DENVER – Kirby Dach and Cole Caufield scored in the shootout, Jakub Dobes made 22 saves in regulation and the Montreal Canadiens beat the Colorado Avalanche 2-1 on Saturday night.
Caufield scored the regulation goal for Montreal, which concluded its road trip with a 4-2 record.
Mackenzie Blackwood made 23 saves but could stop only one of three Canadiens in the shootout. Colorado saw its season-high six-game winning streak snapped.
Mikko Rantanen scored his 23rd of the season at 9:01 of the first. Montreal got Caufield’s equalizer with 6:35 remaining on a freak rush with Nick Suzuki.
Both teams had chances to escape in overtime. Blackwood stopped Kaiden Guhle’s shot in the first minute and Dobes turned away Artturi Lehkonen’s shot in the final minutes.
Canadiens: Montreal had a happy flight home after their season-long trip despite playing the second game of a back-to-back. They are playing 11 of 15 games on the road.
Avalanche: Blackwood is expected to carry a heavy load while Scott Wedgewood is out with a right leg injury. Trent Miner will play occasionally, but Blackwood is expected to start for the most part.
The Canadiens had a bizarre rush midway through the third period and Emil Heineman passed the puck through the slot to Jake Evans skating on the left side. Blackwood slid in time to stop the move and keep Montreal off the board.
Rantanen extended his point streak to 13 games and has 57 points, which puts him in the top three in scoring in the NHL.
The Canadiens return to Montreal for a game against Vancouver on Monday night. The Avalanche conclude a four-game homestand against Florida on Monday night.