Rookie Jacob Fowler Ties a 66-Year-Old Canadiens Record as Montreal Ends Boston's Home Streak, 5-2

The Montreal Canadiens walked into TD Garden on Thursday night a point behind their oldest rival and walked out ahead of them. Five goals in the first 35 minutes, a 30-save night from rookie goaltender Jacob Fowler and a worrying injury to veteran Chris Kreider defined a 5-2 Montreal win that snapped Boston's seven-game home winning streak and stretched the Canadiens' point streak to 12 games ^[1][2].

It was the first of four regular-season meetings between the two Original Six clubs, and Montreal leads the series 1-0 ^[2]. Kirby Dach, Josh Anderson, Jake Evans, Cole Caufield and Phillip Danault scored for the Canadiens, with Anderson and Evans each adding an assist ^[3]. Casey Mittelstadt scored both Boston goals, each set up by Elias Lindholm ^[1].

Five Goals Before Boston Found Its Feet

Montreal struck early and kept coming. Dach opened the scoring at 2:34 of the first period, circling behind the net and tucking a wraparound inside the left post ^[1]. At 8:36, Anderson batted a rebound out of the air after a Mike Matheson point shot was redirected by Evans, his eighth goal of the season ^[1][2].

The second period belonged to the visitors. Anderson sprang Evans with a long stretch pass at 4:24, and Evans slid a backhand between the pads of Bruins goaltender Jeremy Swayman for a 3-0 lead ^[1]. Caufield made it 4-0 later in the period, and that ended the night for Swayman, who allowed four goals on 17 shots ^[1][2]. The Associated Press noted it was the first time this season Boston had changed goaltenders in the middle of a game ^[2].

Michael DiPietro came on in relief and made 13 saves, but Danault beat him with a one-timer from the top of the right circle at 14:15 for a 5-0 lead ^[1]. Boston answered 38 seconds later when Mittelstadt finished a backhand on Fowler, and he struck again 52 seconds into the third period to make it 5-2 ^[1]. That was as close as the Bruins would get. Boston outshot Montreal 32-30, according to the AP, but Fowler shut the door the rest of the way ^[2].

Bruins coach Marco Sturm said his team was flat from the start, and captain David Pastrnak said Montreal is the kind of team that makes opponents pay for their mistakes ^[1]. Montreal coach Martin St. Louis refused to let the lopsided score go to anyone's head, saying "the game could easily be 3-2 the other way." ^[1]

A Rookie Goalie Rewriting the Record Book

The bigger story in Montreal may be the rookie in the crease. Fowler, the NHL's Rookie of the Month for October, is now 9-0-2 in 11 starts since losing 5-3 to Nashville in his season debut on Oct. 8 ^[1].

According to NHL.com, Thursday's victory was his fifth straight road win, matching a franchise mark Charlie Hodge set between Nov. 27 and Dec. 18, 1960. It also made Fowler just the fifth rookie in NHL history with a road run that long to open a season; only Brent Johnson, with eight in 2000-01, and Ilya Samsonov, with seven in 2019, went longer ^[1].

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In a franchise with as proud a goaltending history as Montreal's, a first-year netminder matching a 66-year-old club record is worth noticing. So is the team in front of him. The Canadiens are 9-0-3 over their past 12 games and have lost just once in regulation in their last 15, going 11-1-3 ^[1][3]. They have not trailed after the first period at any point this season, and they are 10-0-2 when leading after two periods ^[1][2].

Kreider Injury Clouds the Night

The one worry for Montreal came at 6:27 of the third period, when Kreider was hurt in an open-ice collision with Boston's Michael Eyssimont ^[1]. The veteran forward left the ice without putting weight on his left leg and did not return, and the team had no update after the game ^[1].

There was better news on the blue line. Matheson returned after missing six games with a lower-body injury and finished with an assist and a plus-3 rating in 21:11 of ice time ^[1].

The Atlantic Picture and What Comes Next

The win lifted Montreal to 12-3-4 and 28 points, moving the Canadiens past Boston and level on points with Tampa Bay (13-4-2) at the top of the Atlantic Division, according to the AP standings ^[2][3]. Montreal is 7-1-1 on the road ^[2]. Boston fell to 13-5-1 overall and 8-2-0 at home, and a four-game overall winning streak ended along with the home run ^[1][2].

Both teams are back on the ice Saturday. Montreal hosts the Colorado Avalanche, while Boston continues a four-game homestand against the Minnesota Wild ^[2]. The Original Six rivals meet again in January ^[2].

For a club on a 12-game point streak, the tone from the Montreal bench was humility rather than celebration. Over an 82-game season, that may be the most valuable habit a young team can build, and it is a big reason the Canadiens look like a team that will be playing meaningful hockey in the spring.