Caufield scores late winner, lifting Canadiens to 4-3 decision over Wild

Montreal Canadiens' Alexandre Carrier (45) celebrates his goal over the Minnesota Wild with teammate Mike Matheson (8) during first period NHL hockey action in Montreal on Tuesday, Jan. 20, 2026. (The Canadian Press/Christinne Muschi)

Cole Caufield scored the winner with 15 seconds remaining to lift the Montreal Canadiens to a 4-3 win over the Minnesota Wild on Tuesday night.

Caufield took a pass from Nick Suzuki and fired a shot from the top of the right circle for his 25th of the season.

Phillip Danault — with his first of the season — Alexandre Carrier and Lane Hutson also scored for Montreal (28-15-7).

Rookie winger Ivan Demidov provided two assists and Jakub Dobes made 16 saves at the Bell Centre.

Vladimir Tarasenko replied with two goals, with Brock Faber providing the rest of the offence for Minnesota (28-14-9), which beat the Toronto Maple Leafs 6-3 on Monday.

Jesper Wallstedt stopped 29 shots.

Tarasenko opened the scoring with a power-play goal at 10:44 of the first period, beating Dobes on Minnesota’s second shot with a one-timer.

Danault jammed in a rebound to break his goal drought and tie the game at 15:22. The Bell Centre unleashed a roar for the veteran centre, who rejoined the Canadiens via trade from the Los Angeles Kings on Dec. 19.

Carrier doubled the lead with 52 seconds remaining in the opening period, redirecting Mike Matheson’s point shot after carrying the puck into Minnesota’s zone.

Faber equalized with a wrist shot from the point that trickled under Dobes’ left pad at 10:16 in the second, but Montreal regained the lead when Hutson hammered home a Demidov pass from a sharp angle at 12:35.

Penalties to Hutson and Matheson put the Wild on a 5-on-3 power play with 8:11 remaining in regulation, and Tarasenko converted his second of the game moments after Hutson exited the box to make it a 5-on-4.

TAKEAWAYS

Canadiens: Kirby Dach returned to the lineup for the first time since breaking his foot from blocking a shot on Nov. 15, skating on Montreal’s top line with Nick Suzuki and Cole Caufield. Winger Alexandre Texier missed the game with a lower-body injury.

Wild: Played without five regulars — forwards Marcus Johansson, Joel Eriksson Ek and Matt Boldy, and defencemen Jonas Brodin and Zach Bogosian. The Wild showed fatigue on the second night of a back-to-back. The Canadiens, who’d last played Saturday, dominated the shot count 15-2 in the first period.

KEY MOMENT

Demidov held the puck in the slot while fans yelled “shoot!” before fooling the Wild and finding Hutson open near the goal line to make it 3-2. The fans followed with “Olé, Olé” chants after the slick play.

KEY STAT

The Canadiens beat the Wild for the first time since Oct. 17, 2019, ending a nine-game streak. Nick Suzuki, now Montreal’s captain, scored his first NHL goal that night and Carey Price posted a 17-save shutout in a 4-0 win.

UP NEXT

Wild: Host the Detroit Red Wings on Thursday.

Canadiens: Host the Buffalo Sabres on Thursday.

By Daniel Rainbird

This report by The Canadian Press was first published Jan. 20, 2026.