in his 177th game.
Less than four minutes later, at 11:04, Kaiden Guhle made it 2-0 with a wrist shot from the blue line through traffic. Caufield had the primary assist and Juraj Slafkovský the second, which gave Caufield two assists on the night. It was Guhle’s second goal in as many games, and it stood as the game-winner. That made him the sixth defenseman to score the winning goal in an outdoor game, joining Justin Faulk (2025 Winter Classic), Evan Bouchard (2023 Heritage Classic), Devon Toews (2021 Lake Tahoe game), Cody Ceci (2014 Heritage Classic) and Brian Rafalski (2009 Winter Classic).
This is where the Canadiens were opportunists. At five-on-five the Jets outshot Montreal 10-6 in the period and edged the expected goals 0.90 to 0.88, so the game was even. Montreal scored on two of its best moments. MoneyPuck gives Hutson’s goal about a 12% chance and Guhle’s about 1%. Guhle shot from roughly 63 feet and the puck went through traffic, so the screen did the work. In coaching terms, a point shot with a body in the goalie’s eyes is a play teams practice every day, and it paid off here.
Alex Newhook took a high-sticking penalty at 12:53, and Winnipeg went back to the power play. Fowler and the penalty kill held, and the Canadiens took a 2-0 lead to the third.
Third Period: Rosen Cuts It, Montreal Holds
Winnipeg outshot Montreal 13-6 in the third, 9-5 at five-on-five. The Jets scored at 15:24, when Rosen scored with a snap shot from about 18 feet, with assists from Gabriel Vilardi and Fleury, to make it 2-1. Newhook had gone off for tripping at 5:08, and Josh Anderson took a tripping penalty at 18:28 that gave the Jets a six-on-four for the last 1:32. Montreal killed it.
The shot count that period looks one-sided, but the five-on-five chances were not. Natural Stat Trick has Montreal ahead 0.91 to 0.87 in expected goals in the third and 4-3 in high-danger chances, even though the Jets had more shots. The Canadiens gave up volume and protected the middle of the ice, which is exactly how you hold a one-goal lead. It is also the second game in a row they kept the lead to the final horn.
Game Numbers
| Game numbers | Canadiens | Jets |
|---|---|---|
| Final | 2 | 1 |
| Shots on goal | 21 | 34 |
| Shots by period | 8 – 7 – 6 | 10 – 11 – 13 |
| Goaltender | Fowler, 33 saves on 34 shots (.971) | Skinner, 19 saves on 21 shots (.905) |
| Power play | 0 for 0 | 0 for 4 |
| Penalty minutes | 8 | 0 |
| Expected goals, all situations (MoneyPuck) | 2.90 | 3.84 |
| Blocked shots | 18 | 14 |
| Hits | 31 | 29 |
| Giveaways / takeaways | 21 / 3 | 17 / 6 |
| Five-on-five by period (Natural Stat Trick) | Period 1 | Period 2 | Period 3 | Total |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Shot attempts (MTL-WPG) | 21-15 | 16-22 | 15-18 | 52-55 |
| Shots on goal (MTL-WPG) | 8-5 | 6-10 | 5-9 | 19-24 |
| Expected goals (MTL-WPG) | 0.56-0.81 | 0.88-0.90 | 0.91-0.87 | 2.34-2.57 |
| High-danger chances (MTL-WPG) | 3-3 | 3-3 | 4-3 | 10-9 |
| Goals (MTL-WPG) | 0-0 | 2-0 | 0-1 | 2-1 |
What the Analytics Say
The models do not agree on who was better at five-on-five, which tells you how close the game was. Natural Stat Trick has the Jets slightly ahead in expected goals, 2.57 to 2.34 (52% for Winnipeg). MoneyPuck has the Canadiens slightly ahead at five-on-five, 2.35 to 2.13, and its score- and venue-adjusted expected goals share at five-on-five was 56% for Montreal. Natural Stat Trick also has Winnipeg ahead in scoring chances, 28-21, while Montreal had the edge in high-danger chances, 10-9.
Where the Jets really gained ground was special teams. MoneyPuck credits Winnipeg with 3.84 expected goals across all situations to Montreal’s 2.90, but 1.71 of that came outside five-on-five: 16 attempts and 10 shots on goal on four power plays and the final six-on-four. They scored on none of them. Montreal had only 4 attempts and 2 shots in those situations, worth 0.54 expected goals, so the Canadiens did create a few chances while short-handed.
Montreal also gave up only 9 high-danger chances at five-on-five over about 52 minutes, which fits what the Canadiens were doing in the middle of the ice (more on that below). And the Canadiens finished: they scored two goals on 2.90 expected goals, while the Jets scored one on 3.84. That difference is the game, and a large part of it is the goalie.
