If the New Jersey Devils had made the playoffs this season, the series against the Montreal Canadiens could have been really fun.
The Devils hosted the Habs at the Prudential Center on Saturday in the first match of a home-and-home situation of the weekend, losing 4-3 in the first game via a shootout.
Canadian fans arrived in large numbers in Newark, New Jersey, and were unruly before warmups even began.
That's partly because it looks like Montreal will go to the 2026 Stanley Cup Playoffs, and partly because it's to see Cole Caufield score his 50th goal of the season.
When the puck dropped, Caufield was pounded on the half break – an early opportunity to reach the 50-goal plateau. However, Johnathan Kovacevic's backcheck was too much for the Habs forward, and he never got a shot on goal.
The Devils then pressed Jacob Dobbs in waves, pushing the Canadiens into their own zone.
However, it was the Canadiens who struck first when Jaden Struble drove into the Devils slot and received a pass from Caufield to give Montreal a 1–0 lead.
The second period also started like the first. The Devils were heavy in the Montreal zone, pressuring Dobbs with abundant zone time and opportunities during the first seven minutes of the middle frame.
However, Jonas Seigenthaler's tripping penalty at the 7:40 mark of the period sent the Devils to their first penalty kill. Ivan Demidov doubled the Habs' lead on another Caufield primary assist, receiving a back door pass and making the game 2–0 on a one-time chance.
Just over a minute later, as the power was restored, Lane Hutson tripled Montreal's lead to give the Habs a 3–0 lead.
However, the Devils finally struck back at the 6:52 mark of the second. Dawson Mercer drove the Devils' net, and from an impossible angle, sliced the puck over Dobbs' left shoulder and past his left ear, cutting the Canadiens' lead to 3–1 with very little visible twine.
Despite the Devils being at a disadvantage, Jack Hughes and Jasper Bratt lined up for a 2-on-1 in the Montreal end.
The Devils suffered a prolonged loss after high-sticking Zachary Bolduc left Brendan Dillon whistled for a double minor.
Although Dobbs made the save, Jack and Bratt quickly went on another 2-on-1 breakaway after a bad Montreal turnover and this time, Jack scored his 25th shorthanded goal of the season to cut Montreal's lead to 3–2.
The Dillon penalty went over, as did one shortly afterward in the second period, and New Jersey entered the third period trailing by a goal.
The Devils put the pedal to the metal in the third period. It took 17:44 to get going on offense, but Timo Meier finally made the breakthrough and erased the three-goal deficit to tie the game with three minutes to go at the end of the third period.
The lead was not enough in regulation in Game 76 of the season, and the Devils and Canadiens went to overtime. And despite an entertaining extra period, it was not enough and the game required a shootout.
After five rounds, the Canadiens won extra points 4–3 on the stick of Zachary Bolduc.
Jake Allen made 26 saves on 29 shots through 65 minutes of regulation and overtime, handing them their 17th loss of the season.
