The Montreal Canadiens hosted the Winnipeg Jets on Tuesday night, aiming to extend their winning streak to six games.

Jacob Fowler was given the start, a logical decision given that he has not lost a game since his first start of the year, on October 8. Since then, the NHL’s Rookie of the Month has managed to put together seven straight wins, with an eye to extending his streak to eight versus the Jets.

The Habs seemed to be in total control of the game, up 4-0 late in the third period, but a series of mistakes led to an impressive comeback by the Jets, as Kyle Connor tied the game at 4-4 with less than a minute left regulation.

Winnipeg would go on to emerge with a 5-4 overtime win.

Let’s dive into the highlights!

Beck And Call

The first goal of the game came on the heels of fantastic pressure by Montreal’s fourth line. All things considered, the Florian Xhekaj, Oliver Kapanen, and Owen Beck combination has clearly been the team’s best trio playing in a fourth-line role, which is often underestimated by fans and analysts alike.

Good teams have good fourth lines, it’s as simple as that.

And much of the credit is owed to Beck, who is producing some of the best underlying numbers on the team. The rookie may not have an overabundance of NHL experience, but he’s playing like a veteran, due to his cerebral approach, and well-rounded skill set.

Mr. Anderson

The Canadiens closed out the first period in the same manner they opened it, by scoring a vital goal. This time around, it was Josh Anderson who found the back of the net with an excellent backhander.

I have to say, one of the negatives involved in modern hockey sticks is the curve, which actively hinders players when it comes to backhand shots. Prior to modern hockey curves, most players played with a stick that barely had any variation in it. For example, Doug Gilmour essentially played with a flat blade, which led to a bevy of backhand goals.

I guess I’m trying to say is that I miss the days of heavy hip checks, graceful pad stacks, and sweet backhand goals.

Believe it or not, it was Anderson’s seventh goal of the year, which means he’s on pace to score almost 40 goals this season. And his tally could be even higher if he worked on his breakaway accuracy. As a reminder, Anderson has only surpassed the 40-point threshold once in his career.

In other words, this veteran is enjoying one of the best seasons of his career, and while he’s unlikely to keep scoring every other game, he’s done a great job filling the offensive void while captain Nick Suzuki is sidelined with an upper-body injury.

Anderson has done great work reinventing himself in recent years, which is always difficult for a player who has been in the league for several seasons. He deserves full marks for his resurgence.

Mr. Every Team

Speaking of surprising stats, prior to Tuesday night’s game, Cole Caufield had yet to score a goal in 12 contests versus the Jets. It was the only team that managed to prevent him from scoring, an honour the Jets no longer hold, as Caufield scored his ninth goal of the season early in the second period.

It was also Caufield’s first powerplay goal of the season, though that makes sense, seeing as the Canadiens clearly sacrificed their powerplay efficiency in a dark ritual, to ensure they would thrive while Suzuki recovered from his injury.

He would go on to register his 10th goal of the year in the third period, putting him on a 56-goal scoring pace.

In Fowler We Trust, Everyone Else Pays Cash

The 3-0 scoreline gave the impression that the Habs were in complete control of the game, but nothing could be further from the truth.

Through 40 minutes, Fowler was perfect, stopping every shot sent his way. The Jets outshot the Canadiens 30-14 heading into the second intermission, including 10 high-danger shots at 5v5.

On that note, fans may be under the impression that the Jets did not have a significant advantage in quality scoring chances, because Fowler has an affinity for making difficult saves seem routine.

The third period was another matter, though it must be said that his teammates did not help him out much, especially given how well he had played until that point.

Fowler gave the Canadiens a chance to win, and the team fumbled the opportunity spectacularly.

Heavyweight Tilt

With the game well in hand, Arber Xhekaj decided to oblige Tyrel Bauer in what can only be described as a spirited fight. I’d probably give the edge to Xhekaj on points, but what matters most is that the Bell Centre faithful were once again highly entertained any time a Xhekaj took centre stage at the Bell Centre.

Extra Frame

The game necessitated extra time, as the Jets managed to score four goals in a little over two minutes, tying the game as the Habs took their foot off the gas.

Simply put, the Habs decided to rest on their poutine-laced laurels, and they paid the price, as Winnipeg would end up winning the game 5-4 in overtime.

The Montreal Canadiens are back in action on Thursday, facing the Utah Mammoth at the Bell Centre. The puck drop is scheduled for 7 pm ET.

All Montreal Canadiens statistics are 5v5 unless otherwise noted, via Natural Stat Trick.