Fowler: Calm, Control and +3.22
At 21 years and 335 days, Jacob Fowler became the youngest goalie in NHL history to start an outdoor game. The Jets outshot Montreal 34-21, including 13 shots in the third period, and Fowler stopped all but one, with 10 saves in the first period, 11 in the second and 12 in the third. He is now 5-1-0 on the season with a .924 save percentage. He has won five straight starts, which makes him the fourth different Canadiens rookie goalie in the past 40 years (since 1986-87) to win five in a row, and he has not allowed more than three goals in any game this year. He also became the fourth rookie goalie to win an outdoor game, after Mike Condon (2016 Winter Classic, with Montreal), Matt Murray (2017 Stadium Series, with Pittsburgh) and Nico Daws (2024 Stadium Series, with New Jersey).
The advanced numbers back up what the eye test showed. MoneyPuck puts the expected goals against Fowler at 4.22 and he allowed one, which is 3.22 goals saved above expected. Put another way, an average goalie would have allowed more than four goals on the chances he faced. What stood out was his calm in the crease and the way he held on to the puck whenever he could, which gave his defense time to reset. After the game he said (translated from French):
“It was such a fun game. The whole team had been talking about it for a long time. When I was sent to the Rocket, I was disappointed at the thought of maybe missing it. It was special to live a moment I had dreamed of my whole life. I’m even happier that the guys scored two goals and we won.”
“Usually you watch the clock and can’t wait for it to hit zero. Obviously I wanted us to win, but this is a game I wish had never ended. It was so much fun to be part of. I hope we play outdoors more often.”
His teammates and his coach saw it the same way. Defenseman Noah Dobson called Fowler the team’s best player on the night.
“I feel when goalies are at the top of their game, they obviously make it look easy, even though it’s not easy at all; some of those seam plays, post to post, it’s tough. But he’s locked in right now and was our best player tonight.”
Coach Martin St. Louis added that the rookie has handled every step on the way up:
“That position is a very important position and he’s playing very well for a young guy. It’s all positive what he’s doing, and I think he’s done that at every level. This is a level that he wanted to get to, and he wants to prove it. It’s an everyday thing and I think he takes care of it every day.”
Gap Control: How Montreal Defended the Middle
The most important detail of the game happened between the blue lines. Gap control is the distance between a defenseman and the puck carrier as he enters the neutral zone. When the gap is tight, the carrier has no room to build speed, so he has to dump the puck in or force a pass, and the team cannot enter the zone with control. The Canadiens did this well all night. They did not give the Jets space to organize clean entries, and Natural Stat Trick shows only 9 high-danger chances against at five-on-five.
The result is on the scoresheet. The Canadiens have allowed only two goals in their last two games, one in Chicago and one in Winnipeg, and they have kept the lead to the final horn both times. That is a team playing the same defensive system on every shift, without its captain and without Ivan Demidov.
Special Teams and Discipline
The penalty kill was perfect, 4-for-4 against a Jets power play that came in 12th in the league. It was aggressive, not passive: the Canadiens blocked 18 shots as a team, with Alexandre Carrier getting four, and Dobson, Lane Hutson and Kaiden Guhle three each. They also read the passing lanes, intercepted pucks, and created a few scoring chances of their own while a man short.
The one negative was discipline. The Canadiens took four minor penalties for eight penalty minutes (Carrier for interference, Newhook for high-sticking and tripping, and Anderson for tripping) while the Jets took none, so Montreal never had a power play. That is a result worth keeping, but it is not a recipe you want to repeat. Against a team with a better power play, four minors can decide the game, and the penalty at 18:28 forced the Canadiens to defend a six-on-four for the last 1:32. It is the one area the team needs to clean up.
St. Louis put it this way when he talked about the penalty kill and how much Montreal had to defend:
“Our penalty kill did a great job in front of ‘Fows,’ but we actually had to defend too much tonight,” St. Louis said.
