Hockey
Kaprizov spoils Price's night as the Wild edge the Canadiens 2-1 in overtime
The night was supposed to belong to Carey Price. On Tuesday at Bell Centre, the Montreal Canadiens honoured their legendary goaltender, inducted into the Hockey Hall of Fame the day before, before facing the Minnesota Wild. But 21 seconds into overtime, Kirill Kaprizov stole the show: his power-play one-timer gave the Wild a 2-1 win and spoiled Montreal's celebration. The single point still stretched the Canadiens' point streak to 11 games.
A party spoiled in 21 seconds
The evening had started like a fairy tale. Before puck drop, Bell Centre gave Price an ovation of more than five minutes, and Shea Weber unveiled the goaltender's plaque on the team's Ring of Honour. On the ice, the two goaltenders then held firm through two scoreless periods. Bobby Brink opened the scoring at 2:53 of the third, cashing in after Josh Anderson mishandled the puck at centre ice to break in alone. Captain Nick Suzuki tied it at 18:22, with 1:38 left and Jacob Fowler pulled for an extra attacker, on passes from Cole Caufield and Lane Hutson — his second goal in three games since returning from injury last Thursday. But at 19:04, Caufield was called for slashing, handing Minnesota a four-on-three power play in overtime. Kaprizov needed only 21 seconds: his one-timer from the right circle beat Fowler and stretched his own point streak to nine games, with six goals and nine assists over that stretch.
Fowler, a worthy heir to Price
If the night belonged to Price in the stands, it almost belonged to Fowler on the ice. The rookie, named the NHL's Rookie of the Month for October, stopped 22 shots and improved to 8-0-2 in his last 10 games. At the other end, Jesper Wallstedt was just as solid with 27 saves, several of them late as Montreal pushed for the equaliser. The goaltending duel carried a certain symbolism: twenty-four hours after Price's induction, it was a young goaltender holding the fort for Montreal. The Canadiens were blanked on two power plays, though, and killed only two of the Wild's three — the third cost them the game.
The streak lives on
Despite the loss, the Canadiens (11-3-4) stretched their point streak to 11 games (8-0-3), the longest active run in the East. The Wild (13-3-4) extended theirs to nine games (7-0-2) and confirmed their status as the team to beat in the West. There is no time to dwell on it: Montreal visits the Boston Bruins on Thursday at 7 p.m. in a battle for first place in the Atlantic Division, then returns to Bell Centre on Saturday against the Colorado Avalanche. Price will remain part of history — even if, for one night, Kaprizov had the last word.