The lights of Madison Square Garden burned with promise, but by night’s end, that promise had vanished into thin air. Montreal’s bench was a portrait of disbelief—sticks gripped tight, jaws clenched, eyes darting from scoreboard to ice as the Rangers celebrated a comeback that no one saw coming. It was supposed to be a statement game, a showcase of dominance after three lightning-quick goals left New York reeling, but in a matter of minutes, everything unraveled.

The Canadiens’ opening burst was electric: three goals in less than four minutes, each one a thunderclap silencing the home crowd. Zachary Bolduc’s seventh of the season, Arber Xhekaj’s first, and Jake Evans’ fifth—each tally seemed to build an unbreakable wall between Montreal and defeat. The Rangers looked dazed, their energy sapped, their fans resigned. But the Garden has a way of resurrecting hope, and the Canadiens were about to learn that nothing is safe in this city.

Momentum shifted with a penalty and a power-play goal, then spun out of control when Artemi Panarin buried a penalty shot. Suddenly, the Rangers were alive, the crowd roaring with every stride. Montreal’s two-goal cushion evaporated in the second period, and before anyone could process the change, Will Cuylle and J.T. Miller had leveled the score. The Canadiens’ crisp passes and disciplined play gave way to frantic scrambles and costly errors—each mistake feeding the Rangers’ comeback, each moment of hesitation drawing a sharper glare from the bench.

Overtime was a blur of desperation and missed chances, ending with Miller’s second goal and a penalty that had fans and players alike shaking their heads. The numbers told a grim story: Montreal outshot, outplayed, and outlasted. Jacob Fowler, in just his second NHL start, stood tall under relentless pressure, but the support around him wavered. The Rangers fired 28 shots; Montreal managed just 17. Igor Shesterkin, tested less, still came away the hero.

But the real drama unfolded after the final horn. Martin St-Louis, never one to sugarcoat disappointment, delivered a verdict that echoed through the locker room and into the headlines. “Stupid mistakes,” he called them—errors that gave life to a lifeless opponent and snatched defeat from the jaws of victory. His words were sharp, but the silence in the room was sharper. The urgency, he said, was missing; the consistency, nowhere to be found. For a team that had control, the loss stung deeper than most.

Questions lingered in the aftermath. Why did the Canadiens let their lead slip away so easily? Where was the response when Fowler was roughed up in the crease? Why did the urgency fade when it mattered most? Lane Hutson and Nick Suzuki tallied assists, Bolduc continued his road scoring streak, but individual efforts meant little in the shadow of collective collapse.

As the Canadiens prepared to host the Oilers, the message was clear: something had to change. St-Louis’s challenge hung in the air like the Garden lights—unforgiving, impossible to ignore. The answers, and perhaps the redemption, would have to wait for another night.

Photo of Martin St-Louis, Rangers v Canadiens game

Photo credit: All Montreal Hockey

The Habs let a win slip away Saturday at Madison Square Garden.

Montreal held a 3-0 lead in the first period after scoring three goals in 3 minutes and 37 seconds. Zachary Bolduc scored at 12:41, Arber Xhekaj at 14:10, and Jake Evans at 16:18. It was Bolduc’s 7th, Xhekaj’s 1st, and Evans’ 5th.

The Rangers quickly responded, and that changed the tone of the game. Noah Laba scored on the power play at 18:49, then Artemi Panarin cut the deficit at 19:08 with a penalty shot.

In the second period, Josh Anderson restored a two-goal lead for the Habs at 3:17, before responses from Will Cuylle at 7:22 and J.T. Miller at 7:58.

Martin St. Louis didn’t mince words after an OT loss to the Rangers

In overtime, everything was decided following a penalty against Evans. Miller scored the game-winning power-play goal at 2:56, his second of the night.

Overall, the Rangers recorded 28 shots, compared to 17 for Montreal. Jacob Fowler finished with 21 saves, while Igor Shesterkin faced just 17 shots and stopped 13. In the standings, Montreal was 16-11-4 and 9-3-3 on the road, while New York stood at 16-13-4 and 4-8-3 at home.

St-Louis summed up the loss by calling it a game they “let slip” after having control, then delivered the line that stuck: “stupid mistakes” that “really bother me.”

“It was 3-0, the other team didn’t have any life at that point, then we start making stupid mistakes and we gave them life. That’s the story of the game.” – MSL via Habs On Reddit

“We had full control of the game. They had good possessions early in the game, but we didn’t give them much, and then we took control of the game. 3-0, the other team had no life at that moment, and then we started doing stupid mistakes and we gave them life. That’s the story of the game”

– St-Louis

“I expect way more from this group and for some reason we’re not getting it consistently. The urgency is up and down. In this league, it’s too hard…” – Martin St-Louis

“Canadiens coach Martin St. Louis didn’t mince words after an OT loss to the Rangers, calling out his team’s immaturity. The Canadiens must learn from everything that happened.” – Eric Engels, Sportsnet

Many players also face criticism for not stepping in to help Fowler, especially during a moment when he was roughed up following a goal by Cuylle.

Lane Hutson recorded two assists and now has 26 points in 31 games this season. Nick Suzuki also finished with two assists, and Bolduc has scored all seven of his goals on the road this season.

The Habs host the Oilers on Sunday night, and the message has already been sent.