Player Notes: The MoneyPuck Game Score
MoneyPuck’s game score combines a player’s production with how the game went while he was on the ice. The top three were Dobson, Hutson and Fowler, and the lowest scores belong mostly to the players who took penalties.
| Player | Ice time | G-A | Game score |
|---|---|---|---|
| Noah Dobson | 19:25 | 0-1 | 3.42 |
| Lane Hutson | 21:12 | 1-0 | 3.36 |
| Jacob Fowler | 60:00 | – | 3.22 |
| Cole Caufield | 15:50 | 0-2 | 2.41 |
| Jake Evans | 18:06 | 0-0 | 1.44 |
| Kirby Dach | 13:15 | 0-0 | 1.31 |
| Kaiden Guhle | 23:10 | 1-0 | -1.25 |
| Alexandre Carrier | 20:32 | 0-0 | -1.57 |
| Josh Anderson | 14:32 | 0-0 | -1.56 |
| Alex Newhook | 15:01 | 0-0 | -2.09 |
Dobson and Hutson were the best skaters. Dobson had the assist on Hutson’s goal, three blocked shots, and the Canadiens outscored the Jets 1.14 to 0.16 in expected goals when he was on the ice. Hutson had the opening goal, three blocks, and 21:12 of ice time with a 1.61 to 0.81 edge in expected goals. Caufield had two assists in only 15:50. Phillip Danault and Jake Evans won the draws, going a combined +9 in the faceoff circle (Danault 62%, Evans 62.5%), while Oliver Kapanen was -4.
Guhle’s score looks harsh for a player who scored the winner, but he played 23:10, and the Jets had 1.38 expected goals against while he was on the ice. Carrier played 20:32 with four blocks and a penalty, and Newhook’s two minors made him the lowest score on the team. Those are the details worth watching as the season goes on.
Evans: A Moment to Remember in Front of 32,342
Jake Evans played his first NHL outdoor game in front of 32,342 fans at Princess Auto Stadium, and he described the night in his Heritage Classic blog for NHL.com. The noise and the win made it special for him.
“It was loud and it was a really unique experience that you’re not going to have very often and then to end it with a win, it was obviously icing on the cake.”
From a coaching point of view, what he says about the ice is the useful part. Evans took in the atmosphere from the bench on every shift, but once he stepped on the ice it felt like a regular game. He found the conditions better than he expected, and he said they did not affect the game much. The one adjustment was seeing the puck: pucks in the glass or in the air were harder to track, and the practice skate the day before helped him get used to it.
“Overall, I think when you’re done playing, you’re going to look back at your career and think about certain moments, and this will be one of them.”
He also praised the goalie. Evans said Fowler “looked really confident out there and made a lot of shots look easy and stepped up in those big moments in the third (period).” He then pointed to the bigger picture, since Montreal has now won two games without Nick Suzuki, the team’s top player and leader:
“I don’t think we lacked any confidence in how we can play without him, but if we can string together some wins without and then when he comes back, it will only help.”
Coach Frenchy’s Takeaway
This was one of the best collective games the Canadiens have played this season. Coach St. Louis talks about it all the time: team effort and team details. We saw it from every player. The Canadiens played a solid game without their captain and without Demidov. They were patient, they waited for the Jets to make mistakes, they took their chances at the right time, and they protected the lead for a second game in a row.
The detail I liked most was their play between the blue lines. Their gap control was excellent, and the Jets never had the space to organize a good entry. Fowler was phenomenal and he is one of the main reasons the Canadiens won. What impressed me most was his calm in front of the net and how well he controlled the puck, and his +3.22 goals saved above expected confirms it. The penalty kill was also perfect, with aggressive blocked shots, intercepted passes and a few chances to score, and the defensive system was very good all night.
The only negative side is still the discipline. Four minor penalties is too many, and it is something the team has to improve.
Who Played Where
The lines were the same as in Chicago with one change: Florian Xhekaj played on the fourth line with Evans and Kirby Dach in place of Owen Beck. Kapanen centered Slafkovský and Caufield again, and Caufield did the damage as a passer. The defense pairs were new for this game (A. Xhekaj with Dobson, Guhle with Carrier, Mike Matheson with Hutson). Mike Matheson led all skaters with 25:37 of ice time, Guhle played 23:10, and Hutson played 21:12. Suzuki was out again with his hand injury, and Demidov and Samuel Montembeault are still on injured reserve. See the Injury Report and our Lineup Tonight page for the latest.
A First Outdoor Win Since 2016
This was Montreal’s first outdoor win since the 2016 Winter Classic against Boston, and it moves the franchise to 3-2 in five outdoor games. Those three wins are tied with the Capitals and Blues for the third most among all teams, behind the Rangers (six) and the Bruins (four). Outdoor games also tend to be close: 8 of the 10 played in Canada, and 31 of 46 overall, were close games, so a 2-1 result fits the pattern.
What Comes Next
The Canadiens go to St. Louis on Tuesday, Oct. 27 (8:00 PM ET), then play at Dallas on Thursday, and they are back home on Saturday against Pittsburgh. The Jets come to the Bell Centre on Nov. 3.
Sources: NHL.com, MoneyPuck, Natural Stat Trick, RDS. Fowler’s quotes were translated from French.
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